Harrisburg University 2025–2026 Impact Report
DOING THINGS DIFFERENTLY
Harrisburg University of Science and Technology (HU) was founded on a bold premise: that a world-class STEM education, rooted in a mid-sized Pennsylvania city, could change lives, transform a regional economy, and position the Commonwealth as a leader in the fields defining the 21st century.
Twenty-five years into our mission, that premise has become a reality we are proud to document in this Impact Report. These pages tell the story of our University in numbers as well as human terms. They document the career trajectories of first-generation students, the partnerships we have forged with industry leaders, the research breakthroughs emerging from our labs, and the measurable contributions we make to the economic vitality of the Harrisburg region and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
We do not measure our success only in enrollment figures or revenue. We measure it in the professionals we graduate who return to serve Pennsylvania communities, the cybersecurity tools protecting public infrastructure, the analytics platforms improving healthcare outcomes, and the entrepreneurs whose startups are creating jobs.
We’re glad you’ve joined us on this journey. The best is yet to come!
Read the 2025–2026 Impact Report
Explore The Report
Explore the complete story of HU’s impact on students, Pennsylvania, industry, and beyond.
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Economic Engine
Harrisburg University is one of Central Pennsylvania’s most significant STEM-focused economic engines: a role independently validated by an economic impact study published by the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of Pennsylvania (AICUP) and conducted by Parker Strategy Group, a nationally recognized research firm.
The study estimates that Harrisburg University generates an annual economic impact of $274.5 million and supports 2,242 jobs across the Commonwealth: a footprint that confirms HU’s outsized role for an institution of its size and age.
With your support, HU is strengthening local suppliers, supporting working families, and reinforcing the broader ecosystem of innovation, talent, and opportunity in Central Pennsylvania.
A STEM Education Within Reach
Harrisburg University is committed to making a high-quality STEM education accessible to students from every economic background. 99% of first-time, full-time, first-year students received financial aid, with an average total aid package of $20,739. For the 2025–26 academic year, Harrisburg University awarded $5.7 million in financial aid.
HU invests directly in its students so that the cost of a STEM degree is never the reason a qualified student walks away from one.
STEM Pathways That Start in High School
Harrisburg University’s commitment to the learner doesn’t begin at college enrollment; it begins years earlier in high school classrooms across Pennsylvania and beyond. Since its launch in the 2018-19 school year with 297 students, HU’s College in High School (CiHS) program has experienced significant growth, now serving approximately 1,602 students as current-year enrollment data is finalized. Behind that growth is a simple, powerful model: HU approves experienced high school teachers to deliver university courses in their own classrooms, letting students earn college credit without leaving the school building and at a fraction of the traditional tuition cost.
The results are as strong as the growth. In 2025-26, students earned 5,951 CiHS credits across 35 approved courses, completing 99 percent of credits attempted, with 83 percent of grades at B-minus or higher.
BUSINESS INNOVATION AND NATIONAL SECURITY
Harrisburg University connects education, entrepreneurship, applied research, and industry to solve real-world challenges and strengthen our nation.
The Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship
The CIE was built to bring something new to Central Pennsylvania: a robust, STEM-aligned business incubation ecosystem to bring opportunities to underserved communities of innovative founders, inventors, and changemakers.
Since 2019, the CIE at Harrisburg University has received 250+ startup applications, delivered 27+ programs, and helped nine companies raise over $3.5 million in investment capital.
In 2025, the CIE received Insight Into Academia’s “Inspiring Programs in Business” Award.
Mike Hughes, Senior Development Manager, CIE
The CIE is evolving beyond a traditional university startup center into a regional innovation engine that connects entrepreneurship, workforce development, applied research, corporate innovation, and emerging technologies. We invite all those out there in the Commonwealth who have a solid idea for a business venture. This region needs big ideas and those with the courage to see them through to the finish line.
Stormwerx
The Center for Advanced Manufacturing and Materials (STORMWERX) partners with the Defense Logistics Agency, Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Honeywell and America Makes to solve critical manufacturing challenges. Through applied research, workforce development and industry collaboration, STORMWERX is helping strengthen our national security and advance the future of manufacturing.
& Outcomes
100% OF HU UNDERGRADUATES COMPLETE AN INTERNSHIP OR APPLIED RESEARCH IN THEIR FIELD.
Our students gain real-world experience through internships and applied research across top organizations in Pennsylvania and nationwide — building the skills, connections and confidence to launch meaningful careers.
Investing in What’s Possible
Because HU is an independent, nonprofit university, the opportunities it creates are not sustained by a large public endowment or guaranteed state appropriations. They are made possible by the belief and generosity of donors, sponsors, and patrons who see what a STEM education can do for students, families, and communities.
MISSION CONTINUES
For 25 years, Harrisburg University of Science and Technology has served as a catalyst for careers, economic growth, and a more competitive and equitable Pennsylvania. What began as a bold experiment has grown into an institution that touches thousands of lives each year.
As we enter our next quarter century, our commitment to our founding mission has never been stronger. We will continue to develop the scientists, engineers, entrepreneurs, clinicians, and innovators that Pennsylvania and the nation need. We will continue to partner with industry, government, and community organizations to solve the problems that matter. And we will continue to open doors for students from every background who are ready to build a future in STEM.
