Penn State Altoona

Located in beautiful central Pennsylvania, Penn State Altoona’s two campuses serve a growing and vibrant region. The Ivyside campus includes academic buildings, residence halls, athletic facilities, and a reflecting pond (complete with ducks). The dynamic Downtown Campus features specialized labs, an Entrepreneurship center, and classrooms.

Penn State Altoona once was an amusement park called Ivyside Park—home to the world’s largest in-ground concrete swimming pool. The Reflecting Pond, now a focal point of the campus, once supplied the water to Ivyside Park’s pool. Today, you’ll find students playing ice hockey and canoeing at the pond, depending on the time of year.

Learn how dedicated support helps Altoona students like alum Asher Carr find their passions and build successful careers. Hear Carr discuss his Penn State experience, the supportive community he found, and how he explored his entrepreneurial interests.

When you make Penn State Altoona your home, you’ll be part of a supportive community where you can excel in the classroom, build relationships with faculty, and meet some of your best friends.

Discover a variety of unique engineering programs at Altoona, including electro-mechanical engineering technology, mechanical engineering, and the nation's only rail transportation engineering degree. These programs provide hands-on learning, real-world opportunities, and state-of-the-art facilities, ensuring students are well-prepared for careers.

Altoona fosters a thriving community of undergraduate researchers, supporting about one hundred students annually in their research endeavors. Specialized programs guide those who are new to research, offer stipend opportunities, and emphasize how research experience prepares students for successful careers.

Get to know your support team at the Student Success Center. Whether you need academic or non-academic assistance, or you're ready to advance in your education, we're here to help. Services include tutoring, academic advising, student disability resources, a writing center, internship support, and guidance for study abroad and study away programs.

Explore the Seminar Forest, an on-campus natural sanctuary that features hiking and mountain biking trails, a pond, and serves as a living laboratory. The community enjoys its biodiversity, geological features, and serene environment.

The Sheetz Fellows Program at Altoona offers students an exceptional collegiate experience. Through servant leadership, mentorship, and real-world events, Sheetz Fellows gain a competitive edge by learning from industry leaders.

Altoona cultivates an entrepreneurial community where students explore their passions. The Sheetz Center for Entrepreneurial Excellence is a support hub, featuring a mini trade showroom and business incubator. The Altoona LaunchBox supported by the Hite family offers a free startup accelerator and co-working space for early-stage ventures to develop sustainable businesses.