Ivy League · Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
Most selective in the country. 5.4% acceptance rate.
Calculate your Penn oddsHow hard is it to get into Penn?
Penn is most selective in the country, with a 5.4% acceptance rate. Admitted students typically score 1500–1570 on the SAT and 34–35 on the ACT. The application is read holistically, so essays, recommendations, activities, and demographic context all factor into the decision alongside test scores and GPA.
Quick Facts
| Acceptance rate | 5.4% |
| SAT (mid-50%) | 1500–1570 |
| ACT (mid-50%) | 34–35 |
| Cost of attendance | $89,028 |
| Average net price (after aid) | $28,699 |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 10,539 |
| 6-year graduation rate | 96.5% |
| Median earnings (10 yrs after entry) | $111,371 |
| Type | Private · Ivy League |
| Setting | Large urban |
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Last verified May 2026.
Getting In
Penn's 5.4% acceptance rate puts it in the most selective in the country tier. The mid-50% SAT range of 1500–1570 means a quarter of admitted students scored above 1570, and a quarter scored below 1500. Scores in that range don't guarantee admission. Scores outside it don't rule it out. The application is read holistically.
That number doesn't tell you your odds. A 1550 SAT and a 4.0 GPA put you in the academic conversation. They don't put you in the admit pile. Your actual probability depends on your full profile: coursework rigor, activities, recommendations, demographic context, and what your essays accomplish. The pool average is a starting point, not a forecast.
Personalized estimate
What are your actual odds at Penn?
Enter your SAT/ACT, GPA, activities, and target schools. Get a probability calibrated to real admit data, not a headline acceptance rate.
Run the calculatorPenn Test Score Profile
Admitted students score in the following ranges across SAT sections:
SAT Reading
740–770
25th–75th percentile
SAT Math
770–800
25th–75th percentile
Strong applicants tend to score above the 75th percentile in their stronger section and at or above the 25th percentile in their weaker one. Both numbers are descriptive, not prescriptive. Plenty of admitted students score below the 25th percentile in one section, especially with strong context elsewhere.
Beyond the Numbers
Penn is best known for the One University Policy that lets undergrads take classes across Wharton, Engineering, Nursing, and the College. Admissions readers are looking for applicants whose specific interests and ways of working would actually thrive in that environment. Not generic “passion.” Concrete curiosity that already shows up in what you do.
Penn admits roughly 6 percent overall, but the acceptance rate at its individual undergraduate schools varies sharply. Wharton and specialized programs like M&T, Huntsman, and LSM are meaningfully more selective.
Class Profile
The undergraduate population at Penn breaks down as follows according to federal IPEDS data:
Race & ethnicity
These percentages reflect the enrolled student body, not the applicant pool. Admit rates by demographic differ from the headline rate, and the school's composition is the result of its full holistic review process.
Cost & Financial Aid
The published cost of attendance at Penn is $89,028 per year before aid. After grants and scholarships, the average student pays $28,699per year. The sticker price isn't the number that matters for most families.
Net price by family income
What the average student actually pays per year, after grants:
| Family income $0–30K | $-3,012 |
| Family income $30K–48K | $316 |
| Family income $48K–75K | $10,439 |
| Family income $75K–110K | $25,476 |
| Family income $110K+ | $55,972 |
Highly selective private universities tend to meet 100% of demonstrated financial need, often without loans, for families below specific income thresholds. The number that matters for your family is your net price, which can be estimated using the school's own net price calculator before applying.
Outcomes
Federal data on what happens after enrollment at Penn:
Graduation rate
96.5%
6-year (federal IPEDS)
Median earnings
$111,371
10 yrs after entry
Median debt
$15,715
Among completers
16.5% of students receive a Pell Grant (federal need-based aid), and 9.7%take federal loans. These rates are useful proxies for the school's socioeconomic mix and how much most families end up borrowing.
Penn Supplemental Essays
Penn requires supplemental essays beyond the Common App personal statement. The most recent prompts include:
- “Write a short thank-you note to someone you have not yet thanked and would like to acknowledge.”
- “How will you explore community at Penn?”
- “Considering the specific undergraduate school you have selected, how will you explore your academic and intellectual interests at the University of Pennsylvania?”
The “Why Penn” supplemental is capped at roughly 200 words. At that length, every sentence has to do real work. List-making and adjective-stacking get cut by readers in the first pass.
What tends to go wrong
- Writing a generic Wharton essay that could work for any business school. Wharton's reviewers want to see engagement with specific programs (OIDD, Huntsman, social impact majors).
- Confusing the thank-you note with a personal statement. Keep it tight, specific, and conversational.
- Conflating the four undergraduate schools. Saying you want to apply because of Wharton but submitting through CAS is a clear tell of a rushed application.
Stronger ways to open
- For the thank-you note, pick someone your reader will not expect: a bus driver, a sibling's friend, the person who ran the counter at your Saturday job. The freshness beats the intimacy.
- For the community essay, pick one Penn community you actually want to join (a specific club, project house, or cross-school collaboration) and show what you'd contribute.
- For the school-specific academic essay, name a Penn course you've actually looked up on the course catalog. Penn readers want to see you've gone past the admissions brochure.
Application Timeline
- ED deadline: November 1. Historically 14.2% acceptance rate.
- Regular Decision deadline: January 5
- Testing: SAT/ACT optional. Submit if your scores fall within or above the mid-50% range.
Penn essay tools
Score, brainstorm, or revise Penn essays with tools tuned to Penn's prompts.
Penn vs. Peer Schools
Side-by-side comparison with similar Ivy League schools applicants typically consider.
| School | Accept | SAT mid-50 | Net price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Penn This page | 5.4% | 1500–1570 | $28,699 |
| Harvard | 3.6% | 1500–1580 | $19,066 |
| Yale | 3.7% | 1500–1580 | $23,777 |
| Princeton | 4.5% | 1500–1580 | $6,128 |
| Columbia | 3.9% | 1490–1570 | $21,590 |
| Cornell | 7.9% | 1480–1550 | $28,690 |
FAQ
How hard is it to get into Penn?
Penn is most selective in the country. The most recently published acceptance rate is 5.4%. Admitted students score in the 1500–1570 SAT range. Test scores are necessary but not sufficient. Holistic review weighs essays, activities, recommendations, and demographic context.
What SAT score do I need for Penn?
Admitted students at Penn typically score between 1500 and 1570 on the SAT. A quarter of admits scored above 1570, and a quarter scored below 1500. Scores in this range are competitive but do not guarantee admission.
How much does Penn cost?
The published cost of attendance at Penn is $89,028 per year before financial aid. The average net price after grants and scholarships is $28,699. Most highly selective schools meet 100% of demonstrated need for families below specific income thresholds.
What is the graduation rate at Penn?
96.5% of students at Penn graduate within 6 years (the standard federal graduation rate metric).
What is Penn's One University Policy?
Penn undergraduates can take classes across all four undergraduate schools (Wharton, Engineering, Nursing, and the College), making cross-disciplinary study a structural feature rather than a requested exception.
How long is the Penn academic essay?
About 200 words, which is shorter than many peer schools. Reviewers expect concentrated specificity rather than a survey of Penn's offerings.
Do I need to pick a major when applying to Penn?
You apply to one of the four undergraduate schools and indicate an intended concentration. Some specialized programs (M&T, Huntsman, LSM, VIPER, NHCM) require a separate application.
How competitive is Wharton?
Wharton's admit rate is roughly 6 percent or lower in many years, substantially below Penn's already-selective overall number. Strong quantitative preparation and a specific business interest matter.
Can I mention specific professors in my Penn essay?
Yes, but a named professor should connect to something you've read or a course you've looked up. Names without substance read as list-building.
Sources
All numerical data on this page is sourced from official, primary sources. Admissions stats reflect the most recent publicly published cycle. Verify current figures with Penn's admissions office before applying.
- U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard — federally maintained dataset on admissions, cost, demographics, and post-graduation outcomes (IPEDS-derived).
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) — the underlying federal data collection that all U.S. accredited institutions report into annually.
- University of Pennsylvania official admissions site — for the most current published figures and application requirements.
- Penn Common Data Set — the standardized annual data document published by the school.
Last verified May 2026. Stats reflect Penn's most recent publicly published admit cycle.