The Mont Alto campus of Penn State University was the cradle of forestry curriculum in Pennsylvania. However, after recent developments, this historic higher learning center faces an uncertain future. PSU officials recently announced potential campus closures at some of its 19 satellite locations.
The Mont Alto campus has educated students since 1903, when the governor established the Pennsylvania Forestry School there. During that era, PFS was only one of three such forestry schools in the nation. The other two taught future rangers at Yale University and the Biltmore Forestry School in North Carolina. The Mont Alto property became a Penn State Commonwealth Campus in 1963 and now offers a broader curriculum for two-year and four-year degrees.
Penn State President Neeli Bendapudi announced the University’s intended streamlining process through a letter. She said school closures are inevitable, citing several financial and social challenges at the University’s satellite campuses. Bendapudi began her public statement by saying she believed in the role satellite campuses play in providing access to education and driving economic opportunity, but also she noted that PSU must acknowledge current realities.
“We cannot continue with business as usual,” Bendapudi said. “The challenges we face- declining enrollments, demographic shifts and financial pressures- are not unique to Penn State, but they require us to make difficult choices. We have reached a moment when doing nothing is no longer an option.”
Bendapudi noted she worked with PSU’s Board of Trustees for the last three years to find solutions to stabilize and strengthen the Commonwealth Campus System. An additional 2024 study initiated a “Road Map for Penn State’s Future,” which consulted with statewide campus leadership, staff and students.
Despite those efforts, Bendapudi stated in her recent public announcement: “It has become clear that we cannot sustain a viable Commonwealth Campus without closing some campuses.” The PSU president named three leaders within the University’s satellite system to oversee the closure committee.
Some PSU campuses can breathe easy after Bendapudi stated that the seven largest satellite locations (including Harrisburg, Altoona and Lehigh Valley) will remain open. These seven campuses enroll 75 percent of the remote students and 67 percent of the staff. Specialized schools, including Penn State College of Technology, Penn State Dickinson Law and Penn State College of Medicine, won’t be affected by upcoming closures.
Regarding the remaining 12 campuses, including Mont Alto, PSU’s panel will decide which campuses will close by Spring Commencement. Among those dozen locations, Mont Alto ranks fourth in enrollment with 613 students. The three PSU remote campuses that educate more scholars are Scranton (837), York (703) and Schuylkill (698), and the remaining eight schools on the potential closure list have fewer students than Mont Alto.
Deciding a definitive criteria list for PSU school closures is ongoing. However, Bendapudi mentioned enrollment and demographics as prominent factors for the committee’s review. Regarding the latter, population decline in some campuses’ home counties has posed a serious challenge. Most PSU satellites draw students from nearby communities.
After PSU officials make the final announcement, campuses slated for closure will remain open until the 2026-2027 school year concludes. At closed schools, enrolled students can finish their degrees at another PSU location or online. Bendapudi stressed that after the finalized cuts, the remaining satellites will have PSU’s full support, with her intention of “preserving a thriving, sustainable Commonwealth Campus ecosystem- one that meets the needs of today’s students and remains robust for the next 100 years.”
It is unknown how many of the 12 remote campuses will close in 2027, but the University assured concerned communities that some locations will survive the cut.
The 19 PSU satellite locations enrolled approximately 23,000 students in 2024, a 12 percent decline from the 2020 school year. A neighboring comparison to PSU’s remote system shows the University of Maryland has 11 satellite locations, and Ohio State University has four campuses.
News of the potential campus closure sparked concern and disbelief in Mont Alto. At a recent town council meeting, leadership decided they needed more information to assess the threat to the college. A resident said she couldn’t imagine Mont Alto without the University. The campus has been a bedrock in the community for over a century. Wiestling Hall, constructed in 1807 and still occupying a prominent spot on the picturesque Mont Alto campus, is the oldest building in the Penn State system.
The reality that a local institution could be closed rekindled frustration about another loss. In 2023, Pennsylvania’s Department of Conservation and Natural Resources announced the closure of the area’s South Mountain Golf Course to build a Visitor Center and DCNR office. The course gained widespread popularity after its 1960s founding, and the decision to close it sparked protests from elected officials, golfers and nature lovers.
Many local residents objected to DCNR’s decision to deny renewal for the privately-managed golf course’s lease when it lapses in December 2025. The recent PSU closure threat reminded residents that decisions could again be made by entities outside Franklin County, potentially striking a fatal blow to a cherished local institution.
Queries about the possible campus closure, made to Mont Alto/PSU’s Regional Chancellor and press office by phone and email, were not returned.
Penn State officials admit this closure process will be stressful for the dozen PSU satellite communities. President Bendapudi closed her public letter by stating: “Penn State has adapted and evolved for 170 years. The decisions we make now will position the University for another century of academic, research and service excellence. This is about strengthening Penn State’s Commonwealth Campus ecosystem so it can continue to thrive, in a form that aligns with today’s realities.”
