NEPA Education At-A-Glance

Quality education, from preschool through graduate school is one of the region’s top priorities. High school graduation rates are significantly higher than state and national averages and drop out rates are miniscule, less than 2% in most local districts.

Close to 80% of our public high school graduates further their education, many at one of the local colleges, universities and technical schools located throughout Northeastern Pennsylvania.

K through 12

Eleven public school districts serve Lackawanna County. Millions of dollars have been invested in new schools and in new technology. Class sizes are small - our average student/teacher ratio is just 16 to1 - and average graduating class size is 203. Advanced placement, gifted programs and special education services are offered by most local school districts.

Lackawanna County Public Schools

Secondary Vocational / Technical Schools
Career Technology Center of Lackawanna County
Total Enrollment: 775
Student-Teacher Ratio: 20-1
% Graduates College-Bound: 25%
Career Technology Center (CTC) offers outstanding programs for students in the trades, technical and allied health areas. More than 35,000 high school students and nearly 37,000 adult students have been trained here to assume responsible roles in the local business community.

Parochial and Private Schools
The Diocese of Scranton operates a multi-county parochial school system including Holy Cross High School and Sacred Heart Jr.-Sr. High School. Scranton Preparatory School, a private high school operating in the Jesuit tradition has received national accolades for the academic achievements of its students. Close to 95% of the graduates from our private schools enroll in college.

Children in private schools: 15%
Catholic: 42 schools, 11,127 students
Other religious: 19 schools, 1,859 students
Non-Sectarian: 2 schools, 410 students
*Source: 2007 Places Rated Almanac

Higher Education

Area institutions of higher learning provide a multitude of degree and non-degree programs for both traditional and adult students. The Greater Scranton area has many outstanding colleges, universities and business schools. Sixteen post-secondary institutions, enrolling over 45,000 students are located within a 50-mile radius of Downtown Scranton.

Our regional institutions of higher education offer a multitude of choices and degrees.

An overview of the institutions follows:

Baptist Bible College - Located in Clarks Summit, Lackawanna County, Baptist Bible College and Seminary has a long tradition of training people for the Christian ministry vocations. Enrollment: 675. (www.bbc.edu/college/)

Bloomsburg University - Located on 282-acres in Bloomsburg, Columbia County, Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania is the largest post-secondary institution in the five-county Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). The University is one of 14 institutions in Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education. Enrollment: 8,040. (www.bloomu.edu/)

East Stroudsburg University - Located in the beautiful Pocono Mountains of Northeastern Pennsylvania, East Stroudsburg University is one of 14 institutions in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education. Founded in 1893 as a Normal School to prepare teachers, the institution changed its name in 1927 to East Stroudsburg State Teachers College and again in 1960 to East Stroudsburg State College, reflecting the addition of liberal arts and sciences curriculum. In 1973, it achieved university status. Enrollment: 5,959. (www.esu.edu)

Johnson College - The region’s premier post-secondary trade, technical and clinical institution, Johnson College was founded in 1912 as a school for young men and women. Located in Scranton, on a distinguished 60-acre setting, Johnson is a private non-profit, co-educational professional institution with a strong tradition of working with regional business and industry to ensure a skilled and qualified workforce. Enrollment: 400. (www.johnson.edu/)

Keystone College - Located on a 270-acre picturesque campus in LaPlume, PA, Keystone College is a small private college founded 130-years ago. With about 1,200 residential and commuter students and a 13 to 1 student/faculty ratio, the opportunities for involvement and leadership are plentiful. Enrollment: 1,600. (www.keystone.edu/)

King’s College - Located in Wilkes-Barre, King’s is an independent, four-year college in a Catholic tradition that offers 35 major programs of study leading to Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science, Associate in Arts and Associate in Sciences degrees. Enrollment: 2,323. (www.kings.edu/)

Lackawanna College - Founded as Scranton Business College in 1894, Lackawanna College is private and non-profit, offering associate degrees in over one dozen majors. Certificates for several other academic programs are available. The college is located in Downtown Scranton in an elegant, historically certified building. Enrollment: 1,269. (www.lackawanna.edu/)

Luzerne County Community College - LCCC’s main campus is a 122-acre site in Nanticoke, Luzerne County. A leader in technology training, LCCC is a public, two-year comprehensive community college that offers 108 academic credit programs and various other certificates and personal development programs. Enrollment: 6,144. (www.luzerne.edu/)

Marywood University - Established in 1915 in the spirit of dedicated service characteristic of the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Marywood was originally founded as a Liberal Arts college for women. Marywood’s Undergraduate School was restructured in 1990 to provide residence for men and all degree-granting units are now co-educational. Its suburban Scranton campus is considered one of the most beautiful in the state. Enrollment: 3,330. (www.marywood.edu/)

Misericordia University - Founded in 1924 by the Sisters of Mercy of Dallas, PA, Misericordia University is one of the oldest institutions of higher education in the region and the first four-year university in Luzerne County. Misericordia is a Catholic, four-year, co-educational liberal arts institution serving both residential and commuter students. Enrollment: 2,300. (www.misericordia.edu)

The Pennsylvania State University - Penn State’s University Park campus is located in State College, Pennsylvania, an approximately two and one half-hour drive from the Scranton-Wilkes-Barre Metropolitan Statistical Area. Penn State has three Commonwealth campuses within the MSA: the Worthington Scranton Campus in Dunmore, Lackawanna County, and the Wilkes-Barre and Hazleton Campuses located in Luzerne County. Most students enroll in local campuses, a first step toward a four-year Baccalaureate Degree, choosing from 180 majors. Enrollment: Worthington Scranton, 1,262; Hazleton, 1,066; Wilkes-Barre, 699. (www.psu.edu/)

University of Scranton - A Jesuit institution in Downtown Scranton, The University of Scranton is known for many things, especially its outstanding sense of community. Founded in 1888, the University has a student population of approximately 4,600, including adult, part-time, and graduate students. For eleven consecutive years, U.S. News and World Report ranked Scranton among the 10 best Master’s universities in the North – sixth in the 2005 edition. Enrollment: 5,600. (www.scranton.edu)

Wilkes University - Located along the banks of the Susquehanna River, Wilkes-Barre, PA, Wilkes University is a four-year private independent institution offering Bachelor and Masters Degree programs in over 25 fields. Moreover, the Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce “Skills in Scranton” program promotes job awareness and human resource development among students at all levels throughout the labor force at large. Enrollment: 4,480. (www.wilkes.edu/)

Enrollment numbers include full-time and part-time graduate and undergraduate enrollment. Source: www.pde.psu.edu.

Planned for the near future is the Commonwealth Medical College, a $150 million project scheduled for completion and enrollment of its first class in 2009. The college, which will be located in downtown Scranton, will meet community needs for a medical school in northeast Pennsylvania.

Programs

Our educated and well-trained workforce is one of Scranton’s major assets, and a reason so many companies have chosen to locate and expand their businesses here. Programs that attract and retain workers include:

Work & Play in North East PA - Work & Play in NEPA (www.worknplaynepa.com) helps high school students learn about skills needed to pursue a variety of career opportunities based on their interests, talents, and academic abilities.

Skills in Scranton - Skills in Scranton is an award-winning business-education partnership program that helps build leadership qualities among students and provides educators with opportunities to implement projects to benefit them.

Tomorrow’s Leaders Today - Tomorrow’s Leaders Today is a leadership skill training program that prepares high school juniors who demonstrate leadership abilities become active participants in the development of the region.