The Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) set its ninth straight enrollment record this fall, with nearly 120,000 students taking classes at the 14 state-owned universities.

The 2,576-student increase over last fall’s total marks the 14^th consecutive year of higher enrollment for PASSHE. A total of 119,513 full- and part-time students are enrolled in classes this semester. Nearly 90 percent are Pennsylvania residents.

PASSHE remains the largest provider of higher education in the Commonwealth.

“PASSHE universities, with their commitment to student success, continue to be popular destinations for students,” said PASSHE Chancellor Dr. John C. Cavanaugh. “Our universities offer a unique combination of quality and affordability that results in an outstanding value.”

PASSHE universities provide the lowest-cost education among all four-year colleges and universities in Pennsylvania. A full year’s tuition at a PASSHE university is $5,804 and the total cost of attendance—including tuition, required fees, room and board—averages about $15,500. That total is below the average among all four-year public colleges and universities in the nation and is significantly below the amount charged by other institutions in the Mid-Atlantic region, according to the College Board’s most recent survey of college costs.

PASSHE’s Board of Governors has limited tuition increases in recent years to help ensure the universities remain affordable. Annual increases have been below the rate of inflation in four of the last six years. The total overall increase over the past five years has been among the lowest in the nation, according to an annual survey conducted by the Washington Higher Education Coordinating Board.

While seeking to keep costs affordable, PASSHE universities are continually enhancing their academic programs, the vast majority of which are accredited by professional organizations nationally. Several of the universities have been recognized recently for their quality and value by such well-respected publications as The Princeton Review and Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine.

The 14 PASSHE universities offer degree and certificate programs in more than 120 areas of study. Approximately 454,000 PASSHE alumni live and work in Pennsylvania.

The state-owned universities are Bloomsburg, California, Cheyney, Clarion, East Stroudsburg, Edinboro, Indiana, Kutztown, Lock Haven, Mansfield, Millersville, Shippensburg, Slippery Rock and West Chester universities of Pennsylvania. PASSHE also operates branch campuses in Clearfield, Freeport, Oil City and Punxsutawney and several regional centers, including the Dixon University Center in Harrisburg.

Fall 2010 Enrollment by University

* Record