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#2 Best Public Universities in Pennsylvania

Penn State Admission Requirements

University Park, Pennsylvania

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Chances of getting into Penn State Main Campus

Acceptance Rate

Admitted 
92%
Admission Difficulty for Penn State Main Campus
Measure Difficulty
Admission Standards Very High 
Applicant Competition Very Low 
How hard is it to get into Penn State and can I get accepted?

The acceptance rate at Penn State is 92%.  It ranks #90 in Pennsylvania for lowest rate of acceptance. Penn State Main Campus is an easy school to get into with a very good chance of acceptance if you meet the admission requirements. Last year, 89,207 out of 96,686 applicants were admitted.

The school has very high admission requirements, generally admitting students who can score in the top 28 percent on standardized admission tests. Penn State Main Campus typically accepts and attracts "B+" average high school students with an average GPA around 3.68. 18% of those admitted chose to enroll in the school.

Admission Requirements in Brief

To have the best chance of getting into to Penn State Main Campus you should:

  • Have a high school GPA of 3.68 or better
  • Earn B+ grades in high school
  • Score 1250 on the SAT
  • Score 28 on the ACT

Test Optional

Submission of SAT or ACT scores is not required for admission to Penn State Main Campus. If you submit test scores, they will be considered with your application, but they are not mandatory. 32% of students submitted SAT scores and 6% submitted ACT scores for admission for the 2021/2022 academic year..

Penn State SAT Scores

SAT Requirements & Average SAT Score

SAT Range 
1140-1360
Applicants Submitting SAT 
32%
SAT Scores for Penn State Main Campus
SAT Test 25th Percentile Score
SAT Reading 25th 570
SAT Math 25th 570
SAT Composite 25th 1140
SAT Scores for Penn State Main Campus
SAT Test 25th Percentile Score
SAT Reading 75th 670
SAT Math 75th 690
SAT Composite 75th 1360
Average SAT Score 1250

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 is a test optional school meaning applicants are not required to submit SAT scores with their application. The position on SAT scores from the school is "considered but not required".

Students who get into Penn State Main Campus score in the top 34 percent of all SAT test takers.. The SAT composite score range for the middle 50% of students is 1140-1360.

Find other colleges with similar SAT score requirements

Data Sources, IPEDS for Fall 2021 starting class

Estimated Chance of Acceptance by SAT Score

Penn State Main Campus admission chances by SAT score
SAT Score (1600 scale) Competitiveness  Admission Chances 
1360 and Above Good >96%
1250 to 1360 Avg + 92%-96%
1140 to 1250 Avg - 86%-92%
1030 to 1140 Reach 76%-86%
Less than 1030 Low <76%
Calculate My Chances 

Penn State ACT Scores

ACT Requirements & Average ACT Score

ACT Range 
25-31 
Applicants Submitting ACT 
6%
ACT Scores for Penn State Main Campus
ACT Test 25th Percentile Score
ACT Reading 25th 24
ACT Math 25th 24
ACT Composite 25th 25
ACT Scores for Penn State Main Campus
ACT Test 75th Percentile Score
ACT Reading 75th 32
ACT Math 75th 30
ACT Composite 75th 31
Average ACT Score 28

ACT Scores needed to get accepted

What are the ACT requirements for prospective students to get into Penn State?

Penn State Main Campus is test optional. Students are not required to submit ACT scores with their application. The policy on ACT scores is "considered but not required".

Penn State regularly accepts students who score 25 and above on the ACT. These students typically score in the top 22 percent nationally. The ACT composite score range for the middle 50% of students is 25-31.

Find other colleges with similar ACT score requirements

Data Sources, IPEDS for Fall 2021 starting class

Estimated Chance of Acceptance by ACT Score

Penn State Main Campus admission chances by ACT score
ACT Score Competitiveness  Admission Chances 
31 and Above Good >96%
28 to 31 Avg + 92%-96%
25 to 28 Avg - 86%-92%
22 to 25 Reach 76%-86%
Less than 22 Low <76%
Calculate My Chances 

Penn State GPA

Estimated GPA Requirements & Average GPA

Avg. High School GPA 
3.68*
Typical High School Grades 
B+

What GPA do you need to get into Penn State Main Campus?

Applicants require very good grades in high school to get into Penn State. The average high school GPA of the admitted freshman class at Penn State Main Campus was 3.68 on the 4.0 scale indicating that primarily B+ students are accepted and ultimately attend. The school ranks #16 in Pennsylvania for highest average GPA. If your high school grades are above the average 3.68 GPA, you have a very good chance of being admitted as Penn State accepts 92% of all applicants.

 What do these ratings mean?

Explore more colleges with similar GPA requirements

*This school has not released high school GPA data for its incoming freshmen. In these cases, CollegeSimply employs an artificial intelligence (AI) process to predict GPA based on this school's test scores and a large sample of other colleges' data. 3.68 is an estimate of the school's average incoming freshman GPA.

Applying

Admission Statistics

Penn State Main Campus admission statistics
Women Men Total
Applied 52,371 44,182 96,686
Accepted 48,159 40,936 89,207
Acceptance Rate 92% 93% 92%
Enrolled 7,443 8,578 16,049
Percent of Admitted Who Enrolled (Admission Yield) 15% 21% 18%
Data Sources, IPEDS for Fall 2021 starting class

Application Fee

The cost for prospective students to apply to Penn State Main Campus is $65.

Application Requirements

What are the requirements for admission to Penn State Main Campus and what student information is used for admission decisions?

Penn State Main Campus Application Requirements
Test Scores Considered but not required
High School GPA Required
High School Class Rank Neither required nor recommended
Completion of College Preparatory Program Recommended
Recommendations Neither required nor recommended
Demonstration of Competencies Neither required nor recommended

Credits Accepted

High School Credits Accepted at Penn State Main Campus
AP Credit Yes
Dual Credit Yes
Credit for Life Experiences Yes
Other Colleges to Consider 

Primary data source, U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?id=495767 IPEDS survey data for Penn State Main Campus.

FAQs

Does Penn State Main Campus prefer SAT or ACT?

32% of students submit their SAT scores to Penn State. 6% of applicants send their ACT scores when applying.

What is my chance of getting into Penn State Main Campus?

92% of those who apply are granted admission to Penn State. Admission competition is and the college has very high admission standards. See if your grades and scores are good enough for admission.

What SAT score is required for Penn State Main Campus?

The middle 50% of addmitted applicants have SAT scores between 1140 and 1360. 32% of students submit SAT scores when applying. See if your SAT score is good enough for admission.

What ACT score is required for Penn State Main Campus?

The middle 50% of addmitted applicants have ACT scores between 25 and 31. 6% of students submit ACT scores when applying. See if your ACT score is good enough for admission.