UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — As Pennsylvania faces a growing shortage of college-educated workers, nearly 700 state residents earned a Penn State degree this spring without relocating, pausing work or putting their lives on hold.
In May, 692 Pennsylvania residents graduated with a Penn State degree they earned online through Penn State World Campus. They live in 59 counties in almost 300 communities across every region of the state. With the spring 2026 class, the number of Pennsylvanians who have earned a Penn State degree online surpassed 18,000.
Eighty-seven percent of this spring’s Pennsylvania graduates earned degrees in four of Pennsylvania’s highest-demand post-secondary sectors: health care and human services, business, education, and technology, according to data from the Pennsylvania State Board of Higher Education released in May. They are also sectors where the Josh Shapiro administration has directed workforce investment in its 2026–27 budget proposal, which includes $30 million in new performance-based funding for Pennsylvania's state-related universities tied directly to degree attainment and workforce outcomes.
Pennsylvania is also facing a mounting credential gap. The state Board of Higher Education’s data show the state needs roughly 63,000 more bachelor’s-level workers every year to meet employer demand.
Traditional higher education serves many Pennsylvanians well, but not everyone can relocate for an on-campus program, stop working, or put family obligations on hold, said Karen Pollack, interim vice provost for Online Education at Penn State, adding that Penn State World Campus was built for working adults who need a path to a credential that fits the life they already have.
Of the 692 graduates, 396 completed a bachelor’s degree, each one closing the credential gap a little further from the communities they already call home.
"These graduates kept working, kept raising their families, and still earned a Penn State degree," Pollack said. "They are health care professionals, engineers, educators, and business leaders who chose to invest in themselves, and in doing so, invested in Pennsylvania. The workforce challenge here is real, and these graduates are part of the answer."
Pennsylvania graduates at a glance
This spring's graduates reflect both the reach of online education and the urgency of the state's workforce needs:
- 692 Pennsylvania residents earned their Penn State degrees online
- 602, or 87%, earned degrees in fields with workforce shortages statewide
- 396 earned bachelor's degrees
- 31 years old is the average age of a graduate
- 59 counties spanning nearly 300 communities across the state
- 72 military-connected graduates
Graduates in workforce-shortage sectors:
- Business, workforce and leadership: 266
- Technology and engineering: 147
- Health and human services: 146
- Education: 43
Student voices
Graduate Katie Kessel, of Gardners, Pennsylvania, had a full life with no room for a traditional campus experience, so, she said, she earned her degree online instead. During her studies, she remarried, had her third child and navigated a job loss working in the Pennsylvania legislature after an election.
She kept going. Today, she is a policy and communications specialist in the Pennsylvania Senate.
"I am a first-generation university graduate," Kessel said. "It has helped me prove to myself what I am capable of. This will open the door to more career opportunities and advancement — and I hope my children use this as an inspiration."
Katie Chookagian, of Quakertown, Pennsylvania, said she had a clear goal: a job that felt meaningful and kept her connected to her community. She just needed the degree to get there.
She enrolled in Penn State World Campus in January 2025 and transferred credits from an associate degree. She took up to 18 credits a semester to finish as quickly as possible. The week she submitted her last assignment, she started a new job at Doylestown Township Parks and Recreation.
"I decided to go back to school because I wanted more career opportunities," Chookagian said. "I really wanted a job that felt meaningful to me — one that meaningfully engages my community. I do believe that getting my bachelor's degree opened a lot of new doors."
About Penn State World Campus
Penn State World Campus has built its online model around students like Kessel and Chookagian, with its Chaiken Center for Student Success providing academic advising and coaching and a career services office designed for working adults.
Established in 1998, today Penn State World Campus serves 19,000 learners worldwide — including residents in every corner of Pennsylvania — offering a Penn State education entirely online with flexible access to 200 high-quality programs.