The Pennsylvania State University

psu.edu

Penn State is a Pennsylvania-based, top-ranked public university that educates students worldwide. Learn more about Penn State degree programs and research.

The Pennsylvania State University logos

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The Pennsylvania State University brand colors

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History

1855–1987
University Seal
The Pennsylvania State University seal dates to the institution's founding as The Farmers' High School in 1855, adopting imagery from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's coat of arms. A ship, plow, and sheaves of wheat in the crest reflected the university's agricultural and technical origins. Its current form was finalized in November 1953, and it continued as the primary institutional mark until the academic shield was introduced in 1987.
1983–1996
Nittany Lion Mark
Designed by Dixon & Parcels Associates
Commissioned from Dixon & Parcels Associates, the 1983 athletic mark placed a profile view of the Nittany Lion's head inside an oval, with the words 'Penn State' beneath it. Roy Parcels produced multiple rounds of designs before the university accepted the composition. The mark established the blue-and-white lion motif that Penn State athletics has used, with variations, ever since.

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1987–2015

Academic Shield Mark

In 1987, Penn State introduced a shield-and-logotype mark to serve as the institution's primary academic identifier, shifting the university seal to a ceremonial role for diplomas and legal documents. The new mark was designed to unify Penn State's growing network of campuses under a single visual identity. By the 2010s, its proportions and construction made digital and responsive applications difficult, prompting the 2015 update.

1996–2015

Refined Lion Mark

A 1996 revision adjusted the Nittany Lion oval's color palette, shifting the tone slightly and retiring the accompanying wordmark for most applications, though it continued to appear on licensed and retro merchandise. The simplified mark aligned with Penn State's entry into the Big Ten Conference in 1993 and streamlined how the lion appeared across athletic contexts.

2015–present · current

Kuyper Shield

Jerry Kuyper Partners, a Connecticut identity firm, completed a $128,000 refresh of Penn State's academic mark, debuting on August 4, 2015. The updated shield retained the Nittany Lion at its center but refined the letterforms, tightened proportions, and improved rendering at small sizes and on screens. The redesign received a Gold Award from Transform Magazine for best visual identity in the education sector.

University of Pennsylvania

upenn.edu