Penn State University acceptance rate and your odds of getting in
Penn State University, a public university in Pennsylvania, reports a 55% acceptance rate and sits in the moderately selective band. In practice that means it admits more applicants than it rejects, so a strong application is judged against an applicant pool that is already self-selected.
Use this page to see what Penn State University weighs, where it ranks among Pennsylvania schools, and how a profile like yours is likely to land. Admitted students post a 75th-percentile SAT around 1370, a useful checkpoint for where your scores sit, though it is a reference range and not a cutoff.
What do students study at Penn State University?
Bachelor's degrees awarded by field in 2023 (IPEDS completions). Each field has its own page with the school's numbers, the model's major adjustment, and peers offering it.
Will I get into Penn State University?
Direct answers to what applicants ask about getting into Penn State University, plus a free way to calculate your own odds.
What are my chances of getting into Penn State University?
Your odds at Penn State University are not the same as its 55% acceptance rate. Your real odds depend on how your GPA, course rigor, test scores, and activities compare to its admitted students. Run your profile through the free CollegeCalcAI calculator to get a personalized acceptance percentage for Penn State University in about three minutes, with no account needed to start.
Is Penn State University hard to get into?
Penn State University is moderately selective: it admits more applicants than it rejects, with about a 55% acceptance rate. Meeting the academic basics gives most qualified applicants a realistic shot.
What GPA do you need to get into Penn State University?
There is no hard GPA cutoff at Penn State University, but admitted students often present roughly a 3.2 to 3.7 GPA. Penn State University reads your GPA alongside the rigor of your courses, so a challenging schedule matters as much as the number itself.
Your chances at Penn State University by GPA and SAT
Estimated chance of admission at Penn State University for plain profiles, from the same model as the calculator. Unweighted GPA, 3 AP courses, Regular Decision, no legacy, athletic or first-generation hook. The last column is test-optional (no score sent).
What are my chances at Penn State University with a 3.5 GPA and a 1330 SAT?
About 84% (Safety), by CollegeCalcAI's deterministic model, for an applicant with a 3.5 unweighted GPA and a 1330 SAT, the middle of Penn State University's admitted range, applying Regular Decision without a hook. A 3.8 GPA with a 1420 SAT comes out near 95%. Courses, activities, essays and the application round move the number; the free calculator includes them.
Estimates, not guarantees. Get yours with your real courses and activities. Assistants and developers can fetch this table from the free API: /api/v1/colleges/penn-state-university.
How to get into Penn State University
Built from Penn State University's admitted class and what it reports weighing. The typical-admit GPA and SAT are CollegeCalcAI's modeled figures, not published cutoffs.
There is no formula that guarantees a spot at Penn State University, but the applicants who get in tend to do the same four things. Here is what the numbers say each one looks like.
CollegeCalcAI's modeled typical admit at Penn State University carries about a 3.40 core GPA and a 1370 SAT, in the most rigorous schedule available. Meeting it puts you in the admitted range for most applicants.
The admitted middle 50% is 1240 to 1420 SAT (27 to 32 ACT). Submit a score at 1330 or higher; below 1240, apply test-optional if the policy allows.
Penn State University rates rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and standardized test scores highest in its own Common Data Set. Put your depth there: and a transcript whose rigor rises through junior year.
Most public universities read early applicants first without a binding commitment. Apply by Penn State University's early or priority deadline (confirm dates at www.psu.edu), and if you are out of state, know that residency changes both the bar and the price.
How many students apply to Penn State University, and how many get in?
Penn State University admitted 46,605 of the 85,956 students who applied for fall 2023, which works out to 54.2%. 9,040 enrolled. Only about 19% of admitted students enrolled, so the school admits several students for every seat it expects to fill, which is why its acceptance rate reads higher than its selectivity feels. Penn State University enrolls about 42,284 undergraduates in total, 47% of them women, with a student-to-faculty ratio of 16 to 1.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS 2023 admissions and enrollment.
What SAT and ACT scores do you need for Penn State University?
Admitted students at Penn State University post SAT scores of 1240 to 1420 in the middle 50%, with an average of 1337. On the ACT the middle 50% runs from 27 to 32. A score above 1420 puts you in the top quarter of admits and turns the test into an asset; a score below 1240 puts you in the bottom quarter, where the rest of the application has to carry more weight. Penn State University is test-optional: scores are considered if you submit them but not required. Send a score at or above the middle of the admitted range; otherwise apply without one and let your transcript lead.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10.
What Penn State University looks for
What Penn State University weighs most heavily in its admissions review, informed by its reported Common Data Set.
The factors that carry the most weight at Penn State University are rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and standardized test scores. Solid grades in a challenging schedule do most of the work here, with the rest of the application providing context. These ratings come from Penn State University's reported Common Data Set, so the full chart below reflects what the school itself says it values, not a generic guess.
SAT score positioning at Penn State University
How common SAT scores sit relative to the admitted middle. This is context, not a probability. Your full profile determines the real estimate.
How much does Penn State University cost after financial aid?
The full sticker price at Penn State University (tuition, fees, housing, food, books) is about $39,694 a year. Tuition and fees are $20,644 for PA residents and $41,790 for out-of-state students, a $21,146 gap that makes residency the single biggest lever on cost. What families actually pay is different: the average net price after grants and scholarships is $32,875 a year, and it ranges from $19,845 for families earning under $30,000 to $37,831 for families earning over $110,000. 14% of undergraduates receive a federal Pell Grant.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10. Net price is what students receiving aid paid after grants, by family income.
What do Penn State University graduates earn, and how many graduate?
Median earnings for Penn State University students ten years after entry are $63,435 ($55,620 at the six-year mark). 86% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 93% return for a second year. Among graduates who borrowed, median federal debt at graduation is $25,000; 40% of undergraduates take federal loans.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10. Earnings cover students who received federal aid.
How Penn State University compares in Pennsylvania
Penn State University ranks #14 most selective of 62 schools in Pennsylvania in our database.
Among the 62 Pennsylvania schools we track, Penn State University ranks #14 most selective by acceptance rate. Schools like University of Pennsylvania (5%) and Swarthmore College (7%) sit nearby, which makes Pennsylvania a useful frame for calibrating a balanced list. As a public university, residency matters: in-state applicants generally see meaningfully better odds than the headline rate suggests.
Similar to Penn State University
Schools with a similar selectivity profile, worth comparing as you build a balanced list.
Applicants targeting Penn State University often weigh Florida International University, Georgia State University, and Virginia Tech, which sit at a similar level. Running the same profile against each one in the free calculator is the fastest way to see where you are a reach, a match, or a likely.
Frequently asked questions
What is Penn State University's acceptance rate?
Penn State University admitted 46,605 of 85,956 applicants for the fall 2023 entering class, an acceptance rate of 54.2% (U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS). 19% of admitted students enrolled.
What SAT score do you need for Penn State University?
The middle 50% of admitted students scored 1240 to 1420 on the SAT and 27 to 32 on the ACT. A score above 1420 is in the top quarter of admits. Penn State University is test-optional, so only submit a score that helps.
Is Penn State University test-optional?
Yes. Penn State University reports that test scores are considered but not required. Submit a score at or above the middle of the admitted range; otherwise apply without one.
How much does Penn State University cost after financial aid?
The average net price at Penn State University, what students receiving aid paid after grants and scholarships, is $32,875 a year against a sticker price of about $39,694. Families earning under $30,000 paid about $19,845 on average.
What do Penn State University graduates earn?
Median earnings ten years after entering Penn State University are $63,435 a year among students who received federal aid, and 86% of students graduate within six years (College Scorecard).
What does Penn State University value most in applicants?
Based on its admissions profile, Penn State University weighs rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and standardized test scores most heavily. The full factor breakdown is on this page.
Does Penn State University favor in-state applicants?
As a public university, Penn State University generally admits in-state applicants at a higher rate than out-of-state applicants, so your home state affects your odds. CollegeCalcAI applies an in-state residency boost when you select your state.
How can I improve my chances at Penn State University?
Focus on the highest-leverage parts of your application: course rigor and GPA trajectory first, then test scores, then a focused leadership or activity spike. CollegeCalcAI's Power-Ups quantify how much each change would move your odds at Penn State University specifically.
What are the admission requirements for Penn State University?
Penn State University reviews GPA, course rigor, test scores (where submitted), activities, and essays. With a more accessible acceptance rate, meeting the academic basics gives most qualified applicants a realistic shot.
Acceptance rate, application counts, admitted test ranges, cost, and outcomes reflect publicly reported federal data (U.S. Department of Education: IPEDS 2023 and the College Scorecard) and each school's Common Data Set; figures are rounded and lag the current cycle by one to two years, so confirm deadlines and policies on the school's own site. The typical-admit GPA and SAT are CollegeCalcAI's modeled estimates. Estimates from CollegeCalcAI are a planning tool computed by a fixed, transparent model, not a guarantee of any admission decision.