| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Type | Public technical college; a special-mission affiliate of Penn State with its own board |
| Locations | Four teaching sites in Pennsylvania: the Williamsport main campus, the Lumley Aviation Center (Montoursville), the Schneebeli Earth Science Center (near Allenwood) and Penn College at Wellsboro |
| Credentials | Certificates, A.A.S. and A.A. degrees, B.S. and B.Arch. degrees, and an M.S. in Physician Assistant Studies; noncredit practical nursing through Workforce Development |
| Online | 14 majors; SARA participant |
| Enrollment | 4,705 students (fall 2025 headcount) |
| Accreditation | Middle States Commission on Higher Education; reaffirmed 23 June 2022 |
| Federal aid | Yes |
| 2026-27 tuition | $530 a credit in-state and $795 out-of-state (fall 2026), plus $101 a credit in mandatory fees |
| Founded | 1914, as part of Williamsport High School; Pennsylvania College of Technology since 1989 |
| Facts checked | 8 October 2026 |
A Penn State affiliate built around technical majors
Pennsylvania College of Technology, known as Penn College, is a public technical college in Williamsport. It has been a special-mission affiliate of Penn State since 1989, when state legislation made it a wholly owned subsidiary of the university, but it is separately accredited and governed by its own board. Its roots go back to 1914 at Williamsport High School; it later became Williamsport Technical Institute (1941) and Williamsport Area Community College (1965). In the college’s Fast Facts, 54% of students are in bachelor’s programs and 43% in associate programs. What sets it apart is the range of trade and technology majors at bachelor’s level, an FAA Part 147 aviation school at the Williamsport airport, and diesel and heavy equipment training on a 379-acre site south of the city.
Career programs at Penn College’s four sites
Penn College awards certificates, associate degrees and bachelor’s degrees, often in the same trade, so students can stop after two years or continue. The table lists the main career programs from the college’s catalog and program pages (October 2026). Almost everything is taught at the Williamsport main campus; aviation is at the Lumley Aviation Center, and diesel, heavy equipment, forestry and landscape programs are at the Schneebeli Earth Science Center. A dash means the source gave no figure.
| Program | Credential | Where | Accreditation or approval | Prepares for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nursing (RN) | A.A.S. (also part-time evening and weekend); LPN to RN A.A.S.; pre-licensure B.S.N. | Williamsport | ACEN | NCLEX-RN |
| RN to B.S.N. | B.S. completion | Online | ACEN | – |
| Practical nursing (LPN) | Noncredit, 1,536 clock hours; $19,700 (2026) | Wellsboro and Williamsport | PA State Board of Nursing | NCLEX-PN |
| Dental Hygiene | A.A.S., 77 credits; B.S. completion online | Williamsport | CODA | – |
| Physical Therapist Assistant | A.A.S. | Williamsport | CAPTE | NPTE for PTAs |
| Radiography | A.A.S. | Williamsport | JRCERT (eight-year award) | ARRT |
| Surgical Technology | A.A.S. | Williamsport | CAAHEP | CST (NBSTSA) |
| Aviation maintenance | Certificate, 71 credits; Aviation Technology A.A.S., 83 credits; B.S. | Lumley Aviation Center | FAA Part 147; NCATT (B.S.) | FAA airframe and powerplant exams (A.A.S.) |
| Automotive | Certificate; A.A.S. (incl. Honda PACT); B.S. (also online) | Williamsport | ASE Education Foundation (NATEF) | – |
| Collision Repair | A.A.S. | Williamsport | ASE Education Foundation (NATEF) | – |
| Diesel and power generation | Certificate; Diesel Technology A.A.S.; Electric Power Generation A.A.S. | Schneebeli Earth Science Center | ASE Education Foundation (diesel) | – |
| Heavy Construction Equipment | A.A.S. (Caterpillar, Technician or Operator emphasis) | Schneebeli Earth Science Center | AED | – |
| Welding | Welding Technology A.A.S.; Metal Fabrication A.A.S.; Welding & Fabrication Eng. Tech. B.S. | Williamsport | ABET ETAC (Welding Technology A.A.S. and B.S.) | AWS tests (accredited test facility) |
| Machining | CNC Machinist certificate; Machine Tool Technology A.A.S. | Williamsport | NIMS | – |
| HVAC | A.A.S.; HVAC Engineering Technology B.S. (online from fall 2026) | Williamsport; B.S. also online | ACCE | – |
| Plumbing | Certificate | Williamsport | – | – |
| Electrical | Electrical Technology A.A.S.; Electrical Construction A.A.S. | Williamsport | – | – |
| Construction | Building Construction Technology A.A.S.; Construction Management B.S.; others | Williamsport | ACCE (Construction Management); PBA endorsement (BCT) | – |
| Mechatronics and electronics | A.A.S. and B.S. degrees | Williamsport | ABET (Electronics & Computer Eng. Tech.) | – |
| Engineering CAD | A.A.S. | Williamsport | ADDA certification | – |
| Landscape/Plant Production | A.A.S. | Schneebeli Earth Science Center | – | – |
| Culinary and baking | Two A.A.S. degrees; two certificates | Williamsport | ACF Education Foundation (A.A.S.) | – |
| Accounting | A.A.S., B.S. | Williamsport and online | ACBSP | – |
Every engineering degree at Penn College is an engineering technology degree; the college offers no B.S.E. ABET’s Engineering Technology Accreditation Commission accredits some of them, including welding and electronics. Fourteen majors can be studied online, among them accounting and the RN-to-B.S.N.; an online HVAC Engineering Technology B.S. starts in fall 2026.
What the main programs cover
Registered nursing
Penn College runs four RN-related programs, all ACEN-accredited. The Nursing A.A.S. can be taken full-time or on a part-time evening and weekend schedule, and licensed practical nurses can enter a separate LPN-to-RN A.A.S. Students who want a bachelor’s from the start take the pre-licensure B.S.N., while working RNs can finish one through the online RN-to-B.S.N. Every nursing major is selective, so applicants need a separate admission to the major. The online M.S.N. in nursing education took its last cohort in May 2026 and is closed to new applicants.
Practical nursing through Workforce Development
Practical nursing moved out of the credit catalog in 2023; the last credit cohort graduated in August 2023, and the program now runs through Workforce Development. It is a full-time year of 1,536 clock hours, of which 1,512 are required attendance, at about 32 hours a week with some weekend clinicals. Wellsboro students hear lectures in the room, and the Williamsport cohort, added in September 2025, watches them streamed live but does its labs and clinicals in person. Applicants must take the TEAS. There is no college housing for the program.
Aviation maintenance
Aviation programs are based at the Lumley Aviation Center at Williamsport Regional Airport. The FAA Part 147 certificate covers four semesters and 71 credits; the Aviation Technology A.A.S. is 83 credits and leads to the FAA airframe and powerplant exams. The Aviation Maintenance Technology B.S. builds on these with the center’s airframe, powerplant and avionics-repair labs. Avionics appears as coursework, for example Airframe Electronic & Instrument Systems and Advanced Aircraft Electrical Systems. The certificate has a waitlist for both 2027 starts.
Dental hygiene
The Dental Hygiene A.A.S. is 77 credits and takes at least four semesters in the major; including a pre-program year, it usually takes about three years. Clinical training happens in the college’s own dental hygiene clinic on the Williamsport campus, which is open to the public and records more than 3,000 patient visits a year. Admission is selective. Licensed hygienists who want a bachelor’s can take Penn College’s online B.S. completion degree without moving to Williamsport.
Diesel, heavy equipment and power generation
These majors are taught away from the main campus, at the Schneebeli Earth Science Center about 12 miles south of Williamsport. Heavy Construction Equipment Technology is an A.A.S. with three emphases, Caterpillar, Technician and Operator, and is accredited by AED. Diesel students choose between a Diesel Truck Maintenance Technician certificate and the Diesel Technology A.A.S., and Electric Power Generation Technology is a separate A.A.S. with a diesel emphasis. A state grant announced in July 2026 is meant to expand all three areas.
Tuition for 2026-27 and how students pay
Penn College’s board approved the 2026-27 budget and tuition on 25 June 2026. Tuition is charged per credit, with one rate for Pennsylvania residents and another for out-of-state students; there is no local or district rate.
| Per credit | In-state | Out-of-state |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition, fall 2026 | $530 | $795 |
| Tuition, spring and summer 2027 | $539 | $809 |
| Tuition and mandatory fees, fall 2026 | $631 | $896 |
| Tuition and mandatory fees, spring and summer 2027 | $640 | $910 |
- Mandatory fees: $101 a credit (capital $55, technology $25, health and wellness $10, activity $11).
- Course fees: $70 per instructional lab hour; up to $2,200 per program for online resources in prelicensure nursing; a $2,996 physician assistant program fee; and a $140 enrollment fee for new students.
- Online degrees: students in an online degree program pay the in-state rate wherever they live.
- Practical nursing: $19,700 for 2026, textbooks included.
A student taking 15 credits in each of fall 2026 and spring 2027 would pay $19,065 in tuition and mandatory fees as a Pennsylvania resident, or $27,090 from out of state, before lab fees (our arithmetic from the college’s published rates). Penn College’s own Fast Facts estimate the total cost of attendance, with housing, meals, books and supplies, at $32,217 in-state and $40,050 out-of-state; housing and meal rates rose 3% for 2026-27.
The college takes federal financial aid. Practical nursing students can use Pell Grants, Direct Loans and PA-TIP, and those who go on to Penn College’s RN program can receive a $1,500 Pathways Scholarship for up to two FAFSA years.
Admissions, starts and schedules
Admission to the college is open to qualified applicants, but many majors have their own selective admission, including all nursing programs, dental hygiene, physical therapist assistant, radiography, surgical technology and physician assistant studies. The Aviation Maintenance Technician certificate is waitlisted for spring and fall 2027. The practical nursing program asks applicants to take the TEAS, and its next listed cohort starts in April 2027.
Most majors are full-time daytime programs. The Nursing A.A.S. has a part-time evening and weekend option, and practical nursing runs about 32 hours a week with some weekend clinical time. Online programs are covered by SARA in every state except California, which is not a SARA state, though the college can still serve students there; for programs that lead to a licence, students should check that the program meets their own state’s rules.
Accreditation and results
Penn College is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, which reaffirmed its accreditation on 23 June 2022 with no recommendations or requirements. The next self-study evaluation is scheduled for 2029-30. A supplemental report is due on 22 February 2027 for the prison-education site at SCI Muncy, a routine follow-up to adding a location rather than a sanction.
Program accreditors include ACEN (nursing), CODA (dental hygiene), CAPTE (physical therapist assistant), JRCERT (radiography), CAAHEP (surgical technology), ARC-PA (physician assistant), ABET ETAC (some engineering technology degrees), NCATT (aviation maintenance B.S.), the ASE Education Foundation (automotive, collision, diesel), AED (heavy equipment), NIMS (machining), ACCE (HVAC and construction management), ACBSP (business) and the ACF Education Foundation (culinary and baking). The aviation certificate and A.A.S. are taught in an FAA Part 147 school.
Published results:
| Program | Result | Cohort and source |
|---|---|---|
| Nursing A.A.S. and LPN-to-RN | NCLEX-RN first-time pass 97.3% (72 of 74); Pennsylvania 90.4%, US 86.9% | Testing year 1 Oct 2024 to 30 Sep 2025; Penn College nursing outcomes page |
| Nursing B.S.N. | NCLEX-RN first-time pass 87.1% (27 of 31), below the Pennsylvania average of 90.4% | Same testing year; Penn College |
| Physical Therapist Assistant | 91.7% first-time NPTE pass; 92% graduation; 100% employment | 2025 class; Penn College (FSBPT data) |
| Radiography | 83% first-attempt ARRT pass (national 85.8%) | 2025; Penn College program page |
| Surgical Technology | 88% first-attempt CST pass | 2026; Penn College (NBSTSA data) |
| All graduates | 97.8% placement: responding graduates employed in any field or continuing their education | 2024-25; Penn College Fast Facts |
| All graduates | 93.2% “positive” placement: in-field or preferred-field jobs, continuing education, military or volunteer service | 2023-24 graduates; Penn College Graduate Survey |
We found no current dental hygiene board pass rates on the program page, and Penn College does not publish NCLEX-PN results for its practical nursing program.
What changed from 2023 to 2026
- April 2023: the board approved selling the Advanced Automotive Technology Center on Wahoo Drive; automotive moved to the main campus. Practical nursing and paramedic training moved to Workforce Development.
- 2023: the M.S. in Physician Assistant Studies, B.S. in Biomedical Sciences and online B.S. in Healthcare Leadership & Administration were added.
- September 2025: the Workforce Development LPN program added a Williamsport class alongside Wellsboro.
- 2026: the online M.S.N. in nursing education took its last cohort in May; the online HVAC Engineering Technology B.S. starts in fall; and in July the college received a $1.5 million state grant for the Schneebeli Earth Science Center.
Before you enroll
- Penn College admits all qualified applicants to the college, but many majors are selective, including every nursing program, dental hygiene, physical therapist assistant, radiography, surgical technology and physician assistant studies. The Aviation Maintenance Technician certificate is already waitlisted for spring and fall 2027.
- The 97.8% placement figure counts graduates who answered the college’s survey and were working in any field or studying further; the narrower “positive placement” rate (in-field or preferred-field jobs, continuing education, military or volunteer service) was 93.2% for 2023-24, and the survey’s response rate is not stated.
- Licensing results vary by program. The B.S.N.’s 2024-25 NCLEX-RN pass rate (87.1%) was below the Pennsylvania average, and radiography’s 2025 ARRT rate (83%) was below the national figure, while the associate nursing tracks and surgical technology did well.
- In April 2026 the board approved a strategic plan under which six majors are being phased out with teach-out plans. The college’s release does not name them, so ask whether your major is one of them.
- The practical nursing program is noncredit Workforce Development training, not a degree; Penn College does not publish its NCLEX-PN pass rates, and there is no college housing for Wellsboro students.
Housing and career help
Residence halls are on the Williamsport main campus; there is no college housing for the Wellsboro practical nursing program. The college’s October 2024 career fair drew more than 400 employers, and Penn College surveys each graduating class every year, which is the source of its placement figures.
What students say on Niche
On Niche, Penn College averages 3.93 out of 5 from 686 reviews, with an overall grade of B- (checked 8 October 2026). Reviewers most often praise the hands-on, career-focused programs, knowledgeable and supportive faculty with small classes, and a clean, modern campus with plenty of clubs and events. The most common complaints are housing and dining quality, including slow repairs, the cost, uneven advising from one department to another, and a quiet town on weekends with a perceived lack of diversity. We could not tell whether the reviews were invited or posted in bursts, and they describe the college as a whole rather than particular programs or sites.
Sources
Checked 8 October 2026: Penn College Fast Facts · Tuition, fees and charges · Catalog majors · Accreditations · MSCHE accreditation status · Nursing outcomes · Locations and directions · Niche
Programs & Courses
Nursing
- Nursing (A.A.S., RN; also part-time evening and weekend)
- Nursing, LPN to RN (A.A.S.)
- Nursing, B.S.N. (pre-licensure)
- Nursing, RN to B.S.N. Completion (online)
- Practical Nursing (LPN), Workforce Development (Wellsboro and Williamsport)
Health Sciences
- Dental Hygiene (A.A.S.; B.S. completion online)
- Physical Therapist Assistant (A.A.S.)
- Radiography (A.A.S.)
- Surgical Technology (A.A.S.)
- Physician Assistant Studies (M.S.)
- Allied Health (A.A.S., non-clinical)
- Healthcare Leadership & Administration (B.S. completion, online)
- Biomedical Sciences (B.S.)
- Prehospital Medicine (B.S.)
Aviation (Lumley Aviation Center)
- Aviation Maintenance Technician (certificate)
- Aviation Technology (A.A.S.)
- Aviation Maintenance Technology (B.S.)
Automotive and Collision
- Automotive Service Technician (certificate)
- Automotive Technology, including Honda PACT emphasis (A.A.S.)
- Automotive Service Sales & Marketing (A.A.S.)
- Automotive Technology Management (B.S.; also online)
- Collision Repair Technology (A.A.S.)
Diesel, Heavy Equipment, Forestry and Landscape (Schneebeli Earth Science Center)
- Diesel Truck Maintenance Technician (certificate)
- Diesel Technology (A.A.S.)
- Electric Power Generation Technology: Diesel Emphasis (A.A.S.)
- Heavy Construction Equipment Technology: Caterpillar, Technician or Operator emphasis (A.A.S.)
- Forest Technology (A.A.S.)
- Landscape/Plant Production Technology (A.A.S.)
Welding, Machining and Manufacturing
- Welding Technology (A.A.S.)
- Metal Fabrication Technology (A.A.S.)
- Welding & Fabrication Engineering Technology (B.S.)
- CNC Machinist (certificate)
- Machine Tool Technology (A.A.S.)
- Automated Manufacturing Technology (A.A.S.)
- Manufacturing Engineering Technology (B.S.)
- Non-Destructive Testing (A.A.S.; Radiographic and Ultrasonic Inspection credentials)
- Plastics & Polymer Technology (A.A.S.) and Polymer Engineering Technology (B.S.)
Building Trades, Construction and Architecture
- HVAC Technology (A.A.S.)
- HVAC Engineering Technology (B.S.; online from fall 2026)
- Plumbing (certificate)
- Electrical Technology (A.A.S.)
- Electrical Construction (A.A.S.)
- Building Automation Engineering Technology (B.S.)
- Building Construction Technology (A.A.S.)
- Residential Construction Technology & Management (B.S.)
- Construction Management (B.S.)
- Concrete Science Technology (A.A.S.; Concrete Technician I and II)
- Civil Engineering Technology (A.A.S., B.S.)
- Architecture (A.A.S.) and Architecture & Sustainable Design (B.Arch.)
Electronics, Automation and Design
- Mechatronics Technology (A.A.S.)
- Automation Engineering Technology: Mechatronics (B.S.)
- Robotics & Automation (B.S.)
- Electronics & Computer Engineering Technology (A.A.S., B.S.)
- Engineering CAD Technology (A.A.S.)
- Engineering Design Technology (B.S.)
- Industrial Design (B.S.)
Information Technology and Graphic Design
- Information Technology: Network & User Support (A.A.S.)
- Network Administration & Engineering Technology (B.S.)
- Software Development & Information Management (B.S.)
- Information Assurance & Cyber Security (B.S.)
- Game & Simulation Programming (B.S.)
- Graphic Design & Art (B.S.)
Business and Public Service
- Accounting (A.A.S., B.S.; also online)
- Business Administration (B.S.; also online)
- Business Management (A.A.S.; also online)
- Applied Management (B.S.; also online)
- Emergency Management & Homeland Security (B.S.; also online)
- Human Services & Restorative Justice (A.A.S., B.S.)
- Apprenticeship Technology (A.A.S., online, for registered apprentices)
Culinary and Baking
- Culinary Arts Technology (A.A.S.)
- Culinary Applications (certificate)
- Baking & Pastry Arts (A.A.S.)
- Professional Baking (certificate)
- Brewing & Fermentation Science
Campus Locations
Williamsport, PA One College Avenue, Williamsport, PA 17701
Williamsport (Montoursville), PA 500 Airport Rd., Montoursville, PA 17754
Williamsport (Montgomery), PA 203 Allenwood Camp Ln., Montgomery, PA 17752
Wellsboro, PA 22 Walnut St., Wellsboro, PA 16901