Pennsylvania State University

School Overview: Acceptance Rate, Tuition, and More

University Park, PA

$15,025

Avg in-state tuition

$24,413

Avg out-of-state tuition

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About Pennsylvania State University

School Type: Public

Status: Non-profit

Religious Affiliation: N/A While the student experience is largely unaffected at most schools with religious affiliations, some schools place more of an emphasis on religion. Learn how religious affiliations may impact students' experience.

Military Friendly: YesMilitary-friendly schools are Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges, offer the Yellow Ribbon Program, and have a dedicated point of contact to support veterans, military service members, and their families. Explore our college guide for service members and veterans to learn more.

Pennsylvania State University is a large public university located on an urban campus in University Park, Pennsylvania. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 74,446, and admissions are selective, with an acceptance rate of 78%. The university offers 178 bachelor's degrees, has an average graduation rate of 73%, and a student-faculty ratio of 15:1. Tuition and fees for in-state students are $15,025, while tuition and fees for out-of-state students are $24,413.

Admissions Breakdown

Acceptance Rate Insight

This school has a high acceptance rate.

This school accepts students at a higher rate than other schools. High acceptance schools welcome 51-100% of all applicants.

78% of students were accepted during the 2020-2021 school year. Sometimes schools with midrange acceptance rates have higher standards of entry but are still accessible to many students who apply.

Retention Rate Insight

87% of full-time students stayed to continue their studies the following academic year. These students started in Fall 2019 and returned in Fall 2020.

Graduation Rate Insight

73% of students graduated out of all full-time, first-time students who began their studies in Fall 2014. Keep in mind many students who enroll are not typically first-time students, as most are adult learners. Therefore, the number of first-time students is traditionally low.

Application Considerations

Test scores Required

High school transcript Required

High school rank Not required or recommended

Letter of recommendation Not required or recommended

High school GPA Required

Open admission No

Completion of college prep program Recommended

Test of English as a foreign language (TOEFL) Required

Transfer Credit Policy

Dual enrollment Yes

Credit for qualified life experience* Yes

Advance placement (AP) credits Yes

*This can include previous jobs, trainings, licenses/credentials, or seminars. You may need to complete an exam or provide a portfolio to earn credit.

SAT & ACT

ACT 25th-75th Percentile 24-29

SAT 25th-75th Percentile 1070-1300

Resource

Undergraduate Application Guide

Learning Environment

Student Body Stats

This school has a student body of more than 15,000 students.

Learn more about how we determine school awards

90k

Students enrolled

94%

Online student enrollment

15:1

Student to faculty ratio

Ways Students Can Learn

Online

On-campus

Hybrid

The program is a combination of on-campus and online learning and varies per program.

International

Online classes are available for students around the world.

Demographics

White

64%

Non-U.S. Citizen

10%

Hispanic

Asian

Black

Two or more races

Unknown

American Indian/Alaska Native

Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander

Female student population

47%

Socio-economic diversity

23% of students received an income-based Federal Pell Grant intended for low-income students.

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Costs to Consider	Price
Books and supplies	$1,840
On-campus room and board	$12,318
On-campus other expenses	$4,788
Off-campus (not with family) room and board	$12,318
Off-campus (not with family) other expenses	$4,788
Off-campus (with family) other expenses	$4,104

Total cost by category	In-state	Out-of-state
On-campus	$33,971	$43,359
Off-campus without family	$33,971	$43,359
Off-campus with family	$20,969	$30,357

#	Programs	BA	MA	Doc
1	Agricultural/Animal/Plant/Veterinary Science And Related Fields
	Agriculture, General
	Landscaping and Groundskeeping
	Turf and Turfgrass Management
	Agricultural and Extension Education Services
	Animal Sciences, General
	Food Science
	Plant Sciences, General
	Agronomy and Crop Science
	Horticultural Science
	Plant Sciences, Other
	Soil Science and Agronomy, General
	Pre-Veterinary Studies
	Agribusiness/Agricultural Business Operations
2	Architecture And Related Services
	Landscape Architecture (BS, BSLA, BLA, MSLA, MLA, PhD)
	Architectural and Building Sciences/Technology
	Architecture (BArch, BA/BS, MArch, MA/MS, PhD)
3	Area, Ethnic, Cultural, Gender, And Group Studies
	Asian Studies/Civilization
	American/United States Studies/Civilization
	Latin American Studies
	African-American/Black Studies
	Women's Studies
4	Biological And Biomedical Sciences
	Ecology
	Animal Physiology
	Biochemistry
	Plant Pathology/Phytopathology
	Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Other
	Cell/Cellular and Molecular Biology
	Medical Microbiology and Bacteriology
	Immunology
	Entomology
	Molecular Toxicology
	Genetics, General
	Pathology/Experimental Pathology
	Toxicology
	Biotechnology
	Neuroscience
	Epidemiology
	Biology/Biological Sciences, General
	Biostatistics
	Bioinformatics
	Biomedical Sciences, General
	Anatomy
5	Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
	Human Resources Management/Personnel Administration, General
	Hospitality Administration/Management, Other
	Business Administration and Management, General
	Business Administration, Management and Operations, Other
	Accounting
	Business/Corporate Communications, General
	Business/Managerial Economics
	Entrepreneurship/Entrepreneurial Studies
	Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations, Other
	Finance, General
	Financial Planning and Services
	Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other
	Marketing/Marketing Management, General
	Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods, Other
	Actuarial Science
	Management Science
	Business/Commerce, General
	Management Information Systems, General
	Labor and Industrial Relations
	Organizational Behavior Studies
	Human Resources Development
	International Business/Trade/Commerce
6	Communication, Journalism, And Related Programs
	Communication and Media Studies, Other
	Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs, Other
	Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication, Other
	Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication
	Digital Communication and Media/Multimedia
	Journalism
	Mass Communication/Media Studies
	Speech Communication and Rhetoric
7	Computer And Information Sciences And Support Services
	Computer and Information Sciences, Other
	Computer and Information Systems Security/Auditing/Information Assurance
	Informatics
	Computer and Information Sciences, General
	Computer Science
	Information Science/Studies
	Data Processing and Data Processing Technology/Technician
	Data Modeling/Warehousing and Database Administration
8	Education
	Teacher Education, Multiple Levels
	Secondary Education and Teaching
	Trade and Industrial Teacher Education
	Social Studies Teacher Education
	Reading Teacher Education
	Music Teacher Education
	Health Teacher Education
	Foreign Language Teacher Education
	Art Teacher Education
	Elementary Education and Teaching
	Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language/ESL Language Instructor
	Adult and Continuing Education and Teaching
	Counselor Education/School Counseling and Guidance Services
	Special Education and Teaching, General
	Social and Philosophical Foundations of Education
	Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research, Other
	Educational/Instructional Technology
	Higher Education/Higher Education Administration
	Curriculum and Instruction
	Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas, Other
9	Engineering
	Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering, General
	Mechanical Engineering
	Engineering, General
	Mining and Mineral Engineering
	Agricultural Engineering
	Architectural Engineering
	Surveying Engineering
	Engineering Science
	Nuclear Engineering
	Petroleum Engineering
	Systems Engineering
	Polymer/Plastics Engineering
	Industrial Engineering
	Manufacturing Engineering
	Materials Engineering
	Engineering, Other
	Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering
	Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering
	Engineering Mechanics
	Electrical and Electronics Engineering
	Chemical Engineering
	Civil Engineering, General
	Structural Engineering
	Transportation and Highway Engineering
	Computer Engineering, General
	Computer Software Engineering
10	Engineering/Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians
	Electrical, Electronic, and Communications Engineering Technology/Technician
	Electromechanical/Electromechanical Engineering Technology/Technician
	Environmental/Environmental Engineering Technology/Technician
	Mechanical/Mechanical Engineering Technology/Technician
	Nanotechnology
11	English Language And Literature/Letters
	Professional, Technical, Business, and Scientific Writing
	Creative Writing
	English Language and Literature, General
12	Family And Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences
	Human Development and Family Studies, General
13	Foreign Languages, Literatures, And Linguistics
	Japanese Language and Literature
	Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General
	Chinese Language and Literature
	Spanish Language and Literature
	Linguistics
	Comparative Literature
	Foreign Languages and Literatures, General
	Russian Language and Literature
	German Language and Literature
	French Language and Literature
	Italian Language and Literature
14	Health Professions And Related Programs
	Communication Sciences and Disorders, General
	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing, Other
	Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse
	Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions, Other
	Public Health, General
	Medicine
	Pre-Medicine/Pre-Medical Studies
	Athletic Training/Trainer
	Physician Associate/Assistant
	Health/Health Care Administration/Management
15	History
	History, General
16	Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting And Related Protective Services
	Forensic Science and Technology
	Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement Administration
	Homeland Security
	Criminal Justice/Safety Studies
17	Legal Professions And Studies
	Legal Studies
	Law
	Programs for Foreign Lawyers
18	Liberal Arts And Sciences, General Studies And Humanities
	Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies
	Humanities/Humanistic Studies
19	Mathematics And Statistics
	Applied Mathematics, General
	Mathematics, General
	Statistics, General
	Financial Mathematics
20	Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
	Science, Technology and Society
	International/Globalization Studies
	Computational Science
	Medieval and Renaissance Studies
	Biological and Physical Sciences
	Sustainability Studies
	Nutrition Sciences
	Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, General
21	Natural Resources And Conservation
	Environmental Studies
	Environmental Science
	Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy, Other
	Forest Sciences and Biology
	Forest Management/Forest Resources Management
	Natural Resources and Conservation, Other
	Natural Resources/Conservation, General
22	Parks, Recreation, Leisure, Fitness, And Kinesiology
	Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management, General
	Exercise Science and Kinesiology
23	Philosophy And Religious Studies
	Philosophy
24	Physical Sciences
	Geology/Earth Science, General
	Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences, Other
	Materials Science
	Chemistry, General
	Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology, General
	Astronomy
	Physics, General
	Acoustics
25	Psychology
	School Psychology
	Psychology, Other
	Psychology, General
	Social Psychology
	Research and Experimental Psychology, Other
	Clinical Psychology
	Community Psychology
	Counseling Psychology
	Educational Psychology
26	Public Administration And Social Service Professions
	Public Policy Analysis, General
	Community Organization and Advocacy
	Public Administration
27	Science Technologies/Technicians
	Biology/Biotechnology Technology/Technician
28	Social Sciences
	Geography
	Demography and Population Studies
	Economics, General
	Econometrics and Quantitative Economics
	Anthropology, General
	Development Economics and International Development
	Geography, Other
	International Relations and Affairs
	Political Science and Government, General
	Sociology, General
	Social Sciences, General
	Archeology
	Criminology
29	Visual And Performing Arts
	Cinematography and Film/Video Production
	Photography
	Visual and Performing Arts, General
	Dance, General
	Graphic Design
	Design and Applied Arts, Other
	Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General
	Technical Theatre/Theatre Design and Technology
	Fine and Studio Arts Management
	Keyboard Instruments
	Conducting
	Music Performance, General
	Music History, Literature, and Theory
	Music, General
	Art History, Criticism and Conservation
	Acting
	Art/Art Studies, General

Pennsylvania State University

School Overview: Acceptance Rate, Tuition, and More

About Pennsylvania State University

Admissions Breakdown

Acceptance Rate Insight This school has a high acceptance rate. This school accepts students at a higher rate than other schools. High acceptance schools welcome 51-100% of all applicants.

This school has a high acceptance rate.

Retention Rate Insight

Graduation Rate Insight

Application Considerations

Transfer Credit Policy

SAT & ACT

Learning Environment

Student Body Stats

This school has a student body of more than 15,000 students.

Ways Students Can Learn

Demographics

Socio-economic diversity

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Ohio State University-Main Campus

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University at Buffalo

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University of Maryland-College Park

Explore Similar Schools

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Ohio State University-Main Campus

University of Cincinnati-Main Campus

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Rutgers University-New Brunswick

University at Buffalo

Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania

University of Maryland-College Park

Miami University-Oxford

Online Programs

Offers Online Programs

Online Programs

Total Online Enrollment

Student Location Breakout

Percent of Programs Online

Types of Online Programs Offered

Student Charges

Tuition and Required Fees

Cost of Undergraduate Attendance

Total Undergraduate Cost

Financial Breakdown

Students Receiving Aid

Average Aid Awarded

Varsity Athletic Teams

NCAA Division I-FBS

Participation

Degrees Awarded by Program

Agricultural/Animal/Plant/Veterinary Science And Related Fields

Architecture And Related Services

Area, Ethnic, Cultural, Gender, And Group Studies

Biological And Biomedical Sciences

Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services

Communication, Journalism, And Related Programs

Acceptance Rate Insight

This school has a high acceptance rate.

This school accepts students at a higher rate than other schools. High acceptance schools welcome 51-100% of all applicants.