Commonwealth System of Higher Education
Encyclopedia
The Commonwealth System of Higher Education is the organizing body of Pennsylvania
's "state-related" schools, which allows the independent control of the universities while supplying them with the public funds needed for operations at each institution. Universities in the System are considered public universities, but are under independent control rather than that of the state. Because of their independent status, universities in the Commonwealth System tend to have higher tuition costs compared to the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education
. They are exempt from Pennsylvania's Open Records law except for a few minor provisions. Before the creation of the "state-related" legal status in the early 1970s, Lincoln University, Temple University and University of Pittsburgh were private.. Previously, the Pennsylvania State University (Penn State) was repeatedly defined as a "state-owned university" in numerous official acts and Pennsylvania Attorney General opinions from its resurrection as a "land grant" institution, the Pennsylvania State College in 1855, as applicable to having its road system and buildings on state campuses constructed using state funding, paying its employees through state-issued checks and having them eligible to collect state employee retirement system benefits. In 1989, Penn State asserted a public status in court for the purpose of not having a private bank branch's operations on its University Park campus subject to local county taxes, while simultaneously asserting private status for the purpose of not having to reveal the salaries of its top administrative employees.
With the enabling legislation changing the failing Williamsport (PA) Area Community College to the affiliated "Pennsylvania College of Technology" in 1989, Penn State was again designated as a "state-related" institution.
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
's "state-related" schools, which allows the independent control of the universities while supplying them with the public funds needed for operations at each institution. Universities in the System are considered public universities, but are under independent control rather than that of the state. Because of their independent status, universities in the Commonwealth System tend to have higher tuition costs compared to the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education
Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education
The Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education is the largest provider of higher education in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and a large public university system in the United States. It is the tenth-largest university system in the United States and 43rd largest in the world...
. They are exempt from Pennsylvania's Open Records law except for a few minor provisions. Before the creation of the "state-related" legal status in the early 1970s, Lincoln University, Temple University and University of Pittsburgh were private.. Previously, the Pennsylvania State University (Penn State) was repeatedly defined as a "state-owned university" in numerous official acts and Pennsylvania Attorney General opinions from its resurrection as a "land grant" institution, the Pennsylvania State College in 1855, as applicable to having its road system and buildings on state campuses constructed using state funding, paying its employees through state-issued checks and having them eligible to collect state employee retirement system benefits. In 1989, Penn State asserted a public status in court for the purpose of not having a private bank branch's operations on its University Park campus subject to local county taxes, while simultaneously asserting private status for the purpose of not having to reveal the salaries of its top administrative employees.
With the enabling legislation changing the failing Williamsport (PA) Area Community College to the affiliated "Pennsylvania College of Technology" in 1989, Penn State was again designated as a "state-related" institution.
Universities
The following universities belong to the Commonwealth System of Higher Education- Lincoln UniversityLincoln University (Pennsylvania)Lincoln University is the United States' first degree-granting historically black university. It is located near the town of Oxford in southern Chester County, Pennsylvania. The university also hosts a Center for Graduate Studies in the City of Philadelphia. Lincoln University provides...
- Pennsylvania State UniversityPennsylvania State UniversityThe Pennsylvania State University, commonly referred to as Penn State or PSU, is a public research university with campuses and facilities throughout the state of Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1855, the university has a threefold mission of teaching, research, and public service...
- Temple UniversityTemple UniversityTemple University is a comprehensive public research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Originally founded in 1884 by Dr. Russell Conwell, Temple University is among the nation's largest providers of professional education and prepares the largest body of professional...
- University of PittsburghUniversity of PittsburghThe University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of...
Rankings of Universities
| Campus | Academic Ranking of World Universities Academic Ranking of World Universities The Academic Ranking of World Universities , commonly known as the Shanghai ranking, is a publication that was founded and compiled by the Shanghai Jiaotong University to rank universities globally. The rankings have been conducted since 2003 and updated annually... 2010 |
CMUP Center for Measuring University Performance The Center for Measuring University Performance is a research center at Arizona State University. The Center is best known for an annual report it produces, The Top American Research Universities, that ranks American universities on nine different measures: Total Research, Federal Research,... , Top American Research Universities 2009 |
THE World University Rankings Times Higher Education World University Rankings The Times Higher Education World University Rankings is an international ranking of universities published by the British magazine Times Higher Education in partnership with Thomson Reuters, which provided citation database information... 2010 |
U.S. News & World Report U.S. News & World Report U.S. News & World Report is an American news magazine published from Washington, D.C. Along with Time and Newsweek it was for many years a leading news weekly, focusing more than its counterparts on political, economic, health and education stories... , Best Colleges 2012 |
US News & World Report, Best Business Schools 2010 | US News & World Report, Best Education Schools 2010 | US News & World Report, Best Engineering Schools 2010 | US News & World Report, Best Fine Arts Schools 2008 | US News & World Report, Best Law Schools 2010 | US News & World Report, Best Library & Information Studies Schools, 2009 | US News & World Report, Best Medical Schools, Research & Primary Care 2010 | US News & World Report, Best Public Affairs Schools 2008 |
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| Lincoln University Lincoln University (Pennsylvania) Lincoln University is the United States' first degree-granting historically black university. It is located near the town of Oxford in southern Chester County, Pennsylvania. The university also hosts a Center for Graduate Studies in the City of Philadelphia. Lincoln University provides... |
N/A | N/A | N/A | Rank Not Published, Regional Universities (North) | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Pennsylvania State University Pennsylvania State University The Pennsylvania State University, commonly referred to as Penn State or PSU, is a public research university with campuses and facilities throughout the state of Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1855, the university has a threefold mission of teaching, research, and public service... |
43rd | 28-31 | 109th | 45th, National Universities (University Park) | 48th (Smeal) | 22nd | 23rd | 50th | 72nd (Dickinson) | N/A | Unranked | 51st (Harrisburg) |
| Temple University Temple University Temple University is a comprehensive public research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Originally founded in 1884 by Dr. Russell Conwell, Temple University is among the nation's largest providers of professional education and prepares the largest body of professional... |
301-401 | 74-86 | N/A | 132nd, National Universities | 57th (Fox) | 47th | 137th | 14th (Tyler) | 72nd (Beasley) | N/A | 52nd & 87th | N/A |
| University of Pittsburgh University of Pittsburgh The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of... |
56th | 25th | 64th | 58th, National Universities (Pittsburgh Campus) | 79th (Katz) | 23rd | 48th (Swanson) | N/A | 67th | 10th | 14th & 12th | 27th |
Endowment
- Pittsburgh - $1.83 billion
- Penn State - $1.23 billion
- Temple - $210 million