University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private Ivy League research university in Philadelphia, home to the Wharton School and known for an interdisciplinary, pre-professional bent across its four undergraduate schools. Admission is extremely selective — Penn admitted about 5.4% of more than 65,000 applicants and enrolled roughly 2,395 first-years, who carry an average GPA near 3.9 with middle-50% SAT scores of 1510–1570. Penn has reinstated its standardized-testing requirement, and through its no-loan Quaker Commitment it meets 100% of demonstrated financial need. The figures below are drawn directly from Penn's official Common Data Set.
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Penn admissions statistics
Acceptance Rate
Total applicants, admitted students, and enrolled students for the most recent admission cycle.
Early Decision
Penn offers binding Early Decision. Applying early can meaningfully change your odds — but ED commits you to enroll if admitted.
Admit rate by application plan
% admitted~3.5× higher admit rate applying early.
Standardized Tests
Penn requires standardized test scores for all applicants.
SAT Accepted?
ACT Accepted?
Test Optional?
SAT Scores
ACT Scores
Class Rank
Where Penn's enrolled first-years placed in their high school graduating class.
Based on the 22% of enrolled students who reported a class rank. Penn does not publish an average GPA.
Admissions Factors
How Penn weighs each part of your application.
Rigor of High School Record
Academic GPA
Standardized Test Scores
Application Essay
Recommendations
Extracurricular Activities
Character / Personal Qualities
Talent / Ability
First Generation
Level of Applicant's Interest
Class Rank
Volunteer Work
Work Experience
Geographical Residence
State Residency
Alumni Relation
Racial / Ethnic Status
Religious Affiliation
Cost of Attendance
Estimated full-time annual cost from Penn's Common Data Set.
Private universities charge the same tuition regardless of state residency.
Financial Aid
Need-based aid statistics for full-time first-year students.
Major Distribution
Bachelor's degrees awarded in the past year by academic major.
Student Diversity
Racial and ethnic breakdown of enrolled undergraduate students.
Student-Faculty Ratio
The number of students for every one faculty member, indicating the average level of access students have to instructional staff.
Campus Life
On-campus housing and Greek life participation rates.
Enrollment by Gender
Since some students did not report gender, totals may not fully reflect the student body.
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Frequently asked questions about Penn admissions
What is Penn's acceptance rate?＋
Penn admitted about 5.4% of applicants in its most recent cycle, offering admission to roughly 3,523 of more than 65,000 applicants and enrolling about 2,395 first-year students. That makes it one of the most selective schools in the country, and admission is decided through a holistic review rather than any single number.
Does applying Early Decision to Penn improve your chances?＋
Penn offers a binding Early Decision plan, and the early round is meaningfully less crowded than Regular Decision: it drew 8,683 applications and admitted 1,235 students, an admit rate well above the roughly 5.4% overall rate. ED is binding, so apply early only if Penn is your clear first choice.
What GPA do you need to get into Penn?＋
Penn's enrolled first-years report an average high school GPA around 3.9 on a 4.0 scale, and among those who submitted a class rank, about 91% were in the top tenth of their graduating class and 99% in the top quarter. There is no hard cutoff, but Penn weighs both your GPA and the rigor of your course load as very important factors.
Does Penn require the SAT or ACT?＋
Yes. Penn has reinstated its standardized-testing requirement, so it is no longer test-optional and applicants must submit SAT or ACT scores. Among the most recent enrolled class, the middle 50% scored about 1510–1570 on the SAT and 34–36 on the ACT.
Is a 1500 SAT good enough for Penn?＋
A 1500 is just below Penn's middle-50% range of 1510–1570, so it is slightly under the typical admitted profile but not disqualifying in a holistic review. About 96% of enrolled first-years scored between 1400 and 1600, and Penn now requires the SAT or ACT, so a strong score helps — though admission still turns on essays, rigor, and character alongside scores.
How much does Penn cost, and is financial aid available?＋
Tuition and required fees run about $71,236 per year, with on-campus housing and food adding roughly $19,876 more. Most students pay far less: through its no-loan Quaker Commitment, Penn meets 100% of demonstrated financial need, about 48% of first-years receive need-based grant aid, and the average need-based package is roughly $70,971.
What are the most popular majors at Penn?＋
Business is the most popular area at about 21% of degrees — a reflection of the Wharton School — followed by the biological sciences (14%) and social sciences (13%). Computer science (9%), engineering (8%), and the health professions (7%) round out the most-conferred fields.
Does the application essay matter at Penn?＋
Yes. Penn rates the application essay as a very important factor in admissions — the same tier as your GPA, course rigor, recommendations, and personal character, and above standardized test scores, which are only considered. With an admit rate near 5.4%, a specific, well-revised essay is one of the clearest ways a strong applicant can stand out.
Source: University of Pennsylvania Common Data Set 2024-2025. Figures transcribed 2026-06-07. Esslo aggregates publicly reported data and is not affiliated with Penn. Banner photo by Michel Alexandre Salim, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0).