Applying to Penn State

Acceptance RateSAT Median
54.00% 1,310
Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus's acceptance rate is 54.00% for 2023-2024 admission. A total of 85,956 students applied and 46,416 were admitted to the school. Its acceptance rate is around the national average.
Penn State's acceptance rate places 15th out of 120 Pennsylvania colleges with competitive admission.
The median SAT score is 1,310 and the ACT score is 29 at Penn State. Penn State's SAT score ranks 14th out of 91 Pennsylvania colleges that consider SAT score for admission.
To apply to Penn State, it is required to submit high school GPA and record. The SAT and ACT score is not required, but considered for admission. In addition, english proficiency test score is also considered (required).
Explore Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus

Admission Statistics

For the academic year 2023-24, the acceptance rate of Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus is 54.00% and the yield (also known as enrollment rate) is 19.00%. 39,869 men and 45,333 women applied to Penn State and 20,732 men and 25,386 women students were accepted.
Among them, 4,561 men and 4,569 women were enrolled in the school (Fall 2023). The following table and chart show the admission statistics including the number of applicants, acceptance rate, and yield at Penn State.
Acceptance Rate and Admission Statistics at Penn State
TotalMenWomenAnother GenderGender Unknown
Applicants85,95639,86945,33300
Admitted46,41620,73225,38600
Enrolled8,8194,5614,56900
Acceptance Rate 54.00%52.00%56.00%--
Yield 19.00%22.00%18.00%--
Data source: IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) (Last update: December 11, 2023)
Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus 2023 Acceptance Rate By Gender chart

SAT and ACT Score Distribution

In 2024, 2,976 students (33% of enrolled) have submitted their SAT scores and 504 students (6%) have submitted their ACT scores for seeking degrees at Penn State.
The median SAT score is 1,310 with 650 SAT EBRW and 660 SAT Math median scores. The 75th percentile SAT score of EBRW (Evidence-Based Reading / Writing) is 690 and the 25th percentile is 610. The SAT Math 75th percentile score is 710 and 25th percentile is 610 .
The median ACT composite score is 29 with 75th percentile score of 32 and 25th percentile score of 27 at Penn State. The median ACT math score is 28 and the ACT English score is 30.
The SAT and ACT scores at Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus are similar to the average score compared to similar colleges (SAT: 1,255, ACT: 27 - public research university with very high research activity).
2024 SAT and ACT Scores at Penn State
25th Percentile50th Percentile (Median)75th Percentile
SAT Total122013101400
SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing610650690
SAT Math610660710
ACT Composite272932
ACT Math252831
ACT English253033
Data source: IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) (Last update: December 11, 2023)
Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus 2023 SAT and ACT Score Chart

Application Requirements

It requires to submit High School GPA, High School Record (or Transcript), and English Proficiency Test to its applicants.
The SAT and ACT test score is not reqired, but considered in admission process at Penn State. The english proficiency test is reqired .
The next table summarizes the application requirements to apply Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus.
For more admission information such as minimum GPA and deadlines, see its online application page .
Penn State Admission Requirements
High School GPARequired
High School RankNot Considered
High School Record (or Transcript)Required
Completion of College Preparatory ProgramConsidered, if submitted
RecommendationsNot Considered
Formal Demonstration of CompetenciesNot Considered
SAT / ACTConsidered, if submitted
English Proficiency TestRequired
Other Test (Wonderlic,WISC-III,etc)Not Considered
Work experienceNot Considered
Personal statement or essayConsidered, if submitted
Legacy statusNot Considered

General Admissions Information

The application fee is $65 for undergraduate schools and $65 for graduate schools of Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus. The next table provides general admission information for applying to Penn State.
Admission Information for Applying to Penn State
Open Admission PolicyNo
Undergraduate Application Fees$65
Graduate Application Fees$65
Admission Informationhttps://admissions.psu.edu/
Online Applicationhttps://admissions.psu.edu/apply/
Calendar SystemSemester
Course for High School StudentsOffers within a dual enrollment
Credits AcceptedCredits for Life Experiences, Advanced placement (AP) Credits
Degree Offered1-Year Certificate, 2-Years Certificate, Associate, Bachelor, Post-Bachelor Certificate, Master, Doctoral (Research), Doctoral (Professional Practice)
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