Pennsylvania's State System of Higher Education

**About the State System** Pennsylvania's State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) was established on July 1, 1983. However, [the universities](https://www.passhe.edu/universities/index.html) that comprise the State System have a much longer history. The mission of the System is as relevant today as it was at its founding: to provide high-quality education at the lowest possible cost to students; to increase educational attainment in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania; to prepare students at the undergraduate and graduate levels for professional and personal success in their lives; and to contribute to the economic, social, and cultural development of Pennsylvania's communities, the commonwealth, and the nation. The universities combine to enroll the largest number of Pennsylvania residents among all four-year colleges and universities in the commonwealth. With 85,000 degree-seeking students and thousands more enrolled in certificate and other career-development programs, the State System is vital to Pennsylvania's economy. State System universities collectively offer [more than 2,300 degree and certificate programs in more than 530 academic areas](https://www.passhe.edu/students/what-should-i-study.html). The universities have nearly 800,000 living alumni, most of whom reside in Pennsylvania. The State System is currently [redesigning](https://www.passhe.edu/system-redesign/index.html) itself to ensure the long-term sustainability of all universities so that each may continue to serve students, its region, and the commonwealth for decades to come.