Penn State
- Parking

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Penn State - Parking - Parking - College ProwlerCollege Prowler2.69

Parking

Quick Stats

Student Parking Lot? Yes
Freshmen Allowed to Park? No
Approximate Parking Permit Cost $270–$620 per year
Common Parking Tickets
  • Expired meter: $11
  • Handicapped zone: $50
  • No parking zone: $15
  • Reserved space: $15
  • Wrong area: $11
Best Places to Find a Spot Residence halls have small, reserved (permit) lots for students, but these are generally packed. Parking on the outer edges of campus is your best bet, though even this is unreliable at best.
Good Luck Getting a Spot Here Anywhere that is remotely convenient. Most on-campus lots are reserved for faculty and staff, and non-permit lots are nearly always full.

Student Author OverviewWhat's This?

Parking is one of students’ biggest complaints and arguably the most ignored. Despite construction on campus, no new lots are being built, and existing lots are all located on the outskirts of campus. Parking has also gotten more expensive over the last few years. For freshmen, there’s no reason to worry about parking. Students can’t bring a car until after their first year. Many students feel that it’s easier to rely on walking and public transportation, rather than dealing with cost and hard-to-find parking spaces. State College isn’t difficult to navigate without a vehicle. Everything you need in town is within walking distance, and there is public transportation that goes directly to the major shopping areas across town.

Given the largeness of central Pennsylvania, having your own car gives students the opportunity to explore rustic state parks and neighboring towns on weekends. If you want to get the most out of the local area, having a car is something to consider in your later years at the University. This is especially true if you end up living off campus, because parking around most apartments and townhouses is much better. Downtown State College has metered parking, so be sure to have plenty of quarters handy. In addition to these areas, there are several parking garages downtown that are convenient and generally have space available—the exception, of course, being football weekends. Most metered lots aren’t checked on Sundays, and during the holiday season, the State College borough offers free garage parking and increased shuttle service.

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Penn State Student ReviewsWhat's This?

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Parking at Penn State

alexandriamor

Business Management '13

2.3
C

Be Ready to Walk!

Finding a spot to park is not a problem- but the hike to all the buildings isn't fun! Make sure to give yourself a good 5-10 minutes to get to the buildings.

May 19, 2012

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Parking at Penn State

Katilynn

Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies '15

3.5
B

Parking at Penn State

Parking at Penn State is ridiculous. You must have a parking pass to park on campus. These are very expensive. The campus will give you a ticket if you try to park here without a parking pass. Downtown is hard to find a parking space.

Apr 09, 2012

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Parking at Penn State

smo5129

Human Development '14

5.0
A+

Parking

We have 3 huge parking lots, giving the students very adequate parking. I believe a parking pass was either ten dollars or less, and it lasts for four years. A student will only get a ticket for parking in a teacher's spot.

Mar 26, 2012

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User rating for Penn State - Parking is 2.3 out of 5 based on 55 user reviews.

Student Survey Poll ResultsWhat's This?

Rate the campus parking on the following topics

How convenient is off-campus parking?

Facts

Getting a Parking Permit

The following permits are available: Green – Residence Hall storage; Red – Commuter; Blue – Grad Circle and Eastview Terrace; Purple – Off-Campus Storage; Yellow – Evening and Weekend; and Black – Motorcycle.

Become a Contributing Author Learn more »

Most Recent Student Author View all

Name
James Bunting
Hometown
Whitehall, PA
Major
Journalism

College Prowler is seeking talented student authors to assist with writing and updating the College Prowler guides to their schools. This is a great opportunity for a student to gain experience and tremendous exposure, utilize new media techniques, and share advice with high school students about what life is really like at your college.

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