Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus

University Park, PA · Public

Website Admissions

At a glance

60.6%

Acceptance rate

1,316

SAT Average

$32,598

Avg net price

41,862

Enrollment

Academic profile

SAT Average1,316

SAT Reading/Writing620–700

SAT Math620–720

ACT Composite27–32

Degrees awarded

2024-25

	Associate’s	Bachelor’s	Master’s	Doctoral
All fields, 2024-25Associate’s 11Bachelor’s 10,913Master’s 1,613Doctoral 1,164	11	10,913	1,613	1,164
Associate’s None reportedBachelor’s 1,864Master’s 369Doctoral 12	None reported	1,864	369	12
Associate’s None reportedBachelor’s 1,649Master’s 325Doctoral 261	None reported	1,649	325	261
Associate’s None reportedBachelor’s 1,138Master’s 143Doctoral 61	None reported	1,138	143	61
Associate’s None reportedBachelor’s 799Master’s 6Doctoral 17	None reported	799	6	17
Associate’s None reportedBachelor’s 751Master’s 45Doctoral 103	None reported	751	45	103
Associate’s None reportedBachelor’s 622Master’s 39Doctoral 51	None reported	622	39	51
Associate’s None reportedBachelor’s 523Master’s 18Doctoral 23	None reported	523	18	23
Associate’s None reportedBachelor’s 449Master’s 88Doctoral 153	None reported	449	88	153
Associate’s None reportedBachelor’s 446Master’s 68Doctoral 12	None reported	446	68	12
Associate’s None reportedBachelor’s 410Master’s 19Doctoral 32	None reported	410	19	32
Associate’s 6Bachelor’s 382Master’s 74Doctoral 49	6	382	74	49
Associate’s None reportedBachelor’s 311Master’s 8Doctoral 10	None reported	311	8	10
Associate’s 0Bachelor’s 310Master’s 7Doctoral None reported	0	310	7	None reported
Associate’s None reportedBachelor’s 260Master’s 36Doctoral 77	None reported	260	36	77
Associate’s None reportedBachelor’s 241Master’s 46Doctoral 5	None reported	241	46	5
Associate’s None reportedBachelor’s 176Master’s 60Doctoral 21	None reported	176	60	21
Associate’s None reportedBachelor’s 109Master’s 5Doctoral 2	None reported	109	5	2
Associate’s None reportedBachelor’s 87Master’s 13Doctoral 19	None reported	87	13	19
Associate’s None reportedBachelor’s 75Master’s 18Doctoral 1	None reported	75	18	1
Associate’s None reportedBachelor’s 72Master’s 5Doctoral 8	None reported	72	5	8
Associate’s None reportedBachelor’s 70Master’s 21Doctoral 14	None reported	70	21	14
Associate’s None reportedBachelor’s 52Master’s 2Doctoral 7	None reported	52	2	7
Associate’s None reportedBachelor’s 42Master’s None reportedDoctoral None reported	None reported	42	None reported	None reported
Associate’s None reportedBachelor’s 36Master’s 2Doctoral 5	None reported	36	2	5
Associate’s 5Bachelor’s 20Master’s None reportedDoctoral None reported	5	20	None reported	None reported
Associate’s None reportedBachelor’s 19Master’s None reportedDoctoral None reported	None reported	19	None reported	None reported
Associate’s None reportedBachelor’s None reportedMaster’s 178Doctoral 221	None reported	None reported	178	221
Associate’s None reportedBachelor’s None reportedMaster’s 17Doctoral None reported	None reported	None reported	17	None reported
Associate’s None reportedBachelor’s None reportedMaster’s 1Doctoral None reported	None reported	None reported	1	None reported

College athletics

NCAA program details

NCAA program

Pennsylvania State University

Primary division: Division I
Primary conference: Big Ten Conference

Projected sponsored sports31

BaseballField HockeyFootball — Bowl SubdivisionMen's BasketballMen's Cross CountryMen's FencingMen's GolfMen's Gymnastics

Athletic participation

902 unique student-athletes · 27 varsity teams

Application deadlines

For fall 2027 entry

Early Action

Decision released by Dec 24

Nov 1, 2026

Rolling admission

No deadline

FAFSA due Dec 15 · FAFSA due May 1

· Apply with the college's application or Common App

Cost

Published on-campus price, 2024–25

Tuition: $20,066
Required fees: $578
Food and housing: $14,474
Books and supplies: $1,200
Other expenses: $5,020
Total: $41,338

Total by year

$36,9622019–2019–20
$39,4472022–2322–23
$39,8922023–2423–24
$41,3382024–2524–25

Net price by family income, 2022–23

Students of all incomes paid $32,598 on average. Grants and scholarships covered the rest of the cost.

Net price covers first-time, full-time students who received federal aid and paid in-state tuition.

Need-based aid, 2025–26

First-years with need-based aid: 37%
Average share of need met: 68.6%
Average need-based grant: $8,430
Required forms: FAFSA

Graduation and Retention

4-year graduation70%

6-year graduation86%

Retention rate92%

Earnings and Debt

Median earnings (10yr)$63,435

Median debt$25,000

Campus

Enrollment41,862

Student-faculty ratio15:1

SettingCity

Sources

IPEDS Institutional Characteristics · National Center for Education Statistics · 2025–26
IPEDS Admissions · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024–25
College Scorecard · U.S. Department of Education · 2025-10-03
Application process · College websites · 2026–27
NCAA Projected Sports Sponsorship by School · National Collegiate Athletic Association · 2025–26
Equity in Athletics Disclosure Act · U.S. Department of Education · 2024–25
Common Data Set · Reporting institutions · 2021–22, 2022–23, 2023–24, 2024–25, 2025–26
IPEDS Completions · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024–25
IPEDS Student Charges · National Center for Education Statistics · 2019–20, 2022–23, 2023–24, 2024–25

Every figure below is read directly from Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus’s own reported data, with no scores, ratings, or estimates added. Derived from 5 Common Data Set filings (2021–22 to 2025–26).

Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus admitted of applicants, a admit rate. Of those, enrolled, a yield, across 5 years of Common Data Set filings.

Applicant funnel and admit rateHover or arrow-key a year for exact values

Students and applicationsAdmit rate

ApplicationsAdmittedEnrolledAdmit rate

Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus runs a nonbinding Early Action plan.

Early Action nonbindingApply by Nov 1 · decision Dec 24

The enrolled class is roughly international, and about of its domestic students come from out of state. Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus admits in-state applicants at 56.7%, out-of-state applicants at 53.3%, and international applicants at 64.8%.

Enrolled first-years by geography

9,148 first-years

Out-of-state (domestic)≈3,377In-state (domestic)≈5,065International≈706

Admit odds by pool

Test scores are considered but not required. Of enrolled first-years, submitted an SAT, down from 37% in 2021–22, and an ACT.

Some students submit both an SAT and an ACT, so the two shares overlap. They don’t add up to a single “submitted a test” rate.

SAT composite

28.6% of the class submitted an SAT

Middle 50%

Shape smoothed from reported percentiles and score bands

ACT composite

5% of the class submitted an ACT

Middle 50%

Shape smoothed from reported percentiles and score bands

Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus’s enrolled first-years averaged a high-school GPA, among the 96% who submitted one. ranked in the top tenth of their high-school class, among the 33% who submitted class rank.

High-school GPA

shares of all enrolled first-years

Average 3.67

High-school class rank

Among the 33% of first-years who submitted class rank. Shares are cumulative — students in the top tenth also count in the top quarter and top half.

Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus rates 1 factor "very important." Each column reads strongest first.

Academic

Academic GPA: Very important
Rigor of secondary school record: Important
Standardized test scores: Considered
Class rank: Not considered
Application essay: Not considered
Recommendation(s): Not considered

Nonacademic

Talent / ability: Considered
Geographical residence: Considered
State residency: Considered
Interview: Not considered
Extracurricular activities: Not considered
Character / personal qualities: Not considered
First generation: Not considered
Alumni/ae relation: Not considered
Religious affiliation/commitment: Not considered
Volunteer work: Not considered
Work experience: Not considered
Level of applicant's interest: Not considered

Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus's net price after grant aid, by family income. of first-years received need-based aid. The school meets of demonstrated need, split into .

What aid recipients pay, by income

net price

Each figure averages only families who received federal aid in that income band (College Scorecard); $32,598 across all aid recipients. Aid share: 3,407 of 9,142 first-years in the 2025–26 Common Data Set.

How need-based aid is determined

Cost of attendance − expected family contribution = demonstrated need

Forms a family files to be considered

FAFSA

Merit aid reached of the class, or of enrolled first-years. Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus reports institutional aid is not available to international students.

Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus admitted students off the waitlist, about of the class.

Waitlist ranked

Not disclosed

Admitted off the waitlistHover or arrow-key a year for exact values

Admitted

Admitted off waitlist

92% of Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus’s first-years return for a second year and 85.7% graduate within six. Median earnings ten years out are against of median federal debt, roughly a earnings-to-debt ratio.

Sources

Common Data Set · Reporting institutions · 2021–22, 2022–23, 2023–24, 2024–25, 2025–26
College Scorecard · U.S. Department of Education · 2025-10-03