Education in Central PA
Academic Excellence, From Elementary to Post-Graduate
Central Pennsylvania offers many educational opportunities and resources for the development of talent, life-long learning, and special skills enhancement.
Central Pennsylvania is proudly home to 8 distinguished colleges & universities with over 75,000 students enrolled; 16 career, trade and technology centers; and 18 public school districts as well as a variety of private, charter and parochial schools.
Centre County
- State College Area School District – 6,721 students; 1,194 Juniors & Seniors
- Bald Eagle Area School District – 1,528 students; 254 Juniors & Seniors
- Bellefonte Area School District – 2,664 students; 471 Juniors & Seniors
- Penns Valley Area School District – 1,399 students; 210 Juniors & Seniors
- Keystone Central School District – 3,705 students; 627 Juniors & Seniors
- Keystone Central Career & Technology Center – 478 students; 199 Juniors & Seniors
- Philipsburg Osceola School District – 1,596 students; 244 Juniors & Seniors
- Tyrone Area School District – 1,829 students; 261 Juniors & Seniors
- Central PA Institute of Science & Technology – 446 students; 273 Juniors & Seniors
- Centre Learning Community Charter School – 67 students
- Nittany Valley Charter School – 47 students
- Young Scholars of Central PA Charter School – 387 students
Mifflin County
- Mifflin County School District 4,687 students; 767 Juniors & Seniors
- Mount Union Area School District – 1,207; 172 Juniors & Seniors
- Mifflin County Academy of Science & Technology – 343 students
- Tuscarora Intermediate Unit 11 – 104 students
Snyder County
- Midd-West School District – 1,900 students; 313 Juniors & Seniors
- Selinsgrove Area School District – 2,442 students; 365 Juniors & Seniors
Union County
- Lewisburg Area School District – 1,878 students; 324 Juniors & Seniors
- Mifflinburg Area School District – 1,857 students; 270 Juniors & Seniors
- Milton Area School District – 1,957 students; 296 Juniors & Seniors
- Warrior Run School District – 1,481 students; 257 Juniors & Seniors
- Central Susquehanna Intermediate Unit – 396 students
- SUN Area Technical Institute – 284 students
Northumberland County
- Milton Area School District – 1,957 students; 296 Juniors & Seniors
- Warrior Run School District – 1,481 students; 257 Juniors & Seniors
- Shikellamy School District – 2,838 Students; 381 Juniors & Seniors
- Shamokin Area School District – 2,189 Students; 348 Juniors & Seniors
- Line Mountain School District – 1,042 Students; 177 Juniors & Seniors
- Mount Carmel Area School District – 1,471 Students; 172 Juniors & Seniors
- Danville Area School District – 2,163 Students; 348 Juniors & Seniors
- Southern Columbia Area School District – 1,255 Students; 198 Juniors & Seniors
Montour County
- Danville Area School District – 2,163 Students; 348 Juniors & Seniors
- Warrior Run School District – 1,481 Students; 257 Juniors & Seniors
Columbia County
- Benton Area School District – 653 Students; 91 Juniors & Seniors
- Millville Area School District – 573 Students; 99 Juniors & Seniors
- Central Columbia School District – 1,893; 292 Juniors & Seniors
- Bloomsburg Area School District – 1,545; 214 Juniors & Seniors
- Southern Columbia Area School District – 1 255; 198 Juniors & Seniors
- Berwick Area School District – 2,636; 378 Juniors & Seniors
- Columbia-Montour AVTS – 614 Students; 290 Juniors & Seniors
- Susq-Cyber CS – 108 Students
Early Learning Education
Early Learning Resource Centers (ELRCs) are the hub of child care information in Pennsylvania. ELRCs provide information on quality child care and personalized child care referrals to child care providers based on specific needs or preferences. Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts provides quality half-day and full-day pre-kindergarten in area schools to eligible 3 and 4 year old children in Pennsylvania.
Intermediate Units – Vocational, Technical and Trade Services
Pennsylvania’s intermediate units (IUs) are education service agencies that were created by an act of the state legislature (Act 102 of 1970), and became operational on July 1, 1971. IUs coordinate and perform instructional, assessment, instructional enhancement and development, professional development, technical and administrative functions.
Central IU, CSIU, and Tuscarora IU serve the Focus Central Pennsylvania region.
Central Intermediate Unit 10 serves Centre, Clearfield and Clinton Counties in Central PA to build the capacity of all learners by identifying needs, developing courses of action and supporting the implementation of strategies to allow for continuous advancement and achievement.
Central Susquehanna Intermediate Unit (CSIU) serves Columbia, Montour, Northumberland, Snyder and Union counties in Central PA to serve the needs of schools, students, families and communities. CSIU’s many programs and services provide quality education services that help students learn, support teachers in bringing best practices to the classroom, and offer valuable services to school districts.
Tuscarora Intermediate Unit serves personnel and students in Fulton, Huntingdon, Juniata and Mifflin Counties in Central PA.
Career & Technology Centers
Career and technical education (CTE) in Pennsylvania offers students the opportunity to develop critical skills through a combination of classes and hands-on learning experiences, which allow them to apply academics to real-world problems. CTEs offer PDE-approved programs to thousands of students. Students self-select to enroll in a CTC, and many participate in Advanced Placement or Honors courses within their local school district.
Columbia-Montour Area Vocational Technical School: Offers technical and vocational training in building construction, computer technology, machine technology, and welding technology serving Berwick Area School District; Bloomsburg Area School District; Central Columbia Area School District; Danville Area School District; Millville Area School District; and Southern Columbia Area School District.
Mifflin County Academy of Science and Technology: The educational complex is on 20 acres with 81,136 square feet of classroom and laboratory/shop areas. Courses offered include technical and vocational training in agriculture, auto mechanics, building trades maintenance, collision repair, cosmetology, culinary arts, early childcare education, electrical installation, mechatronics, medical science, and precision machining serving Mifflin County High School; East Juniata High School; and Juniata High School.
Keystone Central Career & Technology Center: The Keystone Central AVTS offers technical and vocational training in such career fields as accounting, construction, draft design technology, healthcare, and office technology serving the Keystone Central School District. Located at the Central Mountain High School, is a state-of-the-art 235,000 square foot integrated academic and career technical educational complex.
Northumberland County Area Vocational Technical School: The Northumberland AVTS offers technical and vocational training in such career fields as the culinary arts, automotive technology, computer technology, and electrical construction serving high school students in the southern portion of Northumberland County.
SUN Area Career & Technology Center: Awarded the first ISO 9001 Registration for a Career & Technology Center in the United States. SUN Tech offers technical and vocational training in such career fields as building construction, electronics technology, healthcare, information technology, and wood products manufacturing serving Lewisburg, Midd-West, Mifflinburg, Selinsgrove, and Shikellamy school districts.
Central Pennsylvania Institute of Science and Technology: Bellefonte, PA – Located on 52 scenic acres CPI was built to meet the career and technical needs of high school students in the Bald Eagle Area, Bellefonte Area, Penns Valley Area, and State College School Districts. Additionally, over 1,300 adult learners annually receive training to upgrade their current skills, learn new skills, or make a career change to better their quality of life.
Career Pathways: Many schools and programs in the region have articulation agreements with a variety of post-secondary schools to advance students education and careers including the successful, Penn College Dual Enrollment program, that provides the opportunity for qualified high school students to take college-level classes, earn credits, and embark on the path to a thriving career.
Technical and Trade Education
Technical Trade schools in Pennsylvania offer career-focused training in fields like healthcare, manufacturing, technology, legal services and more.
Berks Technical Institute: BTI combines career-focused curricula with hands-on training to help prepare students for entry-level careers by graduation.
Mifflin County Academy of Science and Technology: Provides continued education for adults in the Lewistown, PA area to earn the credentials needed to succeed in the workforce.
Geisinger Lewistown Hospital School of Nursing: Geisinger Lewistown Hospital School is an affordable, fully accredited nursing degree program with RN and LPN advanced placement programs.
South Hills School of Business & Technology, State College Campus: Offers several different specialized associate degree and diploma programs in the areas of business, technology, healthcare, criminal justice, and graphic arts.
Professional Drivers Academy: Based in Milton, PA, PDA is a Private Trade School, operating under license of Pennsylvania Department of Education, State Board of Licensed Schools. Provides graduates with the necessary skills, education and training for employment as an entry tractor/trailer driver in the trucking industry. Programs available to obtain HAZMAT, Double-Triple, and Tanker endorsements.
Central Susquehanna LPN Career Center: Based in Lewisburg, PA and is approved by the PA State Board of Nursing and accredited by ACEN offers a one year state approved Licensed Practical Nursing program through their experienced nursing instructors.
Community Colleges
Community colleges in Pennsylvania were established in accordance with The Community College Act of 1963 (Act 484 of 1963). Community colleges provide a diversity of two-year associate degree and certificate programs in the occupational and technical areas, and are an important means of access for students in the arts, sciences and professions seeking to transfer at the end of two years to four-year institutions.
Community Colleges serving Central Pennsylvania include:
Lackawanna College – Sunbury Center: Lackawanna College’s Sunbury, PA Center has career-focused bachelor’s and associate degrees in fields like cyber security, business, nursing, accounting, sports management, petroleum and natural gas, and more.
Luzerne County Community College, Greater Susquehanna: Luzerne County Community College’s extension center in Watsontown, PA includes five classrooms, two computer labs, an office area, and a student lounge. Students can complete General Education requirements for many degrees offered at Luzerne County Community College. The Greater Susquehanna Center serves the residents of Northumberland and surrounding counties.
Luzerne County Community College, Northumberland Regional Center: Located in Shamokin, PA, the Northumberland Regional Center offers degrees, with the largest majors being Business Administration, Criminal Justice and Human Services. The Northumberland Regional Center also has a Nursing Associates Degree program.
Colleges and Universities
Central Pennsylvania is strategically located in the Brain Belt of the northeast United States leading the world in advanced, collaborative, innovative research and higher education. The region is home to 8 prestigious public and private colleges and universities that enroll over 70,000 students.
The Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education was established by statute on July 1, 1983, with 14 universities that comprise the State System that have history’s dating back to the 19th century including Bloomsburg and Lock Haven Universities.
Bloomsburg University: Located in Bloomsburg, PA – Enrollment: 7,346 students. Offer 54 undergraduate majors and 20 graduate programs with a strong reputation for teacher education. Programs of study include the arts and humanities, sciences, education, health care and business.
Pennsylvania College of Technology (Penn College): Located in Williamsport, PA – Enrollment: 4,542 students. Penn College offers 100+ academic degree programs in growing industries to include Business, Arts & Sciences; Emerging Technologies; and Nursing & Health Sciences.
Pennsylvania State University (Penn State) Main Campus Located in State College, PA – Enrollment: 47,789 students. The Pennsylvania State University is a state-related, land-grant, doctoral university with campuses and facilities throughout Pennsylvania. The University is made up of sixteen academic colleges and several additional schools that range from the arts to the sciences with many subjects in between. The university’s research expenditures exceed $1 billion during the 2019 fiscal year.
Bucknell University: Located in Lewisburg, PA – Enrollment: 3,684 students. Bucknell University is an undergraduate, liberal arts university in the heart of Pennsylvania and offers more than 60 majors in three top colleges: Arts & Sciences, Engineering and the Freeman College of Management. Bucknell is home to the Weis Center for Performance Arts and the Small Business Development Center.
Susquehanna University: Located in Selinsgrove, PA – Enrollment: 2,225 students. Susquehanna University offers more than 50 majors and 48 minors through three schools: School of Arts, Humanities and Communications; School of Natural and Social Sciences; and the Sigmund Weis School of Business.
Lycoming College: Located in Williamsport, PA – Enrollment: 1,054 students. Lycoming College offers 33 majors, which include Accounting, Biology, Business Administration, Chemistry, Computer Science, Mathematics, Physics as well as pre-professional programs for Law and Medicine.
Juniata College: Located in Huntingdon, PA – Enrollment: 1,267 students. Juniata is an independent, co-educational college of liberal arts and sciences. Bachelor Degrees offered include Biology/Pre-Health, Education, Accounting/Business, Chemistry, Environmental Science/Studies, Sociology, and Psychology.
Lock Haven University: Located in Lock Haven, PA – Enrollment: 2,564 students. Lock Haven University has more than 75 undergraduate programs and three graduate programs. These include elementary education, business administration, and health care professions as well as many others.
Investment in Education
The State College Area School District approved a $137 million project to construct a new high school that began in late 2015.
Milton Area School District breaks ground on a new $12 million athletic complex.
Penn State College of Arts and Architecture and Corl Street Elementary School in State College collaborated on a bright mural that puts the finishing touches on the school’s nature-based play space.
Automation degrees power new Penn College electronics lab equipped with 16 student-installed Programmable Logic Controller stations (featuring both Allen-Bradley and Siemens PLCs), four Kuka industrial robots and a conveyer system.
2021: Warrior Run School District in Watsontown, PA breaks ground on a $28.7 million new 99,000 SF elementary school and renovations to their athletic stadium.
Lewisburg Area School District in Lewisburg, PA build a NEW high school in 2017, a $35 million project.
Design work is progressing for the first stage of a proposed, decade-long, $370 million multi-phase plan that will transform the Penn State College of Engineering and its footprint on the University Park campus.
Penn College unveiled $5 million 55,000 square foot advanced welding lab that includes an electron beam welder, CNC plasma cutters, laser welding, automation and robotics, and 124 individual welding booths.
Penn College revamps machining lab with $1 million donation providing a 14,299SF instructional space with 50 new machines, fresh pain, lighting and fixtures.
Penn State cuts ribbon on huge engineering building, $144 million classroom and research venue at University Park.
SEKISUI partners with Bloomsburg University to bring a Professional Experience Lab downtown.
A $4 million state grant awarded to Juniata College for the renovation and expansion of L.A. Beeghly Library to create the Tim & Kathy Statton Learning Commons.
Degrees Conferred in Central PA
This data graph provides a view of the talent in Central Pennsylvania by showing the annual degrees conferred by study and colleges for 2019-2020. There is a total of 32,653 graduates.
Talent Resources and Programs
Advance Central PA, the central region’s Workforce Investment Board (WIB), offers a comprehensive selection of solutions to help companies maximize the positive impact of their workforce with improved productivity, efficiency, and performance. Advance Central PA manages the PA CareerLink® system across the region with a focus on service to employers and relevance to industry. Services include On-The-Job Training, Incumbent Worker Training, Apprenticeships, Wage Surveys, WorkKeys®, Industry Partnerships and more.
