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Penn State review targets 47 degree offerings, with branch campuses bearing most cuts
Penn State administrators recommend discontinuing 47 bachelor’s and associate degree offerings, affecting 784 students enrolled in them this spring. The recommendations still need approval from the university’s provost, and the university has not said whether they would lead to faculty layoffs or savings.
Penn State leaders are recommending that the university discontinue 47 bachelor’s and associate degree offerings—nearly 12% of its programs—as part of a review citing low enrollment and limited employment opportunities for graduates.
The proposals, announced Oct. 14, affect 784 students, or 1.1% of Penn State’s undergraduate population, who were enrolled in the programs in spring 2026. The university says those students will be allowed to finish their degrees.
Nine of the 47 programs had no students enrolled, and Penn State has already begun phasing out or stopped admitting students to 15 others. Twenty-four programs would continue at a different campus. Most of the offerings under review are at branch campuses, which have faced ongoing questions about their future. Seven campuses are scheduled to close next spring, including Fayette, New Kensington and Shenango.
About one-third of the programs recommended for elimination are in the humanities and arts. Some offerings, including American studies and security and risk analysis, would be discontinued across all campuses.
The recommendations await a final decision from Executive Vice President and Provost Fotis Sotiropoulos. He described regular program reviews as a way for the university to respond to changing conditions, including demographic shifts, stagnant state support and rising costs.
Penn State has not announced whether the proposed cuts would result in faculty layoffs or how much money the university expects to save. Administrators say program reviews will continue as part of an ongoing cycle.