Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus
Penn State publishes 61% (Fall 2024). Berks (Commonwealth) applicants got in at 99%; university park at 61%.
Acceptance rate
What Penn State's 61% is made of
The published rate averages groups with very different odds. These are the splits Penn State reports itself.
Part of Real Acceptance Rates, our series decomposing published rates from each school's own Common Data Set.
Testing
Test-Optional for 2026-27
- Policy
"First-year Penn State applicants for Spring, Summer, or Fall are able to choose whether to submit SAT or ACT scores as part of their applications." Self-reported scores accepted via MyPennState.
- SAT middle 50%
- 1240–1420sum of section 25th–75th percentiles
- ACT middle 50%
- 27–32
- Average HS GPA
- Not published by the school
Applying
Deadlines, essays and AI policy
- Early deadlines
- Nov 1, 2026 (decision by Dec 24, 2026) (EA)
- Regular decision
- Rolling after Nov 1, 2026 (no fixed close date for University Park)Source
Full cycle calendar: Application Deadlines.
At a glance
Size and cost
- Undergraduate enrollment
- 42,284
- Tuition (out-of-state)
- $41,790
- Category
- Public
- Admissions site
- psu.edu
Mentors who got into Penn State
Our mentors who go to Penn State, or just graduated from it.
What should this school mean for your list?
A published rate is one input. Working out what it means alongside the rest of your list is the part that actually changes an application. Free 25-minute call, no commitment.
Sources
- Penn State test policy (2026-27)
- Penn State deadlines
- Acceptance rate, test-score percentiles, enrollment and tuition: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, pulled 2026-08-19.
Test policy and deadlines last verified 2026-08-17.
Is this school right for your student?
Talk through Penn State with an advisor.
Tell us about your student and we'll tell you whether Penn State is a reach, a target or a likely, and what would change that.
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