Penn State New Kensington at a Glance

From its roots as Penn State’s "New Kensington Center," Penn State New Kensington has evolved into a modern facility on 72 acres in Upper Burrell Township, Westmoreland County.

  • 72-acre campus located 17 miles northeast of downtown Pittsburgh
  • ~500 students
  • 10 baccalaureate (4-year) degrees
  • 4 associate (2-year) degrees
  • Complete the first 2 years of more than 275 Penn State baccalaureate majors here
  • 25 students is the average class size
  • 72 full and part-time faculty
  • 10:1 student/faculty ratio
  • Privately-owned housing directly adjacent to campus
  • PSUAC and intramural athletic teams, cultural programs, clubs and social activities
  • Customized training programs for businesses or schools

Campus Facilities

  • Art Gallery – Hosts monthly art exhibits and is used for a variety of public and campus events. Located in the center of faculty and staff offices on the first floor of the Administration Building.
  • Computer Center – Provides access to a wide variety of computer resources including e-mail accounts and Internet access. Workstations feature Dell computer systems and Microsoft software. Located on the lower level of Blissell Library & Computer Center Building.
  • Forum Theater – The 348-seat thrust stage theater opened in 1971 with its first student production, "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum." The theatre is currently undergoing renovations.
  • Information and Technology Center (IT Center) - Dedicated in June 2000, the $3 million IT Center is equipped with state-of-the-art software and computer technology. The Center contains the 36-seat Allegheny Ludlum Technology Classroom; a 24-seat multi-media classroom; a team project/lecture classroom; a networking laboratory; a PC hardware laboratory; and a capstone project laboratory. The IT Center is located in the Theater and IST Building.
  • Nature Trail - 0.5 mile loop located in the southwest section of our campus.  The trail serves environmental education resources for both the campus community and local area school districts.

Campus Buildings

The campus was founded in 1958 in New Kensington (hence our campus name). It moved to the old Parnassus School in 1963, and finally settled in at the present-day location in 1966. The Engineering Building was the first to open on the 35 acres of land donated by Alcoa.  Now, buildings include:

  • Engineering Building – First building of the Upper Burrell campus. Opened in 1966. It contains classrooms and labs including the Biomedical Engineering Technology program's lab:  a student Intensive Care Units (ICU), one of only three in the United States.
  • Science Building – Opened in 1968. It contains classrooms, labs, and the office of the Chancellor.
  • Theater and IST Building – Plays host to student social functions. Opened in 1968 and includes the 348-seat Forum Theater and the Information and Technology Center as well as a study area, TV lounge, and game room.
  • Administration Building – Houses faculty and staff offices, the Art Gallery, and The Junction food kiosk on the upper level and the office of Student Life, Enrollment Services, and Business Office on the lower-level. Opened in 1968.
  • Blissell Library & Computer Center
  • Athletics Center – Dedicated in 1970, it contains the 660-seat Athletics Center, which houses basketball volleyball, wrestling room, pilates/yoga room, racquetball courts, weight room and cardio-vascular training center, and nurses station. Outside the center are soccer and multi-purpose fields, golf putting green and driving net, the nature trail, pollinator garden, and picnic pavilions.
  • Student Union – Opened in 1975 and features the Academic and Career Success Center; that provides student tutoring, counseling, and career planning and placement services. The building also houses the Student Government Association office, the Café 780 cafeteria, the Penn State New Kensington Bookstore, and recreational facilities. The Café 780 court yard has been renovated and includes a pergola.
  • Robert D. Arbuckle Technology Building – With its opening in 1990, New Kensington became one of the University’s most technically-advanced campuses. The building houses the mechanical, electrical, and electro-mechanical laboratories. Originally the Science and Technology Center, it was dedicated and named the Robert D. Arbuckle Technology Building in 2012 in recognition of the former campus executive officer.
  • Conference Center and Classroom Building – Dedicated in September 2001, the Conference Center features a multi-purpose conference room that can accommodate up to 150 people, three smaller rooms that hold sixteen people, two classrooms, and faculty and staff offices.