Pennsylvania State University School Colors
Pennsylvania State University's school colors are Nittany Navy (#001E44) and White Out (#FFFFFF). Penn State's brand standards define 4 colors in all; every official HEX, RGB, CMYK and Pantone value is listed below, along with the story of how the colors were chosen.
History of the Penn State colors
Penn State's first college colors were dark pink (cerise) and black, adopted by a student vote in 1887 according to a 2024 Penn State News article that draws on the University Archives. The pink faded quickly in sunlight, which 1890 graduate George R. Meek later gave as the reason for the change; another alumnus remembered a rival team's mocking parody of the pink-and-black yell. The University Archives sources agree that the Athletic Association adopted navy blue and white at a meeting on March 18, 1890, and those colors have remained ever since.
Sources: psu.edu
Photo: Quintin Soloviev, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Stilfehler, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Penn State primary colors
| Color | HEX | RGB | CMYK | Pantone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nittany Navy | #001E44 | 4, 30, 66 | 100, 90, 13, 68 | PMS 282 | |
| Beaver Blue | #1E407C | 30, 64, 124 | 100, 76, 0, 18 | PMS 287 | |
| White Out | #FFFFFF | 255, 255, 255 | 0, 0, 0, 0 | — |
Penn State blue on merchandise
Penn State's brand standards say one-color marks must be Beaver Blue (PMS 287) or white, so Beaver Blue is the blue most often seen on merchandise, alongside the darker Nittany Navy (PMS 282).
Penn State secondary colors
| Color | HEX | RGB | CMYK | Pantone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pugh Blue | #96BEE6 | 150, 190, 230 | 40, 14, 0, 0 | PMS 284 |
Matching Penn State colors on clothing
Clothing sold as a given color can be noticeably off from Penn State's official values, and supplier color codes describe the dye target rather than the finished fabric. So we measured the actual fabric color of every garment we carry from product photos and fabric swatches, then compared it to Penn State's official colors. The pieces below are the closest in-stock matches, out of 1448 styles close to Nittany Navy, 1334 styles close to Beaver Blue.
Clothing in Nittany Navy #001E44
Blank apparel whose fabric color is a close match to Nittany Navy, measured from the garment itself. 1448 matching styles in stock.
Clothing in Beaver Blue #1E407C
Blank apparel whose fabric color is a close match to Beaver Blue, measured from the garment itself. 1334 matching styles in stock.
Penn State colors: frequently asked questions
What are Penn State school colors?
Pennsylvania State University's school colors are Nittany Navy (#001E44) and White Out (#FFFFFF). The official brand palette also includes Beaver Blue as a primary color, plus 1 more secondary and supporting colors.
What is the hex code for Nittany Navy?
Nittany Navy is #001E44 (RGB 4, 30, 66, CMYK 100, 90, 13, 68).
What Pantone color is Nittany Navy?
Nittany Navy is PMS 282.
Why are Penn State's colors Nittany Navy and White Out?
Penn State's first college colors were dark pink (cerise) and black, adopted by a student vote in 1887 according to a 2024 Penn State News article that draws on the University Archives. The pink faded quickly in sunlight, which 1890 graduate George R.
Color values are taken from the official Pennsylvania State University brand standards (source), checked October 2026. Sweatshirt Station is not affiliated with or endorsed by Pennsylvania State University. We sell blank apparel in matching colors; no logos or trademarks are sold. Photos are used under their Creative Commons or public domain licenses and are credited above.