Penn State Admission Requirements
Acceptance Rate
| Measure | Difficulty | |
|---|---|---|
| Admission Standards | Very High | |
| Applicant Competition | Average |
Can I get into Penn State? The school has a 50% acceptance rate. Last year, 28,233 out of 56,114 applicants were admitted making Penn State a more competitive school to get into with a good chance of acceptance for qualifying applicants. Academically, it has very high requirements for admission test scores, generally admitting students who score in the top 21 percent. Penn State Main Campus typically accepts and attracts "B+" average high school students. Only 28% of those admitted chose to enroll in the school. Most incoming freshmen graduated in the top quarter of their high school class.
50% are accepted,
can you get in?
SAT Requirements
| SAT Test | 25th Percentile Score |
|---|---|
| SAT Reading 25th | 630 |
| SAT Math 25th | 600 |
| SAT Composite 25th | 1230 |
| SAT Test | 25th Percentile Score |
|---|---|
| SAT Reading 75th | 690 |
| SAT Math 75th | 710 |
| SAT Composite 75th | 1400 |
| Estimated Average SAT | 1320 |
SAT Scores you need to get in
What are the SAT requirements for students to be admitted to Penn State Main Campus?
Penn State Main Campus typically requires applicants to be in the top 20 percent of SAT test takers. The school consistently takes SAT composite scores down to 1230 on a 1600 scale, below which admission should be considered a reach. We estimate some students could be accepted with SAT's as low as 1140. The estimated average SAT composite for admitted freshman is 1320 out of 1600. A competitive SAT score is critical as 65 percent of applicants submit SAT scores to the school. Note: SAT scores presented on this page have been adjusted upwards per the College Board's concordance tables for test takers after March 2016.
Estimated Chance of Acceptance by SAT Score
| SAT Score (1600 scale) | Competitiveness | Admission Chances |
|---|---|---|
| 1400 and Above | Good | >63% |
| 1315 to 1400 | Avg + | 50%-63% |
| 1230 to 1315 | Avg - | 37%-50% |
| 1145 to 1230 | Reach | 26%-37% |
| Less than 1145 | Low | <26% |
ACT Requirements
| ACT Test | 25th Percentile Score |
|---|---|
| ACT Reading 25th | 25 |
| ACT Math 25th | 25 |
| ACT Composite 25th | 25 |
| ACT Test | 75th Percentile Score |
|---|---|
| ACT Reading 75th | 31 |
| ACT Math 75th | 30 |
| ACT Composite 75th | 30 |
| Estimated Average ACT | 27 |
ACT Scores needed to get accepted
What are the ACT requirements for prospective students to get into Penn State?
Admission data indicates that Penn State regularly accepts students with ACT's of 25 and above. Successful applicants typically send ACT scores in the top 22 percent nationally. We estimate the school accepting minimum ACT composite scores around 22 in some instances. Prospective students submitting an ACT composite of 28 or higher should be in the upper half of applicants - and students with a 30 and above have very competitive chances. 30 percent of applicants submit ACT scores to Penn State Main Campus.
Estimated Chance of Acceptance by ACT Score
| ACT Score | Competitiveness | Admission Chances |
|---|---|---|
| 30 and Above | Good | >65% |
| 27 to 30 | Avg + | 50%-65% |
| 25 to 27 | Avg - | 40%-50% |
| 23 to 25 | Reach | 30%-40% |
| Less than 23 | Low | <30% |
Estimated GPA Requirements
You will need very good grades in high school to get into Penn State Main Campus. The average high school GPA of the admitted freshman class at Penn State Main Campus was 3.59 on the 4.0 scale indicating that primarily B+ students are accepted and ultimately attend. If your high school GPA meets these requirements, there is a good chance you will be accepted as Penn State accepts 50% of students who apply.
| High School GPA | Freshmen Within Range | Admission Chances |
|---|---|---|
| 3.75+ | 34% | Good |
| 3.50 to 3.75 | 31% | Avg + |
| 3.25 to 3.50 | 23% | Avg - |
| 3.00 to 3.25 | 8% | Reach |
| 2.75 to 3.00 | 3% | Reach |
| 2.50 to 2.75 | 1% | Reach |
| 2.25 to 2.50 | N/A% | Low |
| 2.00 to 2.25 | N/A% | Low |
High School Class Rank
84% of Penn State Main Campus freshman were in the top twenty five percent of their high school graduating class.
| High School Class Rank | Freshmen Within Range |
|---|---|
| Top 10% of class | 41% |
| Top 25% of class | 84% |
| Top 50% of class | 98% |
| Bottom 50% of class | 2% |
| Bottom 25% of class | 0% |
Admission Statistics
| Women | Men | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Applied | 28,270 | 27,844 | 56,114 |
| Accepted | 15,300 | 12,933 | 28,233 |
| Acceptance Rate | 54% | 46% | 50% |
| Enrolled | 3,938 | 3,925 | 7,863 |
| Percent of Admitted Who Enrolled (Admission Yield) | 26% | 30% | 28% |
Admission Requirements
What are the requirements for admission to Penn State Main Campus and what considerations affect admission decisions?
| Test Scores | Required |
| High School GPA | Required |
| High School Class Rank | Recommended |
| Completion of College Preparatory Program | Recommended |
| Recommendations | Neither required nor recommended |
| Demonstration of Competencies | Neither required nor recommended |
Credits Accepted
| AP Credit | Yes |
| Dual Credit | Yes |
| Credit for Life Experiences | Yes |
Primary data source, U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?id=214777 IPEDS survey data for Penn State Main Campus.
