1.2 million adults in Pennsylvania have college credits, but no degree

Penn State online courses offer an opportunity for residents to conveniently complete degree

University Park, Pa — With companies placing more emphasis on hiring employees with college degrees, some Pennsylvania residents are discovering that they are close, but not close enough to landing their dream jobs.

More than 1.2 million of Pennsylvanian adults who are 25 years old or older, or about 15 percent, earned college credits, but not enough credits to qualify for a degree, according to the latest figures from the U.S. Census Bureau. Other studies have show that workers without college degrees earn less and suffer higher unemployment rates over the course of their careers.

Now celebrating its 10-year anniversary, Penn State’s World Campus can help these adults complete their degrees without neglecting their current career and family obligations. Since its founding in 1998 with just 41 students, the World Campus has grown to more than 7,000 students worldwide with 62 credit and noncredit programs and nearly 700 courses. “We know it’s hard to juggle a career and family while pursuing an education,” said Ken Udas, executive director of World Campus, a unit of Penn State Outreach. “Online learning allows the student to fit lessons in times and at places that are convenient for him or her.”

“The Penn State name is known and respected by employers,” Udas said. “When a student earns a diploma, it’s the same diploma he or she would receive through an on-campus program.”

Undergraduate degree seekers who have earned college credits from another university can check with Penn State Undergraduate Admissions to determine what credits may transfer to Penn State.

For more information, visit http://www.worldcampus.psu.edu.

Penn State World Campus specializes in adult online education, delivering 62 of Penn State’s most highly regarded graduate, undergraduate and professional education programs through convenient online formats. Founded in 1998, Penn State World Campus is the University’s 25th campus serving more than 7,000 students in all 50 states, in 42 countries and across six continents. For more information, visit http://www.worldcampus.psu.edu/ online. Penn State World Campus is a part of Penn State Outreach, the largest unified outreach organization in American higher education. Penn State Outreach serves more than 5 million people each year, delivering more than 2,000 programs to people in all 67 Pennsylvania counties, all 50 states and 80 countries worldwide.