Commonwealth System of Higher Education

Not to be confused with the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education.

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.[1] 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.[2] 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.

Contents

Universities

The following universities belong to the Commonwealth System of Higher Education

Rankings of Universities

Campus Academic Ranking of World Universities 2010 CMUP, Top American Research Universities 2009 THE World University Rankings 2010 U.S. News & World Report, 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
Lincoln University 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 43rd 28-31 109th 45th, National Universities (University Park) 48th (Smeal) 22nd 23rd 50th 72nd (Dickinson) N/A Unranked 51st (Harrisburg)
Temple University 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 56th 25th 64th 58th, National Universities (Pittsburgh Campus) 79th (Katz) 23rd 48th (Swanson) N/A 67th 10th 14th & 12th 27th

Endowment

See also

References

  1. ^ Schackner, Bill (2008-02-17). "Pitt, Penn State escape parts of open records law". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08048/858150-298.stm. 
  2. ^ Roy v. Pennsylvania State University, 568 A.2d 751, 130 Pa.Commw. 468 (1990); Pennsylvania State University v. County of Centre, 615 A.2d 303, 532 Pa. 142 (1992).
  3. ^ a b c 2009 NACUBO-Commonfund Study of Endowments "2009 NACUBO Endowment Study" (PDF). National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO). 2009. http://www.nacubo.org/Documents/research/2009_NCSE_Public_Tables_Endowment_Market_Values.pdf 2009 NACUBO-Commonfund Study of Endowments. Retrieved 2010-06-04. 
State-owned
State-related
Community
colleges
Liberal arts
colleges
Universities
and colleges
Alvernia • The American College • Arcadia • Art Institute of Philadelphia • Baptist Bible College & Seminary • Bucknell • Bryn Athyn • Cabrini • Carlow • Carnegie Mellon • Central Pennsylvania College • Chestnut Hill • Curtis Institute of Music • Delaware Valley College • DeSales • Drexel • Duquesne • Eastern • Gannon • Gratz • Gwynedd-Mercy • Harcum College •Harrisburg University of Science and Technology • Holy Family • Hussian School of Art • Immaculata • Keystone • La Roche • La Salle • Lackawanna • Lancaster Bible College • Lehigh • Manor • Marywood • Misericordia • Moore College of Art and Design • Mount Aloysius • Neumann • Peirce • Pennsylvania College of Art and Design • Philadelphia Biblical • Philadelphia • Point Park • Robert Morris • Rosemont • St. Charles Borromeo Seminary • St. Francis • St. Joseph's • Salus • Seton Hill • Thiel • Thomas Jefferson • University of Pennsylvania • University of Scranton • University of the Arts • University of the Sciences in Philadelphia • Valley Forge Christian College • Villanova • Widener • Wilkes