Philadelphia, PA · Private · 10,650 undergraduates · urban
University of Pennsylvania
Extremely selective
Penn is the Ivy most openly built around professions: business, nursing, engineering, and the liberal arts meet on one compact Philadelphia campus. Applicants choose an undergraduate school, so “Penn” is not yet an academic plan. The opportunity comes from starting with a clear home and then using the university’s cross-school courses, dual degrees, research, and clubs to connect it to other fields.
Institutional profile
Top tier Exceptional in career outcomes, and exceptional in academic standing.- Admission
- 5.9% admitted
- Price by income
- Varies across five income ranges
- Completion
- 97.2%
59,465 applicants in the reported year
Compare recent average annual costs by household income
$111,371 median earnings 10 years after enrollment
What sets Penn apart
Applicants enter through an undergraduate school
The College, Engineering, Nursing, and Wharton offer different curricular starting points and admissions contexts.
Cross-school study is built into the appeal
Students can connect liberal arts with business, engineering, nursing, design, and research across the university.
Philadelphia supports work during the year
Health systems, schools, firms, and civic institutions sit close enough for sustained involvement.
The Penn model
Start with a school, then cross its boundaries
Penn works best when a student has a clear academic base and a practical reason to reach beyond it.
Enter one undergraduate school
The chosen school supplies the core curriculum, advising, and first academic community.
Add another discipline
Courses and coordinated programs let students solve a problem that does not fit inside one school.
Put the work into Philadelphia
Research, service, clinical work, and employers turn cross-school study into practice.
Can I get in?
5.9% admitted
Penn admits by undergraduate school. The strongest application shows preparation for that school and a credible reason to use Penn’s cross-school structure, rather than presenting a generic interest in an Ivy League university.
Recent applicant pool
59,465About 6 in every 100 applicants were admitted.
Academic range
Of admitted students, 51% submitted an SAT, and 19% submitted an ACT. The ACT range comes from a small share of admitted students and does not describe the full class.
In the season card
Where your GPA sits in the entering class
The full entering-class GPA distribution for Penn, in nine bands from 4.0 down, with your own record marked on it.
See where I landIn the season card
What Penn weighs when it reads a file
See how this college describes the role of grades, testing, essays, recommendations, activities, and demonstrated interest.
- Course rigor
- GPA
- Test scores
- Essay
- Recommendations
- Extracurriculars
- Demonstrated interest
What moves the application
The evidence that separates a strong file
Choose the right school
The academic case should fit the curriculum and culture of the undergraduate school receiving the application.
Show practical follow-through
Penn responds well to applicants who have already turned an interest into work, service, research, or a working project.
Use the university, not just the brand
Identify a cross-school connection that follows naturally from the student’s existing direction.
Connect with Philadelphia
A credible plan for the city is stronger than treating location as scenery.
How to apply
Rounds, route, and required materials
Penn offers Early Decision and Regular Decision. School choice is central: every response should reinforce why that academic home fits and how the student would use the wider university.
Fee waiver: accepted
Major and program admission
Some fields have their own entry path.
The college admit rate above covers the university as a whole. These requirements apply only to the named program.
Communication and journalismAdmits separately
What this program asks for, and when it closes.
NursingAdmits separately
What this program asks for, and when it closes.
Can I afford it?
Compare annual cost by household income.
Penn’s need-based aid can reduce the actual price substantially. Philadelphia is generally easier on daily expenses than New York, though travel and off-campus housing still matter.
College funding
Scholarships and financial aid
Review available aid, application requirements, and renewal terms.
In the season card
Average annual cost by household income at Penn
Compare recent average net prices across five federal income ranges and estimate a 4-year cost for yours.
- $0–30k
- $30–48k
- $48–75k
- $75–110k
- $110k+
Is it worth it?
Completion, debt, and earnings
Wharton and engineering are visible, but nursing, life sciences, communications, public service, and graduate study broaden the result. Philadelphia gives students academic-year access to employers and hospitals.
Degree completion across the reported entering cohort
First-year students who return for year two
And what that comes to against what they earn.
Reported 10 years after enrollment
Academic portfolio
Largest bachelor’s fields
How many students finish in each field, and median earnings four years after completing the program.
Data Analytics
Economics
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
Admits separately
Philosophy
What is campus life like?
Penn beyond the classroom
Locust Walk ties the undergraduate schools into one walkable campus beside West Philadelphia and Center City. College Houses, Greek life, clubs, and school identities overlap rather than producing one uniform Penn experience.
College Houses create the first campus network
First-year and upper-level College Houses combine residence, programming, and advising within a compact campus.
Campus dining opens into Philadelphia
Dining halls support residence life, while University City and Center City provide a much wider set of everyday options.
Preprofessional energy is visible
Consulting groups, publications, performance, service, entrepreneurship, cultural organizations, and research teams compete for attention.
Greek life matters, but does not own the map
Fraternities and sororities are prominent alongside College Houses, teams, clubs, performing arts, and Philadelphia nightlife.
Philadelphia is close and usable
Hospitals, schools, companies, civic organizations, restaurants, and arts venues are reachable during an ordinary week.