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Colleges / Penn State University Park

Penn State University Park

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

Penn State Academics

Penn State - University Park requires at least 120 credits to graduate with a bachelor's degree.

Students can choose the accelarated degree program if they would like to finish all the credits for graduation in less time than normal. Penn State accepts transfer credits. The school accepts AP credit and IB credits. Additionally, Penn State has a summer session, so students can earn credits during the summer.

NOTE: Around 85% of students who start college at Penn State graduate within six years.

Penn State offers an orientation program before the start of fall classes to prepare new students for college life.

Academic Options Yes No
Accelerated Degree Program
Transfer Credits Accepted
AP Credit Accepted
IB Credits Accepted
Summer Classes Available
New Student Orientation

Reminder: Penn State may have additional academic options available for new and transfering students. Make sure to check with the universty directly for any additional information.

Which Courses Are Required At Penn State?

Penn State has a core curriculum, which means there are certain classes or types of classes all students must take to graduate.

Students are required to fulfill a language requirement

Students are required to take a computer class to fufill the graduation requirements for Penn State.

Course Required?
2nd Language Yes
Math true
Science true
Computer Yes

Reminder: Check with Penn State directly for more information on requirements. Individual departments or majors may have additional required courses.

Majors at Penn State

When choosing a major, Penn State students have several choices to make. Scroll down to the bottom of this page to see a full list of majors offered at Penn State.

Student Designed Majors

Penn State allows students to design their own major, if desired. If students would like to study something that is not offered as an official major, designing their own major is a great alternative.

Senior Projects

Penn State does not require a senior project for all students.

Double Majoring at Penn State

Penn State offers students the option to double major, if they would like. Student struggling to choose just one area of study may consider a double major.

NOTE: Declaring a double major may require more work but it can provide an interesting mix of experience that helps students stand out when job searching or applying to grad school.


Frequently Asked Questions About Penn State - University Park


Does Penn State Offer Learning Disability Services?

✅ Penn State offers services for students with disabilities.

Prospective students can contact the college's Office of Accessibility Services to learn more about any support and accomodations offered. These conversations are usually kept confidential and will not be shared with the admissions office if you do not wish to share.

Does Penn State Have An Online Program?

✅ Penn State has distance learning options for students who are interested in taking classes online.

Does Penn State Give Credit for AP Classes?

✅ Penn State offers some credit for Advanced Placement (AP) classes taken in high school. Schools have different requirements for what AP scores they accept, so some students may not receive AP credit.

Does Penn State Have An Honors Program?

✅ Penn State offers an honors program for highly-qualified applicants, and offers a Freshman Honors College. The Freshman Honors college provides a rich curriculum for highly-motivated first-year students. Students must complete a senior project if they are in the Honors Program at Penn State.

Does Penn State Require Internships?

🟨 Penn State does not require an internship for all students, but does require an internship for students in some majors.


Additional Information About Penn State - University Park


Penn State - University Park Library

The main library on campus is the Pattee and Paterno Libraries and there are 4 other libraries on campus.

Dual Degree Programs at Penn State

A dual degree program allows a student to study and earn two degrees at the same time. A 3-2 dual degree program is a five-year program wherein the first three years are spend taking undergraduate courses and the final two years are spent taking graduate courses. Upon completion of the 5 years, the student will be awarded two degrees, a bachelor's degree and a master's degree.

Penn State offers these dual degree programs:

•3-2 dual degree program in engineering

•Geoscience

ROTC

What is ROTC?

The Reserve Officers' Training Corps, which is also commonly known as ROTC, is a leadership program that prepares students to serve in the U.S. Armed Forces after graduation. College level ROTC programs prepare students to become officers in the military through physical, academic, and leadership training. ROTC programs are part of the college curriculum and usually cover the cost of tuition.

Does Penn State have any ROTC programs?

Each branch of the miltary has its own ROTC program, but not every program is available at every college. Possible programs include Army ROTC, Air Force ROTC, and Navy ROTC.

Penn State has an Army ROTC program, an Air Force ROTC program and a Navy ROTC program.

Some ROTC programs are provided directly on campus and others are hosted at a cooperating instiution off campus. The ROTC program locations at Penn State include:

•an ARMY ROTC branch unit on campus

•a Navy ROTC branch unit on campus

•an Air Force branch unit on campus

Keep Reading About Penn State

Choose one of the options below to find out more about about Penn State:

Overview

Student Life

Admissions

Tuition & Aid

Visit the College Confidential forums to join the conversation about Penn State.

Penn State Majors & Subject Areas

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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