Home Colleges Pennsylvania University of Pennsylvania
Private 4-Year Highly Selective Philadelphia, PA NCAA Division I-FCS

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA

5.4%
Acceptance Rate
$92,288/yr
Est. Cost of Attendancesum of published cost components
$28,699/yr
Avg Price After Aid
96.7%
6-yr Grad Rate
10,650
Undergrads

About University of Pennsylvania

University of Pennsylvania is a private nonprofit university with an acceptance rate of 5.4% and undergraduate enrollment of 10,650. The student-to-faculty ratio is 8:1, with a 6-year graduation rate of 96.7%. The cost of attendance is $92,288, and median earnings are $90,555 six years after enrollment and $111,371 ten years after enrollment.

Type
Private 4-Year
Undergrads
10,650
Avg Faculty Salary
$199,050
Athletics
NCAA Division I-FCS
Endowment
$22.3B
Pell Students
16.5%
First-Gen
18.8%
What University of Pennsylvania Is Known For
Majors far more concentrated here than at colleges nationally
Financial Analytics 332 graduates · 11.7% of degrees here vs 0.03% nationally 419×
Philosophy 161 graduates · 5.7% of degrees here vs 0.01% nationally 412×
Community Health Services/Liaison/Counseling 85 graduates · 3% of degrees here vs 0.06% nationally 48×
Neuroscience 152 graduates · 5.4% of degrees here vs 0.49% nationally 11×
Econometrics and Quantitative Economics 161 graduates · 5.7% of degrees here vs 0.76% nationally
SOURCEIPEDS Completions 2023, against the national share at the same degree level
Admissions
5.4%
Acceptance rate · Highly Selective
59,465
Applicants
Can I Get In? →
Cost & Aid
$28,699 avg net
Average net price after aid
$-3,012
Under $30K income
$22.3B
Endowment
Can I Afford It? →
Outcomes
$90,555 median
Median earnings 6 years after entering
96.7%
6-yr Grad Rate
$15,715
Median Debt
Is It Worth It? →

University of Pennsylvania Acceptance Rate & Admissions

Acceptance Rate
5.4%
59,465 applicants
Student:Faculty Ratio
8:1
Undergrad instruction

University of Pennsylvania is highly selective with a 5.4% acceptance rate and an undergraduate enrollment of 10,650 students. The institution maintains an 8:1 student-to-faculty ratio and reports a 96.7% six-year graduation rate.

How Selective Is That, Really?
Each dot is one of 100 applicants · Source: school's Common Data Set, else College Scorecard
1 in 19 applicants is admitted · 59,465 applied
10-Year Acceptance Rate Trend
10-year trend · Source: College Scorecard
10 years

SAT & ACT Score Ranges

Where Admitted Students Score
Middle 50% of enrolled students, on the full SAT scale · Source: College Scorecard (IPEDS)
Fall 2023
1510–1570
40080012001600
GPA Distribution — Enrolled Students
8-band breakdown · Source: Common Data Set
4.0
59%
3.75–3.99
31%
3.50–3.74
5%
3.25–3.49
5%
3.00–3.24
2.50–2.99
2.00–2.49
Below 2.0

Admissions Requirements

Admission Factor Weights
Official weights from submitted institutional data · Source: Common Data Set, section C7
Rigor of coursework Very Important
Class rank Important
Academic GPA Very Important
Standardized test scores Considered
Application essay Very Important
Recommendations Very Important
Extracurricular activities Important
Talent / special ability Important
Character / personal qualities Very Important
First generation status Considered
Geographic residence Considered
Class Rank Profile
25% of students submitted rank · Source: Common Data Set
Top 10th of class
91%
Top quarter
99%
Top half
100%
Waitlist Statistics
Source: Common Data Set
2,958
Offered spot
2,288
Accepted offer
66
Admitted from WL
Who Applies, and Who Gets In
First-year applicants, admits and enrollees by gender
Applied Admitted Rate Enrolled
Men 27,128 1,602 5.9% 1,114
Women 32,337 1,887 5.8% 1,302
SOURCEIPEDS Admissions — Fall 2023 admissions cycle
How These Admissions Numbers Compare
Against the colleges this school should be measured against
Median

University of Pennsylvania admits 5.4% of applicants — a typical similar college admits 74%.

Acceptance rate
This school
5.4%
Similar colleges (1,009)
73.8%
PA (156)
81.1%
Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD (54)
79.9%
National (1,934)
78.1%

Each bar is the median of that group, with the number of schools in brackets. “Similar colleges” means the same control and the same predominant degree awarded. Groups of fewer than 15 schools are not shown.

University of Pennsylvania Tuition, Fees & Cost of Attendance

Avg Net Price
$28,699
Average for all students receiving federal aid, 2023-24
Median Federal Debt
$15,715
Federal Loan Rate
9.7%
Students borrowing federal loans

University of Pennsylvania has a cost of attendance of $92,288 annually. With 16.5% of students receiving Pell grants, the school serves a meaningful proportion of lower-income students.

Cost of Attendance Breakdown
Estimated annual costs · on-campus, 2023-24 · Source: College Scorecard
$92,288
Tuition & Fees
$68,686
74%
Room & Board
$19,174
21%
Books & Supplies
$1,358
1%
Other Expenses
$3,070
3%

What You'd Actually Pay by Family Income

What You'd Actually Pay by Family Income
Average net price after all grants and scholarships · Source: College Scorecard (IPEDS net price)
Under $30,000
$0aid exceeds cost
$30,001 – $48,000
$316
$48,001 – $75,000
$10,439
$75,001 – $110,000
$25,476
Over $110,000
$55,972
Full Cost of Attendance
Source: College Scorecard
2023-24

Student Loan Debt

How Many Students Borrow
Undergraduates taking on any loan
Take out a loan
76%
Federal loans
10%

Graduates who borrowed carry a median monthly repayment of about $167.

SOURCECollege Scorecard, U.S. Department of Education
How This Price Compares
Against the colleges this school should be measured against
Median

After aid, University of Pennsylvania costs $28,699 a year — about 27% more than a typical similar college.

Cost of attendance
This school
$89,028
Similar colleges (1,094)
$49,718
PA (165)
$35,504
Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD (69)
$35,139
National (3,197)
$25,367
Students taking a loan
This school
75.7%
Similar colleges (998)
91.8%
PA (216)
90.9%
Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD (100)
90.1%
National (4,096)
86.4%
Median debt at graduation
This school
$15,715
Similar colleges (1,032)
$24,977
PA (242)
$18,075
Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD (106)
$16,611
National (4,347)
$13,097
Average net price
This school
$28,699
Similar colleges (1,105)
$22,585
PA (267)
$19,954
Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD (117)
$19,986
National (5,106)
$17,160

Each bar is the median of that group, with the number of schools in brackets. “Similar colleges” means the same control and the same predominant degree awarded. Groups of fewer than 15 schools are not shown.

University of Pennsylvania Graduation Rate & Student Outcomes

6-yr Grad Rate
96.7%
Median Earnings 6yr
$90,555
6 years after entering

University of Pennsylvania has a 96.7% six-year graduation rate and median earnings of $90,555 six years after enrollment and $111,371 ten years after enrollment.

Graduate Earnings After College

Median Graduate Earnings Over Time
6 and 10 years after entering · includes all students, not just graduates · Source: College Scorecard
Median Earnings by Gender · 6 Years After Entering
Students working 6 years after entering · Source: College Scorecard
$92,303
Men
$88,144
Women
Graduation Rate: Pell vs. Non-Pell
6-year graduation rate by grant status · Source: College Scorecard
92.7%
Pell recipients
95.3%
Non-Pell students

Top Majors & Programs

Top Majors by Graduates
Most recent year available · bachelor's degrees only · Source: IPEDS Completions 2023
MajorGraduates
Financial Analytics332
Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse194
Econometrics and Quantitative Economics161
Philosophy, Other161
Biology/Biological Sciences, General160
Neuroscience152
Computer and Information Sciences, General145
Political Science and Government, General99
Computer Science95
Community Health Services/Liaison/Counseling85
Graduation Rate by Race & Ethnicity
Completing within six years
Asian
97.9%
White
97%
Black
94.7%
Hispanic
94%
SOURCECollege Scorecard — groups with too few students to report are omitted
Earnings Further Out
The longer horizon

Median earnings eight years after entering University of Pennsylvania are $100,118, and 90% of former students earn more than $25,000 six years after entry.

SOURCECollege Scorecard, U.S. Department of Education
How These Outcomes Compare
Against the colleges this school should be measured against
Median

Six years after entry, former University of Pennsylvania students earn $90,555 — 99% more than at a typical similar college.

Median earnings, 10 years
This school
$111,371
Similar colleges (1,077)
$54,064
PA (252)
$50,729
Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD (108)
$44,459
National (4,696)
$40,782
Median earnings, 6 years
This school
$90,555
Similar colleges (1,077)
$45,468
PA (257)
$43,203
Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD (110)
$37,581
National (4,847)
$35,433
Graduation rate
This school
96.7%
Similar colleges (1,074)
58.1%
PA (123)
59.6%
Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD (50)
58.5%
National (2,168)
52.3%
Freshman retention
This school
98.5%
Similar colleges (1,117)
76.6%
PA (116)
78.7%
Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD (47)
77.9%
National (1,841)
75.7%

Each bar is the median of that group, with the number of schools in brackets. “Similar colleges” means the same control and the same predominant degree awarded. Groups of fewer than 15 schools are not shown.

University of Pennsylvania Campus, Athletics & Faculty

University of Pennsylvania is a private nonprofit university with an undergraduate enrollment of 10,650 students and an 8:1 student-to-faculty ratio. The school competes in NCAA Division I-FCS athletics with athletic revenue of $14.7 million.

Student Demographics
Undergraduate enrollment · Source: College Scorecard / IPEDS
Race & Ethnicity
White
27.4%
Asian
28.4%
Hispanic
11.3%
Black
9%
Other Indicators
First-generation
18.8%
Pell grant recipients
16.5%
Women
55%
University of Pennsylvania Athletics
Total Revenue
$14.7M
Total Expense
$14.7M
Athletes
1,098
631 men · 467 women
Head Coach Salaries
Men's vs Women's programs · Source: Equity in Athletics Disclosure Act
Men's sports
$188,293
Women's sports
$132,148

Average head coach salary by program gender.

Academic Resources
1,483
Full-time faculty
$199,050
Avg faculty salary
51,282
FT staff
$22.3B
Endowment
Faculty Salary by Gender
All instructional ranks combined · Source: IPEDS Human Resources
Men (avg)
$221,184
Women (avg)
$170,838
Overall avg
$199,050
Who Is on Campus
Beyond the undergraduate headcount
Undergraduates
10,650
Graduate students
17,631

Graduate and professional students outnumber undergraduates here, which shapes class sizes, housing and campus life in ways an undergraduate figure alone doesn't show.

Varsity Athletes
Play a varsity sport
9.1%

935 of 10,295 undergraduates, counting each athlete once regardless of how many sports they play.

SOURCEIPEDS enrollment; Equity in Athletics Disclosure Act filings
Online & Distance Learning
How much of the teaching happens remotely
Undergrads fully online
5.8%
Undergrads taking any
8.5%
Grad students fully online
14%

671 of 11,611 undergraduates study entirely at a distance, against 2,396 of 17,100 graduate students.

SOURCEIPEDS Fall Enrollment, distance education status

University of Pennsylvania is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education and operates its own medical school and teaching hospital.

How This Campus Compares
Against the colleges this school should be measured against
Median

University of Pennsylvania spends $32,623 per student on research — about a typical similar college.

Pell grant share
This school
16.5%
Similar colleges (1,171)
32.8%
PA (275)
38.9%
Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD (124)
41.6%
National (5,367)
40.1%
Research spending per student
This school
$32,623
Similar colleges (1,164)
$6,264
PA (145)
$6,519
Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD (68)
$5,666
National (2,823)
$5,605
Students per faculty member
This school
8:1
Similar colleges (1,191)
12:1
PA (279)
12:1
Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD (125)
14:1
National (5,427)
15:1

Each bar is the median of that group, with the number of schools in brackets. “Similar colleges” means the same control and the same predominant degree awarded. Groups of fewer than 15 schools are not shown.

Every Major at University of Pennsylvania
81 fields of study, bachelor's degree level, grouped by subject area
2,827 graduates
Multidisciplinary Studies 433 grads · 5 majors
Financial Analytics 332
International/Globalization Studies 46
Cognitive Science, General 45
Biological and Physical Sciences 6
Mathematics and Computer Science 4
Biological and Biomedical Sciences 375 grads · 5 majors
Biology/Biological Sciences, General 160
Neuroscience 152
Biochemistry 48
Biophysics 10
Biomedical Sciences, General 5
Social Sciences 358 grads · 8 majors
Econometrics and Quantitative Economics 161
Political Science and Government, General 99
International Relations and Affairs 22
Criminology 19
Anthropology, General 18
Urban Studies/Affairs 17
Research Methodology and Quantitative Methods 14
Social Sciences, Other 8
Health Professions 299 grads · 3 majors
Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse 194
Community Health Services/Liaison/Counseling 85
Health/Health Care Administration/Management 20
Computer and Information Sciences 240 grads · 2 majors
Computer and Information Sciences, General 145
Computer Science 95
Engineering 222 grads · 8 majors
Mechanical Engineering 63
Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering 58
Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering 23
Systems Engineering 21
Electrical and Electronics Engineering 18
Materials Engineering 16
Engineering, Other 12
Computer Engineering, General 11
Business and Marketing 213 grads · 10 majors
Management Science 61
Marketing/Marketing Management, General 38
Business Administration and Management,... 33
Management Sciences and Quantitative... 24
Entrepreneurship/Entrepreneurial Studies 17
Real Estate 15
Business/Commerce, General 13
Organizational Behavior Studies 7
Accounting 4
Finance, General 1
Philosophy and Religious Studies 179 grads · 3 majors
Philosophy, Other 161
Philosophy 16
Religion/Religious Studies 2
Physical Sciences 84 grads · 3 majors
Physics, General 46
Chemistry, General 24
Geology/Earth Science, General 14
Psychology 67 grads · 2 majors
Research and Experimental Psychology, Other 62
Psychology, Other 5
Communication and Journalism 62 grads · 2 majors
Communication and Media Studies, Other 56
Communication, General 6
Mathematics and Statistics 61 grads · 2 majors
Statistics, General 32
Mathematics, General 29
Visual and Performing Arts 55 grads · 6 majors
Design and Visual Communications, General 16
Fine/Studio Arts, General 14
Film/Cinema/Media Studies 13
Art History, Criticism and Conservation 8
Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General 3
Visual and Performing Arts, General 1
Liberal Arts and General Studies 42 grads · 3 majors
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General... 32
Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies 9
Humanities/Humanistic Studies 1
English Language and Literature 37 grads · 2 majors
English Language and Literature, General 33
General Literature 4
Foreign Languages and Linguistics 35 grads · 8 majors
East Asian Languages, Literatures, and... 10
Classics and Classical Languages,... 9
Linguistics 5
Russian Language and Literature 4
Comparative Literature 3
Spanish Language and Literature 2
French Language and Literature 1
Romance Languages, Literatures, and... 1
History 30 grads · 2 majors
History, General 23
History and Philosophy of Science and... 7
Natural Resources and Conservation 14 grads · 1 major
Environmental Studies 14
Architecture 9 grads · 1 major
Architecture 9
Public Administration and Social Services 7 grads · 1 major
Public Policy Analysis, General 7
Area, Ethnic and Gender Studies 5 grads · 4 majors
Women's Studies 2
African-American/Black Studies 1
Near and Middle Eastern Studies 1
South Asian Studies 1
SOURCEIPEDS Completions 2023 — first majors only, so a student with a double major is counted once

University of Pennsylvania Location & Campus Safety

University of Pennsylvania is in Philadelphia, PA, in what IPEDS classifies as a large city setting. The campus sits about 5.2 miles from the center of Philadelphia. There are 42 other colleges within 25 miles, and Philadelphia, PA is 5.2 miles away.

University of Pennsylvania Other colleges within 30 miles
Large city
Campus Setting
5.2 mi
To City Center
42
Colleges Within 25 mi
1,582,432
Philadelphia Population
Living in Philadelphia
Cost of living and getting around, for the whole city — not the campus
ACS 2023
$1,323
Median Rent / mo
$60,698
Median Household Income
31.2%
Rent as % of Income
How People Commute
Drive alone
46.7%
Walk
7.5%
Public transit
17.9%

Philadelphia County scores 14.9 out of 20 on the EPA National Walkability Index — above average walkable. The index is a county-wide average of block groups, so it describes the surrounding area rather than the campus itself.

Undergraduates make up about 5.7% of Philadelphia's residents.

SOURCEU.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2023 5-year estimates; EPA National Walkability Index
Colleges Near University of Pennsylvania
Within 30 miles, at least 500 students, by straight-line distance
Drexel University 13,233 students 0.4 mi
Temple University 20,970 students 2.8 mi
SOURCEIPEDS campus coordinates, University of Pennsylvania to each campus

Campus Safety at University of Pennsylvania

Every college that receives federal financial aid must publish its crime statistics each year under the Clery Act. These are the figures University of Pennsylvania reported for 2024.

176
On-Campus Offenses
9
In Residence Halls
6
Per 1,000 Students
12
Domestic, Dating & Stalking

Read these numbers carefully. A Clery figure counts reports, not incidents. A university with active reporting channels, a large campus police force and a teaching hospital will record more offenses than one where the same events go unreported — so a higher count is not evidence of a more dangerous campus, and a low count is not evidence of a safe one. In 2024, 833 campuses with more than 1,000 students reported no offenses at all. Use these figures to ask a college questions, not to rank one against another.

Reported On-Campus Offenses by Year
Criminal offenses reported on campus, including residence halls · Source: U.S. Dept. of Education Clery Act disclosures
2022
26
2023
35
2024
176
What Was Reported in 2024
On-campus criminal offenses by category
Motor vehicle theft
138
Burglary
11
Sexual offenses
11
Aggravated assault
11
Robbery
3
Arson
2

Separately, University of Pennsylvania reported 2 arrests and 210 disciplinary referrals for weapons, drug and liquor law violations on campus. Referrals for alcohol violations are usually the largest category at residential colleges and reflect how a school handles student conduct internally.

SOURCEU.S. Department of Education, Campus Safety and Security — Clery Act disclosures, 2024

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about University of Pennsylvania admissions, costs, and outcomes.