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Colleges / Penn State University Park

Penn State University Park

University Park, PA 4-Year Public
Acceptance Rate58%
Acceptance Rate58%

About Penn State

Pennsylvania State University (Penn State) is known for being one of the leading research universities in the US. It offers distinguished academic programs across a variety of disciplines, plus a strong sense of community and school spirit. Penn State’s quality education is complemented with a great mix of campus-supported concerts, events, and sports. It is often considered a great school for those looking for the “classic” college experience. 

Penn State has a long list of highly ranked majors and programs including several of the engineering and computer science programs. The sprawling 8,556 acre campus is one of the largest university campuses in the United States. 

Sports culture is strong at Penn State, and for good reason. Penn State is a member of the Big Ten Conference and boasts a long list of awards across the 31 NCAA varsity sports sponsored by the university. The football stadium, Beavers Stadium, is one of the largest college football stadiums in the country.

Did You Know? 

The largest student-run philanthropy in the world is Penn State’s THON, a fundraiser for pediatric cancer research. Each year, Penn State students spend months raising money through events that culminate with a 46-hour dance marathon. 

Campus Visit Insights from the CC Community:

"I was impressed by the small community feel of a campus of this size. The downtown area and all it has to offer was larger and has more options than I thought before we visited. Lots of students wearing Penn State gear and very proud of their university." 

"Just an awesome vibe. [Penn State] felt small, even though it's a huge campus. Kids seemed happy and friendly! We liked it way more than we thought we would. My daughter didn’t think she’d like it and now she loves it."

See what else people are saying about Penn State in the CC Community

Penn State - University Park is a public, state institution in the town of University Park, Pennsylvania. Penn State was founded in 1855. The college currently enrolls around 47,560 students per year, including 40,600 undergraduates.

Penn State Acceptance Rate 2022

It is very difficult to get into Penn State. The acceptance rate at Penn State is 58%. In 2022, 78,578 students applied to Penn State and 45,269 were admitted.

Penn State - University Park Admissions Facts At-A-Glance
Overall Acceptance Rate 58%
Early Decision Acceptance Rate ED not offered
Early Action Acceptance Rate EA Offered but % not available
Test Optional May require tests
Applicants Submitting SAT scores 37%

To learn more about Penn State - University Park, choose from the options below:

Admissions

Student Life

Academics

Tuition & Aid

Penn State - University Park Community Forums

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Go See Penn State

Penn State - University Park is locatedin University Park, Pennsylvania, in Harrisburg.

If you would like to see Penn State for yourself, plan a visit. The best way to reach campus is to take Route 322 to University Park, or book a flight to the nearest airport, University Park.

You can also take a virtual campus tour to get a sense of what Penn State - University Park and University Park are like without leaving home.

College Info

201 Old Main University Park, PA 16802

Campus Setting: Small Town

Penn State Application Deadline

First-Year Applications are Due

Continuous processing

Transfer Applications are Due

Continuous processing

The deadline for Fall first-year applications to Penn State is Continuous processing.

The deadline for Fall transfer applications to Penn State is Continuous processing.

Check the school website for more information about deadlines for specific programs or special admissions programs

Penn State ACT Scores

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ACT Range

26 - 32

Estimated Chance of Acceptance by ACT Score

ACT Score

Estimated Chance

32 and Above

Good

26 to 32

Avg

26 and Less

Low

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Penn State SAT Scores

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Composite SAT Range

Not available

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Math SAT Range

600 - 710

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Reading SAT Range

600 - 690

Penn State Tuition & Fees

Tuition & Fees

$33,482

In State

$51,060

Out-of-State
Cost Breakdown
In State
Out-of-State
State Tuition
$18,368
$35,946
Fees
$530
$530
Housing
$12,744
$12,744
Books
$1,840
$1,840

Student Life

Wondering what life at Penn State is like? There are approximately 47,560 students enrolled at Penn State, including 40,600 undergraduate students and 6,960 graduate students. 97% percent of students attend school full-time, 66% percent are from PA and 34% percent of students are from other states.

97%

Full Time

3%

Part Time

66%

In State

34%

Out-of-State

Data Source: IPEDs and Peterson's Databases © 2022 Peterson's LLC All rights reserved

Quick Facts

Total Enrollment

47,560

Campus Setting

Small Town

Acceptance Rate

58%

Tuition and Fees

In State

$18,898

Out-of-State

$36,476

Fall Freshmen
Application Deadline

Continuous processing
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