<p>Okay folks, here is the primer in PA higher education:</p>
<p>There are four (4) State-related Universities:
Penn State
Temple
Pitt
Lincoln (Historically Black)</p>
<p>Penn State, Temple and Pitt are all very good schools. I know kids at all of them who like them a lot. They all are large schools with a wide variety of majors and programs. All are doctorate level institutions and Penn State is a land grant university.
Temple has a satellite campus in Ambler PA, outside of Philly.
Pitt has a couple of satellite campuses - one is Johnstown and one in Bradford.
Penn State has multiple satellite campuses - if you live in PA there is one not far from you. Some only have the first two years of the bachelor degree but at many you can finish your degree there without going up to State College. Some have dorms but many are commuter schools.<br>
The downside for many is cost - for public schools they all have quite high instate tuition; Penn State is about $13000 for just tuition.</p>
<p>PASSHE - PA State System of Higher Education
These are the 14 State Universities all across the state. Some are competitive for admission and some are not. The majors and programs vary and are not as comprehensive as the “big three”. They were all teacher colleges and all do a great job in teacher training.
They are residential colleges with varying degrees of on campus housing availability.<br>
IUP (Indiana University of PA) is the only doctoral institution. The rest offer Bachelor and Master’s degrees.
West Chester is actually pretty selective and has a good reputation in PA. The kids I know who are there love it for the most part. No school pleases everyone though. Some don’t like it because the area is shady and parts are dangerous.</p>
<p>Kutztown is in a nice little college town. They attract lots of kids from Philly and the suburbs who don’t get into West Chester (which is how it’s known as the STD capital). They have a fantastic Art program and the Education dept is top notch.
The upside, of course, is affordablity. The tuition for PASSHE colleges is really low and affordable for many families at <$8000/year. Since the colleges are all across the state - likely there is one near you and many kids do commute to save on costs.</p>