Pennsylvania House Declares ‘One Million Degrees Day’
We officially have a “One Million Degrees Day.”
The Pennsylvania House of Representatives passed a resolution designating August 15, 2026, as “One Million Degrees Day” in Pennsylvania to commemorate Penn State’s milestone of granting its one millionth degree this summer.
Penn State is the third university in the United States to surpass the one million mark, joining Michigan and Indiana.
The House resolution’s prime sponsor was Paul Takac, a Centre County and 82nd District representative, along with 27 co-sponsors.
“One million Penn State degrees represent generations of educational opportunity and lasting contributions to communities throughout Pennsylvania, the nation and the world,” the resolution states.
The milestone came 170 years after Penn State was founded in 1855 as the Farmers’ High School and 165 years since the university awarded its first Bachelor of Science in Agriculture degrees to 11 students in 1861.
“This remarkable milestone honors the lasting legacy of Penn State’s past graduates, while illustrating the University’s ongoing commitment to educate, empower and support future generations,” Penn State President Neeli Bendapudi said in a news release at the time.
“We are incredibly proud of our alumni, whose achievements and leadership are making a profound difference in communities across Pennsylvania. Our newest graduates — like those before them and those still to come — join a remarkable network of Penn Staters committed to the pursuit of knowledge, community impact and service, and we can’t wait to see how they continue to change the world.”
More than 430,000 Penn State alumni work in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and the university and its alumni support more than 10% of state jobs. The university also generates more than $15.8 billion annually for Pennsylvania’s economy.
When the degree was granted in August, Gov. Josh Shapiro issued a statewide proclamation marking the historic milestone and Penn State’s impact across Pennsylvania.
Local proclamations were also made.
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