William Penn University acceptance rate and your odds of getting in
William Penn University is a private college in Iowa that admits roughly 52% of applicants, which puts it in the moderately selective range. A rate like this means it admits more applicants than it rejects; the bar is less about clearing a single cutoff and more about how your full profile compares to admitted students.
Use this page to see what William Penn University weighs, where it ranks among Iowa schools, and how a profile like yours is likely to land. Admitted students post a 75th-percentile SAT around 1120, a useful checkpoint for where your scores sit, though it is a reference range and not a cutoff.
What do students study at William Penn 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 William Penn University?
Direct answers to what applicants ask about getting into William Penn University, plus a free way to calculate your own odds.
What are my chances of getting into William Penn University?
At William Penn University, your real chance depends on far more than the published 52% admit 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 William Penn University in about three minutes, with no account needed to start.
Is William Penn University hard to get into?
William Penn University is moderately selective: it admits more applicants than it rejects, with about a 52% acceptance rate. Meeting the academic basics gives most qualified applicants a realistic shot.
What GPA do you need to get into William Penn University?
There is no hard GPA cutoff at William Penn University, but admitted students often present roughly a 3.2 to 3.7 GPA. William Penn University reads your GPA alongside the rigor of your courses, so a challenging schedule matters as much as the number itself.
Your chances at William Penn University by GPA and SAT
Estimated chance of admission at William Penn 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 William Penn University with a 3.5 GPA and a 1000 SAT?
About 71% (Safety), by CollegeCalcAI's deterministic model, for an applicant with a 3.5 unweighted GPA and a 1000 SAT, the middle of William Penn University's admitted range, applying Regular Decision without a hook. A 3.8 GPA with a 1110 SAT comes out near 90%. 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/william-penn-university.
How to get into William Penn University
Built from William Penn University's admitted class and what it reports weighing. The typical-admit GPA and SAT are CollegeCalcAI's modeled figures, not published cutoffs.
Getting into William Penn University comes down to four decisions, each one visible in the data on this page.
CollegeCalcAI's modeled typical admit at William Penn University carries about a 3.43 core GPA and a 1060 SAT, in the most rigorous schedule available. Meeting it puts you in the admitted range for most applicants.
The admitted middle 50% is 880 to 1110 SAT (16 to 22 ACT). Submit a score at 995 or higher; below 880, apply test-optional if the policy allows.
William Penn 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.
An early application signals interest and gets your file read before the pool fills. Most early deadlines fall on November 1 and Regular Decision on January 1 to 15; confirm William Penn University's exact dates at www.wmpenn.edu.
How many students apply to William Penn University, and how many get in?
1,112 students applied to William Penn University for fall 2023; 634 were admitted (57%). 296 enrolled. Roughly 47% of admitted students enrolled, a typical yield for a school in this range. William Penn University enrolls about 1,301 undergraduates in total, 47% of them women, with a student-to-faculty ratio of 15 to 1.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS 2023 admissions and enrollment.
What SAT and ACT scores do you need for William Penn University?
Admitted students at William Penn University post SAT scores of 880 to 1110 in the middle 50%, with an average of 984. On the ACT the middle 50% runs from 16 to 22. A score above 1110 puts you in the top quarter of admits and turns the test into an asset; a score below 880 puts you in the bottom quarter, where the rest of the application has to carry more weight. William Penn 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 William Penn University looks for
What William Penn University weighs most heavily in its admissions review, informed by its reported Common Data Set.
William Penn University signals that it values rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and standardized test scores above the rest of the file. Solid grades in a challenging schedule do most of the work here, with the rest of the application providing context. These ratings come from William Penn 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 William Penn 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 William Penn University cost after financial aid?
The full sticker price at William Penn University (tuition, fees, housing, food, books) is about $42,874 a year. Tuition and fees alone are $29,750. What families actually pay is different: the average net price after grants and scholarships is $22,601 a year, and it ranges from $20,608 for families earning under $30,000 to $25,916 for families earning over $110,000. 47% 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 William Penn University graduates earn, and how many graduate?
Median earnings for William Penn University students ten years after entry are $48,936 ($40,189 at the six-year mark). 33% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 58% return for a second year. Among graduates who borrowed, median federal debt at graduation is $22,415; 88% 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 William Penn University compares in Iowa
William Penn University ranks #2 most selective of 21 schools in Iowa in our database.
Among the 21 Iowa schools we track, William Penn University ranks #2 most selective by acceptance rate. Schools like Grinnell College (15%) and Drake University (64%) sit nearby, which makes Iowa a useful frame for calibrating a balanced list.
Similar to William Penn University
Schools with a similar selectivity profile, worth comparing as you build a balanced list.
If William Penn University is on your list, schools with a similar admit profile are worth a look: University of San Diego, Wofford College, and Bard College. 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 William Penn University's acceptance rate?
William Penn University admitted 634 of 1,112 applicants for the fall 2023 entering class, an acceptance rate of 57% (U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS). 47% of admitted students enrolled.
What SAT score do you need for William Penn University?
The middle 50% of admitted students scored 880 to 1110 on the SAT and 16 to 22 on the ACT. A score above 1110 is in the top quarter of admits. William Penn University is test-optional, so only submit a score that helps.
Is William Penn University test-optional?
Yes. William Penn 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 William Penn University cost after financial aid?
The average net price at William Penn University, what students receiving aid paid after grants and scholarships, is $22,601 a year against a sticker price of about $42,874. Families earning under $30,000 paid about $20,608 on average.
What do William Penn University graduates earn?
Median earnings ten years after entering William Penn University are $48,936 a year among students who received federal aid, and 33% of students graduate within six years (College Scorecard).
What does William Penn University value most in applicants?
Based on its admissions profile, William Penn University weighs rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and standardized test scores most heavily. The full factor breakdown is on this page.
Does William Penn University consider legacy or demonstrated interest?
Many private colleges weigh legacy relationships and demonstrated interest. William Penn University's full factor profile is charted on this page, and CollegeCalcAI models a legacy effect scaled to a school's selectivity.
How can I improve my chances at William Penn 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 William Penn University specifically.
What are the admission requirements for William Penn University?
William Penn 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.