UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State has shared preliminary recommendations as part of the current phase of the multi-year Academic Program and Portfolio Review (APPR), following a monthslong unit-level review. Community feedback on the recommendations will be gathered through mid-May. Discussion will continue through the summer before final decisions are shared early in the fall of 2026.
Since December, unit leaders and their teams, including faculty experts, have been engaged in a review of all of Penn State’s 403 baccalaureate and associate degree programs. Their work represents the latest step in what will be an ongoing cycle of program reviews at Penn State, focused squarely on student success, by maintaining and investing in programs that meet student and workforce demand, and moving away from programs that may no longer meet those needs. Penn State will join many other institutions nationwide that have such processes in place.
The APPR is one among a number of initiatives undertaken in recent years as part of the Road Map for Penn State’s Future. Over the past several years, the University has implemented a new data-driven budget model and two-year budget cycle, divestment from assets that are not core to Penn State’s mission, Optimized Service Teams for finance and information technology, and a new strategic plan, among other initiatives.
“Higher education is changing, and we must rise to the occasion. A full accounting of our academic offerings, and a commitment to an ongoing cycle of program reviews moving forward, are critical parts of the work we all must do to position our students, and Penn State, for long-term success,” said Fotis Sotiropoulos, executive vice president and provost.
Sotiropoulos said factors such as changing demographics, enrollment declines, stagnant state funding, and rising costs are a driving change across higher education.
“While Penn State is strong, and ahead of our peers in many respects, it is also true that we have work to do. Higher education is in a complex environment, and we are not immune to the numerous challenges of the moment,” he said. “By engaging in rigorous and regular review of our academic offerings we are fulfilling our promise to our students — that a Penn State degree will remain a powerful asset even in a rapidly changing world.”
Though there are still many steps to take before recommendations are finalized in the fall, across the University, 49 of 403 programs are being preliminarily recommended for closure in the coming years, due to low student demand, combined employment opportunity, program realignment, and other factors. Of those programs, nine currently have no enrolled students, and 11 already have submitted formal teach-out proposals and/or enrollment holds, with some overlap. Though recommendations are not final, 26 of the 49 programs preliminarily recommended to close would continue to be offered at the University through another college.
Of Penn State’s 68,390 undergraduate students enrolled in spring 2026, a total of 906 are enrolled in programs that are preliminarily recommended for closure, or about 1.3% of the undergraduate student population. It is important to emphasize that recommendations are preliminary and will not be finalized until the fall of 2026. Students should know that programs will continue to operate as normal, and no immediate changes to curriculum or enrollment will occur. After final decisions are made in the fall, the University will work closely with all students to be sure they can complete their degrees in a timely and supported manner.
“Now more than ever, we must invest in programs that will position our students for lifelong career success, and do the most to advance our teaching, research and service mission,” Sotiropoulos said. “I want to thank our deans and chancellors, and their assembled teams of experts, for their thoughtful and deliberative work. I also want to underscore that there are still many steps to take before recommendations are finalized this fall; I encourage all members of our community to participate in the community feedback phase by sharing their thoughts on the APPR website, and by reaching out to their unit leaders with any questions.”
Review preliminary recommendations, share your feedback, and learn more about the APPR: Visit this link to review preliminary recommendations, share your feedback with the APPR team, and find answers to frequently asked questions. Feedback will be accepted through mid-May.
If a program is eventually closed, Sotiropoulos said a formal teach-out plan will be developed, following longstanding protocols, to make sure students can complete their studies.
The preliminary recommendations were developed using data including average enrollment, credit hours, faculty count, degrees awarded, and combined employment opportunity, among others. Additionally, they incorporate the recommendations and feedback of unit and department leadership, which allowed for qualitative factors such as mission alignment, accreditation requirements, or strategic priorities that are not captured by the data-driven APPR categorization.
Next steps
After the community feedback period closes in mid-May, a small group, including a faculty senate representative, will engage in feedback synthesis and analysis, and make final recommendations to Provost Sotiropoulos. Members of this group include Jeff Adams, senior associate vice provost and senior associate dean; Kathy Bieschke, senior vice provost; Josh Davis, senior vice provost and chief of staff; Renata Engel, vice president for Commonwealth Campuses; Lance Kennedy-Phillips, vice provost for planning, assessment and institutional research; Frantisek Marko, distinguished professor of mathematics at Penn State Hazleton and current faculty senate chair; and Carly Sunseri, assistant vice provost for institutional research.
Following this process, final program decisions will be shared early in the fall semester. At that time, unit leaders will follow established processes for program changes, including consultation with the Faculty Senate. University leaders are committed to engagement with faculty and academic leaders, and to shared governance, as the APPR process continues.