University of Pennsylvania: A Parent's Guide to Admissions, Cost & Outcomes
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania · Private nonprofit · Most selective · CDS 2024-2025
University of Pennsylvania is a private nonprofit university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that admits about 6% of applicants, making it a most selective school. The average family pays about $31,229 a year after financial aid, which matters more than the published sticker price. It is best known for Finance and Financial Management Services, Economics and Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods, its largest undergraduate programs by number of graduates. About 97% of students graduate within six years. Its most recent Clery Act report shows roughly 26.8 criminal offenses per 1,000 students.
University of Pennsylvania is a private institution located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and one of the most selective schools in the country. For the most recent reporting cycle, University of Pennsylvania admits fewer than 10% of applicants, with an overall admission rate of 6%. Admitted students typically post an average SAT of 1545 and an ACT composite around 34. The average net price after grants and scholarships is $31,229 per year, which is the figure most families actually pay rather than the published sticker price. For parents weighing whether University of Pennsylvania is realistic for their teenager, the most useful planning step is comparing your child's current GPA and most recent SAT or ACT against these admitted-student ranges — not the headline acceptance rate alone.
What parents should know about University of Pennsylvania right now
The University of Pennsylvania admitted 4.87% of applicants for the Class of 2029, accepting 3,530 students from a record 72,544 applications and enrolling 2,420 first-year students. Early Decision admitted roughly 1,235 students at about a 13% rate. The class includes about 21% first-generation college students, 24% from historically underrepresented backgrounds, and 13.6% international students from 49 U.S. states and 95 countries. This was the second full cycle in which Penn could not consider race in admissions following the 2023 Supreme Court ruling. Penn's distinctive academic strengths include the Wharton School, the world's first collegiate business school, founded in 1881, the Perelman School of Medicine, the first medical school in North America, and a strong tradition of interdisciplinary undergraduate study across its four undergraduate schools, where many students pursue dual-degree or coordinated programs such as the Vagelos Life Sciences and Management program or Huntsman in business and international studies. Penn's research expenditures of $2.172 billion in fiscal year 2024 rank second nationally, and the endowment stands at $24.808 billion as of June 2025. Recent campus news parents should be aware of: in December 2023 then-president Liz Magill and board chair Scott Bok resigned after congressional testimony about antisemitism, and a new permanent president has since taken office to lead Penn's response to ongoing federal scrutiny.
What GPA does my child need for University of Pennsylvania?
Successful applicants to University of Pennsylvania typically present unweighted GPAs at or near 4.0 with the most rigorous course load their school offers, including multiple AP, IB, or dual-enrollment courses. Parents tracking their child's GPA toward this tier of school can use Solyo's free calculator to see weighted, unweighted, and college-recalculated numbers side by side.
What does University of Pennsylvania weight in admissions?
University of Pennsylvania reports the following factor importance in its Common Data Set (2024-2025). These are the criteria the admissions committee weighs when reviewing applications.
- • Rigor of secondary school record
- • Academic GPA
- • Application essay
- • Recommendations
- • Character/personal qualities
- • Class rank
- • Extracurricular activities
- • Talent/ability
- • Volunteer work
- • Work experience
- • Standardized test scores
- • First generation status
- • Alumni/ae relation
- • Geographical residence
- • State residency
- • Interview
- • Religious affiliation/commitment
- • Level of applicant's interest
SAT and ACT scores University of Pennsylvania typically admits
The middle-50 SAT Math range is 770–800, with an EBRW midpoint near 745. The middle-50 ACT composite range is 34–35. Scores below the 25th-percentile mark are accepted occasionally, but the realistic submission target for most families is the school's middle-50 floor or higher.
| 25th percentile | 1510 |
| 50th percentile | 1550 |
| 75th percentile | 1570 |
| % submitting SAT | 50% |
| 25th percentile | 34 |
| 50th percentile | 35 |
| 75th percentile | 36 |
| % submitting ACT | 17% |
- • Tests required: Standardized test scores are part of the standard application package.
- • Policy detail: Required
Where admitted students ranked in their high school class
Class rank distribution gives parents a clear sense of how academically dominant a typical admitted student was within their own high school cohort — often a more meaningful signal than absolute GPA.
| Top 10% of class | 91% |
| Top 25% of class | 99% |
| Top 50% of class | 100% |
| % submitting class rank | 22% |
How much does University of Pennsylvania actually cost?
Published tuition is $66,104 for in-state students and $66,104 for out-of-state, before grants and scholarships. Room and board adds roughly $18,496 annually. After need-based and merit aid, the average family pays a net price of $31,229 per year — the number that actually matters for budgeting. Roughly 16% of students receive Pell Grants, a useful indicator of how much need-based aid the school distributes.
| In-state tuition | $63,204 |
| Room and board | $19,876 |
| Average net price (after aid) | $31,229 |
| Application fee | $75 (waivers available) |
Application deadlines and early decision data for University of Pennsylvania
| Regular deadline | 1/5 |
| Notification date | Late March |
| Reply deadline | 5/1 |
| Offers Early Decision | Yes |
| ED deadline | 11/1 |
| ED acceptance rate | 14% |
Will my child graduate from University of Pennsylvania?
Retention and graduation rates are the most overlooked numbers in college planning, but they predict actual outcomes far better than acceptance rate. They tell you whether admitted students stay and finish on time.
Most popular majors at University of Pennsylvania
The most popular undergraduate programs at University of Pennsylvania, measured by the number of students who actually graduate each year, are Finance and Financial Management Services, Economics and Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods. Across all programs, University of Pennsylvania confers roughly 1,711 bachelor's degrees a year. Graduates of its Finance and Financial Management Services program report a median income of about $242,357 five years after entering college. Major popularity is a practical signal of where a school concentrates its teaching strength and where your child will find the deepest course offerings and peer community.
| Major | Graduates / year | Median earnings (5 yrs out) |
|---|---|---|
| Finance and Financial Management Services | 398 | $242,357 |
| Economics | 234 | $152,236 |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods | 209 | — |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | 206 | $114,013 |
| Philosophy | 202 | — |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | 172 | $298,016 |
| Biology, General | 158 | $78,245 |
| Neurobiology and Neurosciences | 132 | $94,630 |
Is University of Pennsylvania safe? Campus crime & safety
In its most recent Clery Act report (2024), University of Pennsylvania disclosed 285 total criminal offenses across its campus and surrounding public property, about 26.8 per 1,000 students. That figure includes 43 violent offenses and 18 reported sexual assaults or VAWA offenses. Per-1,000-student rates matter more than raw counts when comparing schools, because larger universities mechanically report more incidents. Under the federal Clery Act, every college that receives federal aid must publish these numbers annually.
What is campus life like at University of Pennsylvania?
About 55% of undergraduates at University of Pennsylvania live in campus housing, making it a largely residential campus. In Greek life, 19% of men join a fraternity and 17% of women join a sorority. Residential rate and Greek participation shape day-to-day social life and are worth weighing alongside academics and cost.
Other colleges in Pennsylvania parents ask about
- Carnegie Mellon University54% acceptance
- Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus50% acceptance
- Lehigh University78% acceptance
- Drexel University11% acceptance
- University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus32% acceptance
- Temple University79% acceptance
- Villanova University83% acceptance
- Swarthmore College13% acceptance
How parents track GPA toward selective schools like University of Pennsylvania
Solyo helps parents track grades pulled directly from school emails, calculate GPA the same way colleges like University of Pennsylvania recalculate it, and ask an AI college counselor specific questions about their teen's odds. The platform is built for parents — not students — and turns what's usually a fragmented planning process into a single dashboard.
Common questions parents ask about University of Pennsylvania
What GPA do I need for University of Pennsylvania?
Successful applicants to University of Pennsylvania typically present unweighted GPAs at or near 4.0 with the most rigorous course load their school offers, including multiple AP, IB, or dual-enrollment courses.
What SAT or ACT score does University of Pennsylvania typically admit?
The middle-50 SAT Math range is 770–800, with an EBRW midpoint near 745. The middle-50 ACT composite range is 34–35.
How much does University of Pennsylvania actually cost after financial aid?
The average net price at University of Pennsylvania after grants and scholarships is $31,229 per year. That figure is more useful for budgeting than the published sticker price, because it reflects what families actually pay after aid is applied.
Is University of Pennsylvania realistic for my child?
Compare your teen's current unweighted GPA and most recent SAT or ACT against the ranges above. If both numbers fall inside the school's middle-50, University of Pennsylvania is a target school. If both fall below the 25th-percentile mark, treat it as a reach and balance the application list accordingly.
What is the acceptance rate at University of Pennsylvania?
University of Pennsylvania accepts about 6% of applicants out of roughly 65,236 who apply each year. That makes it a most selective school.
Is University of Pennsylvania test-optional?
No. University of Pennsylvania requires SAT or ACT scores as part of a standard application.
What is the graduation rate at University of Pennsylvania?
About 97% of students at University of Pennsylvania graduate within six years, and 87% finish in four years. 99% of freshmen return for sophomore year. Graduation rate predicts real outcomes better than acceptance rate.
Does applying Early Decision improve my chances at University of Pennsylvania?
University of Pennsylvania's Early Decision acceptance rate is about 14%, compared with its overall rate of 6%. Applying ED can meaningfully improve admission odds, but it is a binding commitment to enroll if accepted.
What does University of Pennsylvania look for in applicants?
University of Pennsylvania rates course rigor, GPA, the application essay and recommendations as "very important" in its Common Data Set. These are the factors the admissions committee weighs most heavily when reviewing an application.
Is University of Pennsylvania a public or private school, and where is it located?
University of Pennsylvania is a private nonprofit institution located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
What are the most popular majors at University of Pennsylvania?
The largest undergraduate majors at University of Pennsylvania by annual graduates are Finance and Financial Management Services, Economics and Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods. The school awards about 1,711 bachelor's degrees a year in total. These figures come from federal IPEDS completion data.
Is University of Pennsylvania safe? What is its campus crime rate?
University of Pennsylvania reported 285 total criminal offenses in its most recent Clery Act disclosure (2024), roughly 26.8 per 1,000 students. Compare the per-1,000 rate rather than the raw total, since larger schools report more incidents.
What is campus life like at University of Pennsylvania?
At University of Pennsylvania, 55% of undergraduates live on campus, 19% of men are in fraternities, 17% of women are in sororities, according to its most recent Common Data Set.
Data sourced from the 2024-2025 Common Data Set submitted by University of Pennsylvania, the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS, and Clery Act campus safety disclosures. Solyo extracts admissions data from official Common Data Set publications and refreshes it annually.