Profile

Founded in 1855, Pennsylvania State University is a public research university with 24 campus locations, including the flagship campus in University Park, PA. It was founded in 1855 with a goal of applying scientific principles to farming and the main campus is fondly nicknamed “Happy Valley.” Penn State offers more than 160 undergraduate majors and students hail from all 50 states and 85 countries. The most popular majors are engineering, business and communications. Penn State’s “2+2” program gives students the opportunity to spend their first two years at one campus and transition to another for the remaining two years; more than 50% of students choose this path. Over 2,000 students take part in over 300 study abroad programs every year. The university boasts 80 sororities and fraternities and nearly 1,100 clubs and organizations. More than 15,000 students participate in THON, in which students dance for 46 straight hours to raise money for pediatric cancer research and awareness; it is the largest student-run philanthropy in the world. The Penn state Nittany Lions compete in the NCAA Division I Big 10 Conference. The football team plays in Beaver Stadium, the second largest American football stadium in the U.S. with seating for 107,000 fans.