University of Pennsylvania

Private · Elite · PA

Photo: Smallbones (Public Domain)

School data & stats

TypePrivate

LocationPA · Northeast

SettingUrban

Undergrads10,650

Student:faculty8:1

Outcomes

4-yr grad rate86.5%

6-yr grad rate96.5%

Drop-out rate1.1%

Study abroad—

Cost

In-state tuition$69k

Out-of-state tuition$69k

Application fee—

Community

Racial diversity72.6%

Gender diversity55%

International12.6%

Identity—

Overview

Penn is an Ivy League university in Philadelphia, founded by Benjamin Franklin, best known for the Wharton School — the country's first collegiate business school — and for a broader culture that encourages study across its four distinct undergraduate schools: the College of Arts and Sciences, Wharton, the School of Engineering and Applied Science, and the School of Nursing. Pre-professional energy runs high across the university, not just within Wharton, and the school's "One University" philosophy makes cross-registration between schools genuinely easy rather than a special exception.

Academics

Beyond Wharton's business strength, Penn is known for nursing, engineering, and distinctive dual-degree programs — Huntsman (international studies and business), M&T (management and technology), the Vagelos programs in molecular life sciences and in energy research, and a nursing-business dual degree — that let students combine fields formally rather than double-majoring informally across separate schools. The Annenberg School for Communication and a strong social-sciences core add further depth outside the pre-professional programs most associated with Penn. Cross-registration among the four undergraduate schools is common and encouraged, so a Wharton student can readily take courses in the College or Engineering and vice versa.

Campus & student life

The campus sits in University City, a defined district just across the river from downtown Philadelphia, giving Penn a self-contained campus feel with the city readily accessible, centered on the tree-lined pedestrian path of Locust Walk. Greek life and a robust club and pre-professional-society scene are prominent parts of student social life, and the Penn Relays, the oldest and largest track and field meet in the country, brings a huge annual event to Franklin Field. The Penn Museum, one of the world's great archaeology and anthropology collections, sits right on campus as well.

Getting in

Penn's process is holistic and highly selective, and because applicants choose one of four distinct undergraduate schools at the point of application, admissions weighs fit with that specific school alongside overall academic strength — a Wharton application is evaluated somewhat differently from a College one. Early Decision is a significant and well-used pathway at Penn, and demonstrated interest in the specific school applied to, not just Penn generally, can matter.

After graduation

Graduates move heavily into finance, consulting, and business more broadly, with Wharton's reputation opening particularly strong doors on Wall Street, alongside solid pipelines from nursing and engineering into their respective fields. The alumni network is large and notably active in finance and business, and Wharton's brand specifically carries outsized weight in recruiting for those industries relative to Penn's other schools.

Worth knowing

Applicants apply directly to one of Penn's four undergraduate schools rather than to the university generally, so the choice of school at application time matters and switching later isn't always simple, especially into Wharton. Greek life participation is unusually high for an Ivy, which shapes the social scene more than at some peer schools.

upenn.edu ↗

Admissions

Acceptance rate5.4%

Enrolled mid-50%SAT 1510–1570 · ACT 34–36

Test policyoptional

Rec letters2

Deadlines (2026–27 cycle)

Early decisionNov 1

Regular decisionJan 5

Verified from the school’s admissions page ↗

Applying (2026-27 cycle)

Apply through Common App, Coalition (Scoir), or QuestBridge.

Financial aid formsFeb 1

Penn's Early Decision is binding, so admitted students commit to enrolling and withdraw applications everywhere else.

Supplemental essays (2)

Thank-you note
Write a short thank-you note to someone you have not yet thanked and would like to acknowledge.
200 words · Required · 150-200 words
Community at Penn
How will you explore community at Penn? Consider how Penn will help shape your perspective, and how your experiences and perspective will help shape Penn.
200 words · Required · 150-200 words

Verified from the school’s admissions pages ↗