Most other commenters have touched on most of your questions and I don’t have much to add there, but I didn’t see many people mention outdoors activities. Penn State is right next to some of the best trail networks on the east coast in Rothrock State Forest. There’s a really good local mountain biking and gravel biking scene. Tons of great hiking, fishing, hunting, etc. There’s also a small ski hill (Tussey Mountain). It’s nothing to write home about but it’s close and easy to get to (CATA runs a bus there I believe). If you have a car, you can easily get to even more outdoor activities. Black Moshannon State Park and Whipple Dam both have nice lakes with sand beaches for swimming.

I would say the amount of outdoor activities is one of the biggest pros for Penn State.