Penn State President Neeli Bendapudi announced to the public via email on Tuesday her recommendation to close seven commonwealth campuses by the end of the 2027 spring semester.

No decision is final until the Board of Trustees votes. The Board of Trustees is expected to meet on Thursday morning to discuss the matter.

The report recommends closing the DuBois, Fayette, Mont Alto, New Kensington, Shenango, Wilkes-Barre, and York Commonwealth campuses. The report was prepared by Margo DelliCarpini, vice president for Commonwealth campuses; Tracy Langkilde, interim executive vice president and provost; and Michael Wade Smith, senior vice president and chief of staff.

Bendapudi first announced that certain campuses would close and that she would make a decision before the end of the spring 2025 semester in late February. That decision was pushed back after the May Board of Trustees meeting after pushback from those who said Bendapudi didn’t have the full power to close campuses. The campuses slated for closure came from a list of 12: Beaver, DuBois, Greater Allegheny, Fayette, Hazleton, Mont Alto, New Kensington, Schuylkill, Shenango, Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, and York.

Penn State Commonwealth Campuses have seen a steady decline in enrollment as a whole over several years. Bendapudi has said, both publicly and privately, that there are internal documents and analyses from decades past at the university saying the restructuring of the Commonwealth Campus structure would eventually be necessary. Bendapudi has declined to make those internal documents publicly available.

“A leaner, more responsive, and more resilient Commonwealth Campus ecosystem will allow Penn State to maintain its promise to Pennsylvania — not just for today, but for decades to come. The recommendation to the board reflects a difficult truth: To remain true to our mission, and to serve future generations of students with excellence, we must evolve,” Bendapudi said in the release.

Penn State DuBois is located just over an hour northwest of State College and enrolls 395 students — the 17th most students of any non-World Campus or Hershey Medical Center campus. It offers six bachelor’s degrees that can be earned, from start to finish, on its campus, along with seven associate’s degree paths. Since fall 2020, its enrollment has decreased by 111 students — a 22% drop.

Penn State Fayette is located in the southwestern corner of Pennsylvania, between Pittsburgh and Morgantown, West Virginia, and enrolls 407 students — the 16th most students of any non-World Campus or Hershey Medical Center campus. It offers nine bachelor’s degrees that can be earned, from start to finish, on its campus, along with five associate’s degree paths. It also features an honors program. Since fall 2020, its enrollment has decreased by 170 students — a 29% drop.

Penn State Mont Alto is located in southern Pennsylvania, about 30 minutes west of Gettysburg, and enrolls 613 students — the 12th most students of any non-World Campus or Hershey Medical Center campus. It offers nine bachelor’s degrees that can be earned, from start to finish, on its campus, along with seven associate’s degree paths. Since fall 2020, its enrollment has decreased by 97 students — a 14% drop.

Penn State New Kensington is located about 30 minutes northeast of Pittsburgh and enrolls 432 students — the 13th most students of any non-World Campus or Hershey Medical Center campus. It offers eight bachelor’s degrees that can be earned, from start to finish, on its campus, along with four associate’s degree paths. Since fall 2020, its enrollment has decreased by 96 students — an 18% drop.

Penn State Shenango is located on the Pennsylvania-Ohio border, about 20 minutes north of Youngstown, Ohio, and enrolls 373 students — the fewest of any Penn State campus. It offers 11 bachelor’s degrees that can be earned, from start to finish, on its campus, along with five associate’s degree paths. Since fall 2020, its enrollment has decreased by 64 students — a 17% drop.

Penn State Wilkes-Barre is located just outside Wilkes-Barre and enrolls 329 students — the second-fewest students of any Penn State campus. It offers seven bachelor’s degrees that can be earned, from start to finish, on its campus, along with four associate’s degree paths. Since fall 2020, its enrollment has decreased by 33 students — a 9% drop.

Penn State York is located, of course, in York and enrolls 703 students — the 10th-most students of any non-World Campus or Hershey Medical Center campus. It offers 12 bachelor’s degrees that can be earned, from start to finish, on its campus, along with five associate’s degree paths. Since fall 2020, its enrollment has decreased by 64 students — an 8% drop.

The Beaver, Greater Alleghany, Hazleton, Schuylkill, and Scranton campuses were not recommended for closure from the list. They are set to receive further investment from the university due to their importance, financial resilience, academics, regional relevance, and/or potential to support students from closing campuses.