Pennsylvania College of Technology (Penn College) is a public college in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. It is affiliated with, but a self-governing entity of, Pennsylvania State University. As an applied technology college (known by the locals and alumni alike as "Penn Tech", for decades) the school offers certificate, associate, baccalaureate, and master's degree programs in more than 100 fields of study. The college's student body is 64% male and 86% are full-time.
Pennsylvania College of Technology is broken down into three schools of study; School of Business, Arts & Sciences, School of Engineering Technologies and School of Nursing & Health Sciences.
The college's athletic teams play under the school's nickname the Penn College Wildcats. Penn College yields 15 varsity sports teams which compete in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III in the North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC).
History
The school began in 1914 as an adult education and training facility at Williamsport High School. It grew into the Williamsport Technical Institute in 1941. During World War II, the school operated 24 hours per day, providing war production training to help meet defense industry needs. Additionally, both during and after the war, the institute provided training and retraining for disabled veterans. In 1965, the Williamsport Area Community College (WACC) was founded, succeeding the former technical institute. It continued providing technical training for residents of northern Pennsylvania. In 1989, the college became a special mission affiliate of Pennsylvania State University and changed its name to Pennsylvania College of Technology.
Academics
Penn College offers more than 100 bachelor, associate, and certificate majors in careers ranging from manufacturing, design, transportation, and construction to hospitality, health, business, and natural resources. Additionally, the College offers a Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies, and is launching a Master of Science in Nursing launching in Fall 2021. The College is a recognized leader in apprenticeship development through its Workforce Development department, co-administering an $8 million federal grant program to create industry-driven strategies for apprenticeships in advanced manufacturing fields and serving more than 3,200 apprentices in the process. The college is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.
Schools
School of Business, Arts & Sciences
School of Engineering Technologies
School of Nursing & Health Sciences
Rankings
Penn College has been ranked highly from major academic accreditors, magazines and polls. In 2019 U.S. News & World Report ranked Penn College 12th best Regional College in Northeast Region, 3rd Most Innovative School and 6th as Best College for veterans.
Campuses
In addition to the main campus in Williamsport, Penn College operates four satellite campuses situated around the West Branch Susquehanna River and northern tier of Pennsylvania.
The Kathryn Wentzel Lumley Aviation Center, located approximately 7 miles east at the Williamsport Regional Airport in Montoursville, opened in 1993. It provides several FAA and Transport certified repair and maintenance programs. The Herman T. Schneebeli Earth Science Center, located 10 miles south in Allenwood, offers programs such as landscape/horticulture, diesel & heavy equipment technology, heavy equipment operation, power generation, and forestry. The Advanced Automotive Technology Center is located approximately three miles west of the Penn College main campus. Students at this campus study topics such as alternative-powered vehicles and motorsports. Penn College at Wellsboro is located in North Central Pennsylvania in the Wellsboro Area School District Administration Building. It serves the Northern Tier (Pennsylvania) communities by providing business and industry training programs as well as noncredit personal and professional development.
In addition to other campus dining units, Penn College has a casual fine-dining restaurant named "Le Jeune Chef". The restaurant serves as a training facility for students in the School of Business, Arts & Sciences during service hours.