The Borough of Shippensburg, dating from 1730, is the oldest community in the Cumberland Valley, and the second oldest west of the Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania. It is named after Edward Shippen, a prominent Lancaster resident who obtained the patent to the land from the heirs of William Penn. The borough is located in two counties: Franklin and Cumberland. It has been recognized in a national book as the 27th best small town in the U.S. Its population is approximately 5,500 and its location in Southcentral Pennsylvania provides easy access to major East Coast cities such as Washington, D.C., Baltimore and Philadelphia. Its annual Corn Festival attracts more than 40,000 visitors each year.
Shippensburg University has a long tradition of student-faculty research that allows outstanding faculty to share their knowledge and wisdom with students as part of their collaborative studies. At the 2010 Celebration of Student Research Conference, nearly 400 of our students highlighted their wide-ranging research projects during this annual event. They were aided by 82 faculty members who served as their project sponsors or mentors. The university also understands the importance of national accreditation of its various programs, including teacher education, counseling, social work, computer science, and business, with work progressing on earning accreditations in other programs including communication/journalism. The John L. Grove College of Business was ranked as one of the best business programs in the U.S. in U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Colleges” 2011 ratings.
Shippensburg University has 7,724 students, of which 6,712 are undergraduates and 1,012 are graduate students. While more than 90 percent of students are from Pennsylvania, the university has attracted students from 15 nations and 20 states. Of the university’s full-time faculty, nearly 90 percent have terminal degrees in their respective fields. All classes are taught by faculty members, not graduate assistants. The student/faculty ratio of 19 to 1 allows for a personalized education in the university's 75 undergraduate programs and 17 graduate programs.
Teacher education, health sciences, business, criminal justice, applied physics/engineering, graphic art, computer science, communication journalism and psychology.