Penn State is one of the best public universities in the country. Many people don’t think it’s that difficult to get into this school, but that is actually one of its biggest misconceptions.

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Penn State is a well-respected university that’s been around for more than 140 years. It has a rich history and a lot of tradition, and it has one of the largest student bodies in the country—over 40,000 students attend classes here.

Penn State has 12 campuses spread out across Pennsylvania, with the main campus being located in University Park, Pennsylvania. It offers more than 250 majors to its students, as well as a wide range of graduate programs and certificate programs.

The school is well-known for its engineering programs and its agriculture college. It also offers some of the best education programs in the country.

Penn State University Overview

What are Penn State’s admission requirements? While there are a lot of pieces that go into a college application, you should focus on only a few critical things:

GPA requirements
Testing requirements, including SAT and ACT requirements
Application requirements
In this guide we’ll cover what you need to get into Penn State and build a strong application.

School location: University Park, PA

This school is also known as: Penn State University Park, PSU, Penn State

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Admissions Rate: 49.1%
If you want to get in, the first thing to look at is the acceptance rate. This tells you how competitive the school is and how serious their requirements are.

Is Penn State Hard To Get Into?

If you’re looking for a college that will challenge you, but also help you reach your goals, Penn State is the right choice.

Penn State is selective, with an acceptance rate of 56%. Students who get into Penn State have SAT scores between 1160-1360 or ACT scores between 25-30. The regular admissions application deadline is rolling, but students can apply early action if they’d like to receive a decision earlier in the process. The Penn State early action deadline is November 1.

Penn State University’s University Park campus, affectionately known as “Happy Valley” has long been a favored destination of Keystone State residents, many of whom have adopted the Nittany Lion lifestyle as a family tradition. Yet, the 2000s saw PSU shift from a solid flagship university ably serving its residents to a desirable destination for out-of-staters and even international students. To that point, in 1990, seventy-seven of undergraduates were in-staters and under 5% were international students. By 2015, just 56% were homegrown and 15% were international students. While the standards for admission/acceptance rate have not plummeted at PSU, the way they have at many other public institutions, the level of student admitted today is certainly more academically accomplished than a generation ago.

With the admissions landscape at Penn State changing in recent decades, it’s important for applicants to have an up-to-date understanding of what they are up against. To help, the College Transitions team will present:

1) A deep-dive into just how selective the Penn State admissions process truly is.

2) Data that will help you better assess how you measure up to the competition.

3) How the Penn State admissions committee operates and what they look for in a successful candidate.

To accomplish these goals we will touch on the following topics:

• Penn State’s Class of 2024 acceptance rate
• SAT, ACT, and GPAs of Penn State applicants
• Admissions trends from the Class of 2024
• The demographics of current Penn State undergraduates
• Penn State’s yield rate
• How Penn State’s admissions officers evaluate candidates
• Tips for applying to Penn State
• How to assess whether applying to Penn State is even worth the $65 application fee (for you)

Let’s begin with an examination of the most recent admissions data.

Penn State: Acceptance Rate – Class of 2024

Penn State admitted 40,031 of the 73,861 freshman applicants who sought admission into the Class of 2024. This equates to a 54% acceptance rate. While the university does not release statistics on in-state versus out-of-state acceptance rates, an audit from 2017 did reveal that out-of-state students were consistently accepted a higher rate than PA residents. The audit revealed that the university relies heavily on the higher tuition rates paid by non-residents for funding.

Penn State Admissions – SAT, ACT, and GPA

Among those who were offered a place in the Class of 2024, the middle-50% unweighted GPA range was 3.55-3.90. The standardized test ranges were 27-33 on the ACT and 1240-1410 on the SAT. The statistics for students who actually went on to enroll were somewhat lower. Enrolled 2019-20 freshmen sported a middle-50% ACT range of 25-30 and an SAT range of 1150-1340.

Admissions Trends & Notes

• The Class of 2024 enjoyed a 54% acceptance rate, five points higher than the 49% acceptance rate for the Class of 2023.
• Women generally enjoy a higher acceptance rate to Penn State than their male counterparts. For the Class of 2024, the edge for female applicants was 56% to 52%.
• 35% of PSU freshman placed in the top 10% of their high school class; 73% were in the top quartile, and 96% were in the top half.
• PSU was test-optional for the Class of 2024, yet 77% submitted SAT scores and 18% included ACT results with their application (an undetermined percentage submitted scores from both exams).
• The yield rate decreased from 24% (Class of 2023) to 21% (Class of 2024).

Who Gets Into Penn State?

Let’s look at the demographics of Penn State undergraduates:

The majority of Penn State students hailed from the Keystone and paid in-state tuition. The split was:

• In-state: 58%
• Out-of-state-42%

Looking at ethnic identity among the Nittany Lion undergraduate student body, the breakdown is as follows:

• Asian American: 6%
• Hispanic: 7%
• African American: 4%
• International: 12%
• Caucasian: 64%

International students hail from 111 countries with the greatest representation from the following nations:

1. China
2. India
3. South Korea
4. Saudi Arabia
5. Taiwan

The breakdown by gender of undergraduate student body class shows more men than women presently on campus:

• Male: 53%
• Female: 47%

Penn State’s Yield Rate

Penn State’s yield rate—the percentage of accepted students who elect to enroll, divided by the total number of students who are admitted was only 21%. To compare this school to other flagship public institutions, UT-Austin has a 46% yield, UGA comes in at 45%, and Ohio State’s is 30%.

How Penn State Rates Applicants

There is only one factor that Penn State ranks as being “very important” to their admissions process and that is an applicant’s GPA. The only category ranked as “important” is the rigor of one’s secondary school record. Six factors are “considered” by Penn State. Those are: standardized test scores, talent/ability, legacy status, geographical residence, state residency, and racial/ethnic status.

Penn State went test-optional due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the 2020-21 admissions cycle. They will remain test-optional through Summer/Fall 2023.

In the admissions office’s own words: “The most important piece of our review is your academic record, which represents your individual four years of academic development…We take a hard look at the many roles you serve as a student, sibling, athlete, son or daughter, volunteer, and/or employee. Assembling a class of students with diverse interests and experiences is a task that we take seriously. Penn State does not have a minimum GPA or standardized test score used for admission. There are no such things as ‘cut offs.’ We review students taking into account a full range of factors.”

Possessing one of the premier athletic programs in the country, it most definitely helps if you are recruited as an athlete to join one of Penn State ’s 29 Division I sports teams. There are over 800 designated student-athletes at PSU.

Tips for Applying to Penn State

If you plan on joining the 70,000+ Nittany Lion hopefuls for the next admissions cycle, you should know the following:

• Penn State does not offer interviews. Therefore, the best way to personalize the admissions process is through your essays and recommendations.
• Penn State does not consider “demonstrated interest” in the admissions process. This means you will not gain an advantage by visiting campus, connecting through social media, emailing an admissions officer, etc.
• You can apply via the Common Application by November 1 to meet the Early Action deadline. The Regular Decision deadline is December 1.
• You must list an Intended Major/Program of Study on the supplemental Common App form. There are a number of Direct Admit Majors at PSU.
• Make sure to dedicate sufficient time and effort to the supplemental essay required by Penn State. There is only one “optional” prompt that reads as follows:

Please tell us something about yourself, your experiences, or activities that you believe would reflect positively on your ability to succeed at Penn State. This is your opportunity to tell us something about yourself that is not already reflected in your application or academic records. We suggest a limit of 500 words or fewer.

For serious applicants, “optional” essays such as this one at PSU are not really optional. This is an important opportunity to let the committee know about the unique personality traits, skills, and passions that you will bring to University Park.

Should I Apply to Penn State?

Penn State students generally sport A-/B+ averages and possess average standardized test scores right around the 80th percentile of all test-takers. If you fall below these numbers, there is a still a good chance that you could gain acceptance to one of PSU’s 19 branch campuses located throughout the state of Pennsylvania.

All college-bound high school students should formulate an appropriate college list, containing a complement of “target” and “safety” schools. This can be done in collaboration with an admissions professional who is aware of the latest trends and strategies associated with your prospective colleges.

Pennsylvania Acceptance Rate

The acceptance rate at Penn State is 49.1%. For every 100 applicants, 49 are admitted.

This means the school is moderately selective. The school expects you to meet their requirements for GPA and SAT/ACT scores, but they’re more flexible than other schools. If you exceed their requirements, you have an excellent chance of getting in. But if you don’t, you might be one of the unlucky minority that gets a rejection letter.

Penn State GPA Requirements

Many schools specify a minimum GPA requirement, but this is often just the bare minimum to submit an application without immediately getting rejected.

The GPA requirement that really matters is the GPA you need for a real chance of getting in. For this, we look at the school’s average GPA for its current students.

Average GPA: 3.58
The average GPA at Penn State is 3.58.

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(Most schools use a weighted GPA out of 4.0, though some report an unweighted GPA.

With a GPA of 3.58, Penn State requires you to be around average in your high school class. You’ll need a mix of A’s and B’s, and very few C’s. If you have a lower GPA, you can compensate with harder courses like AP or IB classes. This will help boost your weighted GPA and show your ability to take college classes.

If you’re currently a junior or senior, your GPA is hard to change in time for college applications. If your GPA is at or below the school average of 3.58, you’ll need a higher SAT or ACT score to compensate. This will help you compete effectively against other applicants who have higher GPAs than you.

SAT and ACT Requirements
Each school has different requirements for standardized testing. Most schools require the SAT or ACT, and many also require SAT subject tests.

You must take either the SAT or ACT to submit an application to Penn State. More importantly, you need to do well to have a strong application.

Penn State SAT Requirements
Many schools say they have no SAT score cutoff, but the truth is that there is a hidden SAT requirement. This is based on the school’s average score.

Located in—you guessed it—University Park, Pennsylvania State University–University Park is ranked #20 in the nation for top public universities and #59 for overall best universities, according to U.S. News and World Report. Penn State prides itself on being a top school that prioritizes accessibility, with nearly a quarter of their students being first-gen students, commitment to nontraditional students, and providing exceptional graduate and professional programs.

With so much going on for it, Penn State remains a popular choice for high-achieving students. But with only 43.3% of applicants being accepted, Penn State does not make getting in easy, even for highly qualified students. Keep reading to learn more about the tips that have helped CollegeVine’s students get into the school that’s perfect for them.

Applying to Pennsylvania State University–University Park: A Quick Review

Students have several application options to choose from. You may apply using MyPennState application portal, the Common Application, or the Coalition Application. Although we generally recommend the Common App because more schools use it, ultimately you should choose the application format that you’re comfortable with. We’ve written extensive guides on the last two of these options, so be sure to check out The Common App: Everything You Need to Know and The Coalition App: Everything You Need to Know.

Students choose which campus and degree program they’d like to be admitted to—University Park is the main campus, and while you can set that as your first choice, be sure to include one of the regional campuses as your alternate choice. If you aren’t selected for University Park, you’ll be considered for the regional campus you selected and you may be admitted there and allowed to transfer to University Park after two years.

Students may apply by the November 1 Early Action deadline or by the November 30 recommended regular deadline; after January 31 Penn State will review applications on a rolling basis, and it will be more difficult to be admitted to your first choice campus. If you’re unsure about whether you should apply early, check out our post Early Action vs. Early Decision vs. Restricted Early Action.

To apply, be sure to send in all of the following:

A complete application via MyPennState, the Common App, or Coalition App
Supplemental essays
Self-reported academic record (SRAR) via MyPennState
ACT or SAT scores
$65 application fee or fee waiver

For international students: You will need to submit an official copy of your secondary school report, as well as a line-by-line translation if the documents are in a language other than English. If English is not your first language, you’ll also need to demonstrate your English proficiency through one of the following:

TOEFL score of 80 or higher
IELTS score of 6.5 or higher
SAT Evidence Based Reading and Writing section score of 570 or higher
ACT English section score of 24 or higher
GCSE or GCE Score of A, B, or C on the English language exam
International Baccalaureate (IB): Score of 5 or higher on the English Language & Literature (SL/HL) exam
Receive official certification through Penn State’s Intensive English Communication Program (IECP)

For homeschooled students: Although your application will be virtually identical to other students, Penn State may ask you for further documentation about your high school coursework and grades.

Pennsylvania State University–University Park Acceptance Rate: How Difficult Is It to Get In?

Last year, the acceptance rate for Pennsylvania State University–University Park was 43.3%. Pennsylvania State University–University Park received 56,114 applications last year and admitted 28,233 students. Of those, 7,863 students actually enrolled, making it similarly selective to schools like Stony Brook University-SUNY or the University of Connecticut.

While there’s a good chance you’ll be admitted, you should still take the application process seriously and make sure that every part of your application is as strong as possible. One way to increase your chances is to get help from people who have been through the process before, such as current students, alumni, or working with a company like CollegeVine. Connecting with someone who has successfully gained admission to a school like Penn State can make the difference between rejection and acceptance.

Penn State is not a difficult school to get into, but it does have some requirements you’ll need to meet.

To get into Penn State, you need a GPA of 2.5 or higher. You also need to make sure your SAT score is at least 1000 and your ACT score is at least 19. If you don’t meet these requirements, don’t worry! You’ll still be able to apply with the Early Decision process or regular decision process, which are both much easier than the Early Decision process.