Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus Admission Requirements and Statistics

[updated for 2024-2025 admission data]

How hard is Penn State to get into?

This page provides the latest information on Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus (Penn State)'s admission process, acceptance rate, and student profile. Penn State's acceptance rate is 60.56% for 2024-2025 admission. A total of 88,478 students applied and 53,579 were admitted to the school. Its acceptance rate is relatively high, making it somewhat easy to get into Penn State.

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 2024-25, Penn State's acceptance rate is 60.56% and the yield (also known as enrollment rate) is 17.11%. 40,752 men and 47,118 women applied to Penn State and 23,582 men and 29,600 women students were accepted.

527 applicants who has another gender applied and 343 were accepted.54 accepted students' gender is unknown.

Among them, 4,459 men and 4,645 women were enrolled in Penn State. You can explore the Penn State's admission rates and SAT score trends over the past decade, including year-by-year data and analysis, by visiting Admission Trends page.

Acceptance Rate and Admission Statistics at Penn State
TotalMenWomenAnother GenderGender Unknown
Applicants88,47840,75247,11852781
Admitted53,57923,58229,60034354
Enrolled9,1694,4594,645614
Acceptance Rate 60.56%57.87%62.82%65.09%66.67%
Yield 17.11%18.91%15.69%17.78%7.41%

Data source: IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) (Last update: December 11, 2024)

Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus 2025 Acceptance Rate By Gender chart

Median SAT and ACT Score

For the academic year 2025, 2,848 students (31% of enrolled students) submitted SAT scores and 494 students (5% of enrolled students) submitted ACT scores as part of the admission process at Penn State.

The median SAT score for admitted students is 1,330, including 660 in SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (EBRW) and 670 in SAT Math. The 75th percentile SAT EBRW score is 700 and the 25th percentile is 620. For SAT Math, the 75th percentile score is 720 and the 25th percentile is 620.

The median ACT composite score is 30, with a 75th percentile score of 32 and a 25th percentile score of 27 at Penn State. The median ACT Math score is 28 and the median ACT English score is 30.

How competitive is Penn State's score?

The SAT and ACT scores at Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus are relatively high compared to similar colleges (SAT: 1,261, ACT: 27 - public research university with very high research activity).

2025 SAT and ACT Scores at Penn State
25th Percentile50th Percentile (Median)75th Percentile
SAT Total1,2401,3301,420
SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing620660700
SAT Math620670720
ACT Composite273032
ACT Math262831
ACT English263033

Data source: IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) (Last update: December 11, 2024)

Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus 2025 SAT and ACT Score Chart

First-year Enrollment by Gender and Enrolled Type

For the academic year 2024-25, total 9,169 first-year students enrolled in Penn State. The proportion of full-time students is 99.73% and part-time students is 0.27%.

By gender, the proportion of men students is 48.63% and women students is 50.66%. 0.67% of students has another gender and 0.04% students' gender is unknown.

The following table shows the first-year students by gender and enrolled type at Penn State.

First-Year Students by Gender and Enrolled Type at Penn State
TotalMenWomenAnother GenderGender Unknown
Total9,1694,4594,645614
Full-time9,1444,4414,638614
Part-time2518700

Data source: IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) (Last update: December 11, 2024)

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 required, but considered in admission process at Penn State. The english proficiency test is required .

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 following provides general admission information for applying to Penn State:

  • Open Admission Policy: No
  • Undergraduate Application Fees: -
  • Graduate Application Fees: -
  • Admission Information: https://psu.edu/admission/undergraduate
  • Online Application: https://psu.edu/admission/undergraduate/how-to-apply
  • Calendar System: Semester
  • Course for High School Students: Not Offered
  • Credits Accepted: Credits for Life Experiences, Advanced placement (AP) Credits
  • Degree Offered: 1-Year Certificate, 2-Years Certificate, Associate, Bachelor, Post-Bachelor Certificate, Master, Doctoral (Research), Doctoral (Professional Practice)

Penn State Admission Frequently Asked Questions

Penn State is relatively easy to get into, with an acceptance rate of 60.56%.
Penn State recommends submitting SAT or ACT scores, but they are not strictly required for admission. The average SAT score required for admission to Penn State is 1,330, and the average ACT score is 30. Meeting or exceeding these scores will improve your chances of admission.
Penn State recommends submitting a personal essay or statement, but it is not strictly required.
Penn State does not require or recommend a recommendation letter for admission. However, it may be required for certain programs or scholarships.
Penn State does not require an application fee for undergraduate or graduate admission.
Yes, Penn State requires applicants to submit high school GPA, high school record or transcript as part of the admission process.
Yes, Penn State requires international applicants to submit an English proficiency test (like TOEFL or IELTS) as part of the application.

The institutional SAT and ACT codes for Penn State are not available. Please check the official admissions website for the most up-to-date information.

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