Penn Commercial Business/Technical School is a private career school in Washington, Pennsylvania, with a history dating to 1929. Its long-standing focus is occupational training rather than the broad undergraduate curriculum of a conventional four-year college.
Today, the school's identity is tied to programs intended to prepare students for specific fields of work. Because career schools can change program names, schedules, and credentials, applicants comparing Penn Commercial with earlier descriptions of the institution should use the catalog for their intended start date.
Penn Commercial organizes its education around career programs, not a set of liberal-arts colleges or research faculties. Its areas of training include health care, business, skilled trades, and beauty-related fields; the credential, length, and availability of a particular program should be checked in the current catalog.
For applicants, the program matters more than the school-wide label. A diploma or certificate designed for entry-level employment serves a different purpose from an associate degree, and a program leading toward a regulated occupation may have separate clinical, examination, or licensing requirements. Ask for the exact credential awarded, the courses and hands-on hours required, and the occupation the program is designed to prepare students to enter.
Penn Commercial is located at 242 Oak Spring Road in Washington, Pennsylvania, southwest of Pittsburgh. Students should plan around travel to a career-school campus rather than assume they will have access to a residential college setting.
Washington's location may be convenient for students traveling from southwestern Pennsylvania or nearby communities in other states. Pittsburgh International Airport is the nearest major airport, but routine attendance is more likely to depend on a student's local transportation arrangements. Applicants should check the timetable for their specific program, particularly if it includes early, evening, clinical, or off-campus training hours.
Penn Commercial's educational purpose centers on preparing students for employment through career-focused instruction. That stated purpose is most useful to applicants when assessed at the program level: what students practice, which credential they earn, and whether the training aligns with their intended occupation.
A career-preparation mission is not itself evidence of a particular employment outcome. Prospective students can test how the school puts that purpose into practice by reviewing the current catalog's curriculum, equipment or clinical requirements, completion standards, and career-services policies. Applicants pursuing licensed work should also compare the program with the applicable Pennsylvania licensing board's requirements.
Name of the institution
Penn Commercial Business/Technical SchoolLevel of institution
At least 2 but less than 4 yearsControl of institution
PrivateSetting type
Suburb: LargeInstitutional Category
Degree-granting, associate's and certificatesInstitution size category
Under 1,000School type
Two-year collegeMain student body
CoeducationalCalendar system
QuartersFoundation year
1929Penn Commercial Business/Technical School is institutionally accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges, an accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Accreditation confirms that the school meets quality standards and is required for students to receive federal financial aid.
Certificate of less than 1 year
Certificate of at least 1 year, but less than 2 years
Associate's degreeData last updated on November 2, 2026
Data sources: IPEDS 2024-25, Peterson 2026, College Scorecard 10/2026, Clery 2024 (2023-24), OpenAlex 2026
Figures on this profile come from federal and third-party datasets in the editions listed above and are refreshed periodically, so they may differ from what the institution currently reports. Confirm costs, deadlines and requirements with the school before making decisions.