West Chester University
Former names | West Chester Normal School (1871–1927) West Chester State Teachers College (1927–1960) West Chester State College (1960–1983) |
|---|---|
| Type | Public research university |
| Established | September 25, 1871 |
Parent institution | PASSHE |
Academic affiliation | |
| Endowment | $47.2 million (2019) |
| Budget | $266.2 million (2019) |
| President | R. Lorraine Bernotsky |
| Provost | Jeffery L. Osgood, Jr. |
Academic staff | 695 full-time; 298 part-time |
| Undergraduates | 14,392 (Fall 2022) |
| Postgraduates | 2,883 |
| Location | , , 19383 , United States 39°57′08″N 75°36′00″W / 39.9522°N 75.6001°W |
| Campus | College town, 388 acres (1.57 km2) |
| Colors | Purple and Gold |
| Nickname | Golden Rams |
Sporting affiliations | NCAA Division II – PSAC ECAC |
| Mascot | Rammy |
| Website | www |
| Official name | West Chester State College Quadrangle Historic District |
| Type | NRHP Historic district |
| Criteria | Architecture |
| Designated | October 8, 1981 |
| Reference no. | 81000539 |
| Official name | Frederick Douglass (1818–1895) |
| Type | Roadside |
| Criteria | Location of Frederick Douglass' final public lecture |
| Designated | February 1, 2006 |
West Chester University (also known as West Chester, WCU, or WCUPA, and officially as West Chester University of Pennsylvania) is a public research university located in and around West Chester, Pennsylvania. The university is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education and classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity". With 17,275 undergraduate and graduate students as of 2022, WCU is the largest of the 10 state-owned universities belonging to the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) and the sixth largest university in Pennsylvania. It also maintains a Center City Philadelphia satellite campus on Market Street.