State College, borough, Centre County, central Pennsylvania, in the Nittany Valley; incorporated 1896. Situated in a fertile farm area, it is chiefly residential and has research and development firms producing electrical and electronic equipment, ceramic chips, and computer software. Other products include printed materials and chemicals. The Christopher Columbus family chapel, moved from Spain in 1919, is located nearby. The community, settled in 1859, is named for Pennsylvania State College (now Pennsylvania State University), founded here as a land-grant college. Population 36,130 (1980); 38,923 (1990); 38,420 (2000).
