Penn State
Penn State is Happy Valley — a huge, spirited campus tucked into the Pennsylvania mountains, hours from any big city. The winters here are the genuine article and every hall is dry whatever your age, with no quick run home for whatever you forgot.
What to wear in University Park, month by month
This region runs from a humid late summer to a hard winter in about ten weeks. The mistake out-of-region families make is packing the whole year in August.
| Move-in (Aug) | 70–82°F | Warm, humid days, cool nights. Summer clothes plus a fan (many halls have no AC). |
| Sept–Oct | 40s–70s | Crisp mountain air, beautiful foliage. Sweaters, a jacket. |
| November | 30s–40s | Cold, first snow. Insulated coat, hat, gloves. |
| Dec–Feb | teens–30s | Snowy "Happy Valley" winter, wind on the ridges. Heavy coat, snow boots, thermals. |
| March | 30s–40s | A long, slushy thaw. |
What Penn State lets you bring
- A fan (many halls have no AC)
- University-provided fridge/microwave unit
- Twin XL bedding (confirm your specific hall)
- UL/ETL power strip with a built-in circuit breaker — not a bare extension cord
- Damage-free wall hangings like Command strips — no nails or screws
- Low-draw LED desk and task lamps
- A fan, a reusable water bottle, and UL-listed electronics
- Open-coil / open-flame cooking: toasters, toaster ovens, air fryers, hot plates, electric grills, sandwich makers
- Candles, incense, wax warmers, and anything with an open flame
- Halogen lamps
- Extension cords without a breaker; outlet splitters and multi-plug adapters
- Space heaters and personal A/C units (unless your school provides/approves them)
- Hoverboards, e-scooters, e-bikes, and other e-mobility devices
- Weapons of any kind — including decorative — and fireworks
- Personal or portable A/C units (medical accommodation only)
- Personal microwaves and refrigerators (one is provided)
- Pianos, fitness equipment, and 3D printers
- Alcohol — campus is dry regardless of age
These come from Penn State's official housing pages and cover the essentials plus the genuinely local rules. Double-check the current official guidance before you buy — policies and renovations change every year.
Getting your room at Penn State
- 01When you accept admission
Pay the $100 deposit & accept the HFS Contract
First-years are required to live on campus, and space is guaranteed. Accepting admission with a non-refundable $100 housing deposit (credited to your first bill) starts your LiveOn Housing and Food Service (HFS) Contract — Penn State's term for the housing agreement, not a year-long lease.
- 02Important — no matching survey
Know that roommates are assigned randomly
Unlike most schools here, Penn State does not use a roommate-matching questionnaire and won't ask about your habits — first-years are randomly paired with other first-years. If you want a specific person, you both must enter each other's Penn State Access Account ID (e.g. abc123) as a roommate preference on the HFS Contract.
- 03In the contract
Set your housing-area preferences
Preference your housing area — East (all first-year, the biggest and most social), Pollock (second-largest first-year complex), North (suite-style with private baths, the most comfortable), West (oldest and most traditional, near the campus core), or South (mostly upper-class/honors). Room types vary by area.
- 04Deadline ~noon May 15
Finalize preferences before the modification deadline
You can update your room-type, location, and roommate preferences in eLiving until the preference-modification deadline (around noon on May 15). Popular options fill on demand, so set realistic backups.
- 05Assignments posted late July
Get your assignment and roommate info
Room and building assignments — plus your roommate's name, Access Account, and cell number — post in eLiving in late July (around July 28). Reach out to coordinate the shared items; remember a fridge/microwave is already provided in the room.
Where you'll live at Penn State
East Halls
The largest residence complex and the iconic first-year experience — most residents are freshmen in double rooms, served by Findlay/Johnston Commons. The buildings are named after former Pennsylvania governors and connected by underground tunnels. Recently renovated halls now have AC and private-use bathrooms.
Opened 2017 — updated traditional halls with double rooms, individual private-use bathrooms, climate control, and ground-floor 'knowledge stations,' kitchens, and music/meditation rooms. Earle is in East; Robinson is the first-year option in North.
Renovated high-rises with double and supplemental rooms, climate control, and private-use baths. Pinchot and Tener (~300 each) reopened 2019; Sproul 2020.
Classic 1960s East quad halls with double rooms and common-floor bathrooms (renovations are ongoing area-wide). The most concentrated all-freshman social scene on campus.
Pollock Halls
The second-largest first-year complex, a cluster of nine traditional coed halls around Pollock Commons (24-hour recreation room with a pool table and piano, cultural lounge, study space). Most rooms are doubles; a multi-year renovation runs 2025–2030, taking two buildings offline each year.
A larger hall (~534) housing several Living-Learning Communities — Discover House, the Global Engagement Community, Health & Human Development, and the Sophomore Year Experience. Single, double, and quad rooms.
Mostly first-year halls with single, double, and small-double rooms. Pennypacker (renovated 2018) houses 273. Central campus location near classrooms and the HUB.
North Halls
The smallest and, by reputation, most comfortable complex — carpeted rooms and private bathrooms, mostly suite-style for two or four students. Hosts several Living-Learning Communities and is open to both first-year and upper-class students.
A 2017 updated-traditional hall for ~310 first-years with double rooms and individual private bathrooms, plus a ground-floor living room, kitchen, and sound-proof music room.
Suite-style rooms for two to four, with internal bathrooms — the carpeted, comfortable North standard. Beam (renovated 2009) houses students of all years in one/two/four-person suites.
West & South Halls
West Halls is the oldest complex — true collegiate-Gothic brick buildings opening onto a quad with arches at the core of campus (Irvin Hall dates to 1925). South Halls mixes first-year and upper-class halls and is home to Schreyer Honors College students and sorority housing.
Traditional halls with single/double/triple/quad rooms and the most central location. Several host special living options (Earth & Mineral Sciences House, IST House, Ally House). Closest to downtown and classes.
Three traditional halls plus renovated upper-class halls; home to the Schreyer Honors College community and on-campus sorority suites. A quieter, mixed-class area near downtown.
The Penn State move-in checklist
Bedding6
Bath5
Laundry4
Storage & organization6
Desk & study4
Electronics6
Cleaning5
Kitchen — within the rules5
Health & meds4
Clothing — see the seasonal guide7
Move-in day go-bag5
University Park logistics, sorted
Dry campus, fan needed
Mail rules
Self check-in
University Park & around
Downtown State College & College Ave
The walkable downtown strip butting right up against campus — the Corner Room, the Berkey Creamery's famous ice cream nearby, coffee shops, and student hangouts. Where families eat on a visit.
Penn State Berkey Creamery
The largest university creamery in the country — a genuine pilgrimage for ice cream (the line moves fast). A must-do on any campus visit; you can even ship pints.
Nittany Lion Shrine & Old Main
The Nittany Lion Shrine is the most-photographed spot on campus (expect a line for photos on big weekends); the Old Main lawn and the Arboretum at Penn State round out a classic visit-day walk.
Beaver Stadium & Mount Nittany
Beaver Stadium (~107,000) and the legendary White Out games define fall Saturdays; a hike up Mount Nittany gives families a gorgeous overlook of Happy Valley.
Where to stay near Penn State
The Nittany Lion Inn
On campus, by West Halls & Rec Hall"Penn State's Living Room" since 1931 — a AAA Four-Diamond Georgian colonial inn on campus, reopened in 2024 after a full renovation, with fine dining (Lionne) and a casual tavern (Triplett's). The sentimental favorite; books out first for graduation and games.
The Penn Stater Hotel & Conference Center
On campus, near Innovation ParkPenn State's larger conference hotel, run by Hospitality Services — reliable for parents' weekend and graduation when the Nittany Lion Inn is full, with on-site dining and event space. Reserve early through Penn State Hospitality Services.
Hyatt Place / The Scholar / downtown hotels
Walk to campus & Beaver StadiumDowntown State College has several walkable hotels (Hyatt Place State College, The Scholar Hotel, Courtyard, Hotel State College) a block or two from campus and a short hop to Beaver Stadium and the Bryce Jordan Center.
Penn State gear & gifts
Penn State — links & contacts
- Housing & Food Services: Visit page
- Phone: 814-865-7501