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Last updated: Monday, August 27, 2007 12:18 PM EDT

Cumberland County residents seeking higher education do not have to go far from home to find it. Several state and private institutions in the area, including Dickinson College and Shippensburg University, educate thousands of students each year.

These schools all boast large libraries open to the public.

Most also have cultural events that are open to the public, including musical performances, drama, famous speakers and art exhibits. People who want to know about these events can visit each institution’s website or call to be added to a mailing list.

For example, Messiah College sponsors a cultural series and Susquehanna Valley Lyceum speaker series every year with internationally-known artists and speakers. Dickinson showcases musical performances and art exhibits and lectures on the topic of the day. Penn State Harrisburg offers a large number of lectures, exhibits and cultural and multicultural events open to the public.

Central Pennsylvania College

Central Pennsylvania College, formerly known as Central Pennsylvania Business School, offers bachelor’s and associate’s degrees as well as several certificate programs, all geared toward career and real world experiences.

The college offers 15 bachelor’s degree programs in the areas of information technology, business administration, corporate communications, criminal justice administration, accounting, homeland security management and legal studies, 16 associate’s degrees and five certificate programs.

Central Penn offers on-campus housing, but about 60 percent of the school’s 1,000 students commute. The college was established in 1881.

The college added a bioforensics lab and physical therapist assistant clinic last year. Both allow students to conduct activities in a real-world setting.

In the forensics lab, students can do fingerprinting, casting, blood-splatter analysis and even enlarge microscopic images onto plasma TVs. Physical therapy assistant students can conduct eye exams and blood screenings in their new area.

The school’s library features a learning resource center open to the public. An off-campus fitness center and on-campus swimming pool, hot tub, basketball and volleyball courts and picnic areas are also features of the drug and alcohol free campus.

Visit Central Penn College on the web at www.centralpenn.edu.

Dickinson College

Dickinson College offers its 2,300 undergraduate students a liberal arts education with more than 40 majors, nine special programs and several special options, including double major, creating a custom major or a pre-professional track for those who want to go on to graduate school.

In 1783, Dickinson College was the first college chartered after the U.S. was formed. It offers both bachelor of arts and bachelor of science degrees.

Students come to Carlisle from 40 states and 30 countries, and many of Dickinson’s students also go abroad to study. Of this year’s graduating seniors, 54 percent had studied abroad.

More than 40 international programs link Dickinson students to 24 countries.

The college’s student/faculty ratio is 11 to 1.

The 120-acre campus features recreational fields, large common lawn areas, the spacious Waidner-Spahr Library, the Trout Gallery and the Milton B. Asbell Center for Jewish Life.

Campus housing allows students to become more independent by living in a mixture of traditional residence halls, suites and apartments.

In the 2007 edition of U.S. News and World Report’s best college and university list, Dickinson ranked 41 out of 215 national liberal arts colleges.

Penn State Dickinson School of Law

Founded in 1834, it is the oldest law school in Pennsylvania and the fifth-oldest in the nation.

Its alumni include past governor of Pennsylvania Tom Ridge (Class of ‘72) and U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Pa. (1986).

Now led by Dean Phillip J. McConnaughay, the college enrolls approximately 480 students, combining with alumni to represent almost every state in the union and more than 20 foreign countries.

The Carlisle school is completely separate from Dickinson College but became part of the Pennsylvania State University system in 2000. It offers a three-year juris doctor degree. Also offered is a master’s degree in comparative law for foreign lawyers.

This year the law school opens in a leased Middlesex Township building while it renovates its Carlisle campus. A second campus is being planned for State College. Penn State is investing $100 million into the construction project, and the buildings are expected to be open in 2009.

Visit Dickinson School of Law on the web at www.dsl.psu.edu.

Harrisburg Area Community College

Harrisburg Area Community College was established in 1964 as Pennsylvania’s first community college.

About 15,600 students enroll in credit programs and courses each year at HACC locations in Harrisburg, Lancaster, Lebanon and Gettysburg.

HACC boasts more than 150 associate degree, certificate and diploma programs.

The school also offers a growing number of online and video courses and study-abroad seminars as alternatives to classroom instruction.

HACC has added Saturday and once-a-week classes to its full range of day and evening classes.

Pennsylvania’s first community college has the lowest tuition in the region and its credits transfer to most four-year schools. HACC has forged dual admission partnerships with Penn State Harrisburg, Shippensburg University, Susquehanna University and other institutions.

Wilson College

Wilson College is an independent liberal arts college for women, affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA). Wilson is committed to the education of women and offers baccalaureate programs in the liberal arts, sciences, and wide range of professional fields.

Accepted as a historic village on the National Historic Register, the college was founded in 1869 by two Presbyterian ministers to provide a four year education that was equal to the education afforded to men.

Approximately 800 students are enrolled from 19 states and 11 countries.

Students can choose from over 40 fields of study. In addition to their liberal arts and sciences, other popular programs include veterinary medical technology, equestrian studies, business and education.

Wilson recently added its first-ever graduate degree program, a master of arts in teaching.

Single mothers can even pursue their education while living on campus with their children in a residence hall dedicated to these student families.

Wilson also offers a community riding program and a therapeutic riding program through its equestrian programs.

For more details, contact their admissions office at 262-2002 or visit them on the web at www.wilson.edu.

Messiah College

Messiah College, along Yellow Breeches Creek in Upper Allen Township, emphasizes the integration of a liberal arts education with a commitment to Christian values.

Founded in 1909, Messiah has no official church affiliation but has strong ties to the Brethren Church.

About 2,900 undergraduate students attend the school, with approximately 60 percent of them women.

Messiah draws half of its students from out of Pennsylvania and from several countries.

The school offers both bachelor of science and bachelor of arts degrees. The academic program includes more than 50 majors and more than 50 minors and secondary education certification in 14 academic disciplines.

There are also 20 varsity teams, and many club and recreational sports.

Visit Messiah College on the web at www.messiah.edu.

Penn State Harrisburg

Penn State Harrisburg is an undergraduate college and graduate school of Penn State University. The Harrisburg campus enrolls more than 3,400 students and offers two associate, 27 baccalaureate, 20 master’s and two doctoral degrees as well as certificate and certification programs.

Located in Middletown, Penn State Harrisburg boasts a small college atmosphere, but with the resources, academic standards and assets of Penn State’s main campus.

Recent construction projects on campus have begun and look to accommodate new and existing programs. Beginning with the expansion of the Science and Technology, the college has added a new 115,000-square-foot library, new apartment-style housing for 300 students, an expanded food court, a Town Square for student activities, and an indoor aquatics facility.

Visit Penn State Harrisburg on the Web at www.hbg.psu.edu. For information, call 948-6250.

Shippensburg University

About 6,500 undergraduate students and 1,100 graduate students attend this four-year, state-owned school.

The school was founded in 1871. It graduated to university status in 1983 and now offers 52 undergraduate programs and 21 graduate programs.

SU hosts more than 200 clubs and organizations, 18 varsity teams and 29 intramural activities. Students also have access to nine residence halls equipped with lounges, music practice rooms and study rooms. Dorm rooms have computer connections providing high-speed Internet access.

In U.S. News and World Report’s latest rankings, SU was tied for 56 with sister school Millersville University among all institutions in the North. The Princeton Review recently named SU’s John L. Grove College of Business one of the best 282 business schools in the nation, one of 45 schools that were added to the list for 2007.

SU has a student/faculty ratio of 20-1.

The university plans to complete a new 62,000-square-foot student recreation center at the end of 2007 and possibly into 2008. It will include a fitness center with cardiovascular machines, weight equipment, an elevated running track and four multipurpose courts.

Visit Shippensburg University on the web at www.ship.edu.