With passage of the State System of Higher Education bill, West Chester became one of the 14 universities in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education on July 1, 1983. Except for Philips, these buildings are all constructed of native Chester County serpentine stone. The buildings included in this historic district are Philips Memorial Building, Ruby Jones Hall, Recitation Hall and the Old Library. In 1981 the West Chester State College Quadrangle Historic District was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 1960, as the Commonwealth paved the way for liberal arts programs in its college system, West Chester was renamed West Chester State College, and two years later introduced the liberal arts program that turned the one-time academy into a comprehensive college. West Chester became West Chester State Teachers College in 1927 when Pennsylvania initiated a four-year program of teacher education. In 1913, West Chester became the first of the normal schools to be owned outright by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

The normal school admitted its first class, consisting of 160 students, on September 25, 1871. As the state began to take increasing responsibility for public education, the academy was transformed into West Chester Normal School, still privately owned and state certified. The university traces its roots to the private, state-aided school that existed from 1812 to 1869. Old Main Building, reconstructed on High Street opening onto the Quadrangle The school is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools (MSACS). West Chester was ranked 69th in the Master's Universities (North) category by U.S. It is one of the 14 state universities of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE). West Chester University of Pennsylvania ( WCUPA) is a public university located in West Chester, Pennsylvania, about 25 miles (40 km) west of Philadelphia.

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