•   Total Fraternities: 48
•   Total Sororities: 30
•   Total Discussion: 74777
•   Total School Reviews: 53

Penn State is a massive Big Ten school sitting in the middle of Pennsylvania — State College is basically a college town built around the university — and the Greek system here is one of the bigger ones you'll find at any public school in the Northeast. There are dozens of active fraternities and sororities across multiple councils, and the presence is noticeable from the moment you step on campus.

The system is organized under several governing councils. The Interfraternity Council (IFC) oversees most of the traditionally male fraternities, while Panhellenic runs the sorority side. The National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) represents the historically Black fraternities and sororities, and there are also multicultural Greek organizations operating on campus. That gives the overall system a wider range of organizations than a lot of comparable schools.

Formal recruitment for IFC fraternities typically happens in the fall, and Panhellenic sorority recruitment runs on a structured schedule as well. It's a competitive process at Penn State — there are a lot of students going through it, and chapters are selective. Most of the larger IFC and Panhellenic chapters have houses along or near what's known as Fraternity Row, so housing is a real part of the experience for many members.

Greek life is genuinely woven into the social fabric here, but it's not the only game in town. Penn State has a massive student body, so plenty of social life happens outside of it too. That said, chapters are active year-round with philanthropy events, social functions, and campus involvement. THON — Penn State's student-run dance marathon benefiting childhood cancer — is one of the most well-known student philanthropy efforts in the country, and Greek organizations are among the biggest participants and fundraisers in that event every year.

The community on this site reflects how engaged the Penn State Greek population is — there's a significant amount of discussion and activity from current members and students keeping tabs on what's happening across the system.