Penn State
University Park, PA · Public · Big Ten
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See the full analysis — freeAdmission rate
Penn State admitted 97.4% of applicants university-wide (1,883 of 1,933).
| Cohort | Admit rate | Admitted | Applicants |
|---|---|---|---|
| University-wide | 97.4% | 1,883 | 1,933 |
| In-state | 96.4% | 376 | 390 |
| Out-of-state | 97.9% | 1,300 | 1,328 |
| International applicants | 96.3% | 207 | 215 |
| Men | 97.7% | 903 | 924 |
| Women | 97.1% | 952 | 980 |
Penn State Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections C1–C2 · 2024 — Published cohort admit rates — context, not an applicant-specific probability.
Test scores and GPA of admitted students
- SAT (mid-50%)
- 1240–1420
Penn State Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections C9–C12 · 2024 — Published admit stats reflect the entire incoming class unless explicitly labeled international-only.
Cost and financial aid
Published cost of attendance: $60,840/yr.
| Out-of-state tuition | $41,790 |
| Fees, housing, food, books & other | $14,474 |
| Sticker cost of attendance | $60,840/yr |
Average net price by family income (US, federal aid data)
| Under $30k | $19,845 |
| $30k–48k | $20,049 |
| $48k–75k | $25,667 |
| $75k–110k | $31,834 |
| Over $110k | $37,831 |
US applicants
Need- and merit-based aid available.
- Schreyer Academic Excellence Scholarship — From $5,000 to $8,000 per year (Merit)
- Provost Award — $7,000 per year (Merit)
- Discover Penn State Award — $6,000 per year (Merit)
- Penn State University Scholars Award — $5,000 per year (Merit)
- President's Freshman Scholarship — $5,000 per year (Merit)
- Schreyer Honors College Scholarship — $5,000 per year (Merit)
- Penn State University Grant — Varies (Need Based)
- Trustee Scholarship — Full tuition and fees (Full Tuition)
International applicants
No need-based aid reported for internationals.
- Schreyer Academic Excellence Scholarship — From $5,000 to $8,000 per year (Merit)
- Provost Award — $7,000 per year (Merit)
- Discover Penn State Award — $6,000 per year (Merit)
- Penn State University Scholars Award — $5,000 per year (Merit)
- President's Freshman Scholarship — $5,000 per year (Merit)
- Trustee Scholarship — Full tuition and fees (Full Tuition)
Application requirements
US applicants
- Self-reported Academic Record (STARS)
- SAT/ACT Scores (optional)
- Application fee
International applicants
- Self-reported Academic Record (STARS)
- SAT/ACT Scores (optional)
- Application fee
- English proficiency (IELTS/TOEFL)
- GPA credential conversion
- Predicted Class XII marksheet
- Financial documentation (I-20)
Penn State · Application requirements (official admissions pages) · 2025
Essay prompts
Penn State requires no supplemental essays.
Prompts from the Common App member feed · verified Jul 3, 2026
Graduate outcomes
- Median earnings
- $63,435
- Median earnings · 10 years after entry
- Graduation rate
- 86.1%
- Within 150% of normal time
- Median debt
- $25,000
- At graduation
Penn State · U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (2023 release) · 2023 — Earnings and debt figures are federal data for aid-receiving graduates — cohort outcomes, not a guarantee for any individual student.
Published rankings
- Niche: #77
Academics and campus
Penn State Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections E, F, I · 2024 — Published institutional figures for the reporting year — descriptive of the current student body, not a prediction about your experience.