HARRISBURG — Penn State University’s trustees voted Thursday night to close seven of its 19 branch campuses amid declining enrollments, demographic shifts and financial pressures that backers say made it a necessary decision.

The 25-8 vote by the trustees came after a nearly two-hour public meeting that was streamed live online, and after hours of closed-door debate between the trustees.

The campuses to close — Dubois in Clearfield County, Fayette in Fayette County, Mont Alto in Franklin County, New Kensington in Westmoreland County, Shenango in Mercer County, Wilkes-Barre in Luzerne County and York in York County — together are enrolling slightly over 3,000 students this year, according to Penn State data. Branch campuses collectively have about 23,000 students, and the seven to be closed are among the smallest in terms of enrollment.

No campus will close before the end of the 2026-27 academic year and, under the plan, every student who begins a degree at a closing campus will have the opportunity to complete their degree at Penn State.

Opponents warned that the vote was premature, that affected communities hadn't been adequately consulted and that the trustees were acting without complete information on the most important vote they'll make as trustees.

“It will be the most impactful vote we will ever make on this board. It will impact this university long beyond our years,” trustee Anthony Lubrano said. Lubrano voted against it.

Criticism also has poured in from state lawmakers who represent areas that are home to a closing campus and who vote annually to send hundreds of millions of dollars to Penn State to subsidize tuition for in-state students.

Penn State’s president, Neeli Bendapudi, announced in February that an internal team would study which ones to close and make a recommendation to the board.

Bendapudi said Penn State has tried to save the campuses, but enrollments are declining at most schools and their surrounding populations are projected to continue declining.

Historically, the smaller campuses draw most of their students from their local area, and it’s not realistic to recruit elsewhere to buttress those enrollments, Bendapudi said.