About the College

College of Education at a Glance

Student Enrollment (fall 2020)*

*Includes students attending less than full-time

Faculty

Tenure Line (fall 2020)

Fixed Term Faculty

Student Credit Hours (Summer, Fall and Spring 2019-20)

U.S. News Rankings (released Spring 2020)

Grants and Contracts

Fund Raising

Facts about the College

Undergraduate Programs

• Teacher education programs accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education since Jan. 1, 1965.
• 58 subject areas leading to undergraduate degrees, graduate degrees, and/or certifications offered on campus, online and as hybrid
• Award-winning Professional Development School teacher preparation program
• Outstanding success rates on Praxis standardized tests for educators
• Teacher preparation programs leading to state certification at elementary, middle and secondary levels
• Programs in Rehabilitation & Human Services, Workforce Education, and Education & Public Policy
• Award-winning post-graduate programs to assist with induction into the world of practice

Student Scholarships

• In 2018-19, the College of Education awarded roughly $1.62 million in College-specific scholarships to more than 345 students, with an average award amount of $3,500.

Graduate Programs

• 15 fields of study leading to master's and doctoral degrees
• Graduate fellowships and assistantships support many incoming and continuing graduate students
• 5 master's degrees and 8 post-baccalaureate certificates available via Penn State's World Campus

Faculty

• Faculty members serve as members of numerous private and government panels, governing boards for state and national organizations, and editorial boards for major journals—one of many criteria for national rankings
• 19 Fulbrights in the past 7 years.
• Editorial responsibilities for more than 30 major journals in education, including the following:
• Adult Education Quarterly
  
• American Journal of Education
• Augmentative and Alternative Communication
• The Career Development Quarterly
• Journal of Research in Rural Education

National Accreditations

• Fully accredited by all pertinent agencies, including NCATE/CAEP, APA, NASP, CORE, and CACREP
• All of the College's professional education certification programs are approved by the Pennsylvania Department of Education

Points of Pride

The College is involved in a number of initiatives and programs that advance both education research and practice. Included here is a sample of these endeavors.

Research

• Center for the Study of Higher Education
  The Center engages researchers, practitioners, and policy leaders in examining significant issues of practice and policy confronting higher education at the campus, state, national, and international levels.
• Krause Innovation Studio
  This new initiative focuses on research and development around innovative technology-supported pedagogy in higher education. The largest gift ever given to the College—$6.5 million from Gay and Bill Krause—allows faculty to draw upon emerging technologies to transform their teaching and scholarship.
• Adult and Family Literacy
  The Goodling Institute for Research in Family Literacy and the Institute for the Study of Adult Literacy provide national leadership to improve literacy education through research and its application to practice and professional development.
• American Journal of Education
  AJE's home is the Department of Education Policy Studies. This journal is one of the most important sources of research papers on education. A recent survey placed AJE among 11 core academic journals with "demonstrated impact."
• Institute for Research in Training & Development
  The Institute works with Penn State Outreach to provide research and outreach programs to support workforce training and development in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, nationally, and internationally.

Academic Programs

• Professional Development Schools
  This teacher preparation partnership with the State College Area School District has won four major national awards in the past 12 years—most recently the 2011 Spirit of Partnership Award, given by the University of South Carolina's PDS National Conference Planning Team.
• Distance Education Programs
  Penn State's World Campus offers 12 high-quality online master's degree and certificate programs, including a graduate certificate in children's literature, to help teachers achieve their career goals.
• Humphrey Fellowship Program
  This program, funded by the U.S. Department of State, enables midcareer educational leaders from around the world to develop leadership skills in education.
• American Indian Leadership Program
  This program, the longest-running program of its type in the U.S., prepares American Indians/Alaskan Natives for leadership positions in educational organizations.
• Applied Behavior Analysis
  This master's-level program helps caregivers prepare to work with people with autism and related disorders. The program won an Outstanding Credit Program Award from the Association for Continuing Higher Education.
• Joint Degree Programs in Law and Education Policy Studies
  Students work concurrently toward two degrees: a Juris Doctor degree and an advanced degree in one of four Education Policy Studies programs.

Outreach

• Center for Science and the Schools (CSATS)
  This University-wide initiative housed in the College of Education is devoted to professional development and outreach in science education in the K–12 schools of Pennsylvania and beyond.

• LifeLink PSU
  This collaborative partnership with the State College Area School District provides an enrichment program with age-appropriate peers for special-needs students.
• Diversity Programs for High School Students
  The Summer College Opportunity Program in Education (SCOPE) is a summer residential program designed to raise the achievement and aspirations of high school students from urban areas.
  The Urban Teaching Collaborative Afterschool Online Tutoring Program uses technology and online communication programs to pair Penn State future teachers with elementary school children in Philadelphia.
• Personnel Professional Development Center
  The PPDC offers career development opportunities for Pennsylvania citizens who wish to teach in occupational or technical training programs.