
Penn State DuBois began in 1935 as a Penn State center serving students in the DuBois area. It is now one of Pennsylvania State University's Commonwealth Campuses, not a separately accredited university.
Its development reflects a central purpose of the Commonwealth Campus system: making a Penn State education accessible outside University Park. Students can pursue selected degrees at DuBois or begin a degree there and, when their program permits, complete it at another Penn State campus through the university's 2+2 pathway. The distinction matters because the courses, degree requirements, and eventual campus of completion depend on the student's chosen major.
Penn State DuBois offers selected Penn State associate and bachelor's degree programs rather than the full range of majors available across the university. Its academic offerings include fields such as business, human development and family studies, information sciences and technology, and wildlife technology, alongside options to begin other Penn State majors before changing campuses.
The campus is organized within Penn State's broader academic system, so prospective students should check the university's current program directory for three separate details: whether a major can be started at DuBois, whether it can be completed there, and which Penn State college awards the degree. A major listed as available for a student's first two years is not necessarily a four-year, stay-at-DuBois option. Program requirements, clinical placements, and course sequencing may also affect a student's ability to remain at the campus.
Penn State DuBois is in DuBois, Pennsylvania, a smaller community in Clearfield County. The campus serves a regional student population and offers a different setting from Penn State's much larger University Park campus.
The location can be practical for students who live nearby and want to commute, but transportation deserves attention when comparing colleges. Applicants should consider their route to campus, class and work schedules, and access to off-campus housing if they will move to the area. Campus-specific services and activities are based in DuBois; being part of Penn State does not mean that University Park facilities are within a routine trip.
Penn State DuBois's educational purpose sits within Penn State's public land-grant mission of teaching, research, and service. As a Commonwealth Campus, it provides access to Penn State coursework and degree pathways for students in and around its region.
That purpose has practical consequences: students may pursue a degree available locally or use DuBois as the starting campus for a program completed elsewhere in the university. Penn State's stated commitments to education and public service describe institutional priorities; they should not be read as a guarantee of an individual student's academic or career outcome. Penn State DuBois is a public university campus and has no religious affiliation.
Name of the institution
Pennsylvania State University-Penn State DuBoisLevel of institution
Four or more yearsControl of institution
PublicSetting type
Town: RemoteInstitutional Category
Degree - granting, not primarily baccalaureate or aboveInstitution size category
Under 1,000School type
Comprehensive higher education institutionMain student body
CoeducationalCalendar system
SemestersFoundation year
1935Pennsylvania State University-Penn State DuBois is institutionally accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, 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
Associate's degree
Bachelor's degree
Master'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.