University of Pennsylvania
Benjamin Franklin's university, where you apply to one of four undergraduate schools, including Wharton.
- Acceptance rate
- 4.9%
- Fall 2025 entering class (Class of 2029)
- Students
- 29,384
- 10,325 undergraduates
- International
- 23%
- of students
- Student–faculty
- 8:1
- ratio
- Tuition
- $65,670
- International undergraduates · 2026-27
About Penn
Penn was founded in 1740 and counts Benjamin Franklin as its founder; it calls itself America's first university. Its 299-acre campus sits in University City in West Philadelphia, a short walk or trolley ride from Center City. About 10,300 full-time undergraduates share the campus with roughly 14,000 full-time graduate and professional students across 12 schools, including the Perelman School of Medicine, Penn Carey Law and the Wharton School.
Undergraduates apply to one of four schools: the College of Arts and Sciences, the School of Engineering and Applied Science, the School of Nursing or the Wharton School, or to a coordinated dual-degree program that combines two of them. That structure is Penn's defining feature. Pre-professional depth in business, nursing and engineering sits beside a full liberal arts college, and students routinely take classes across schools. Penn's research history includes ENIAC, the first general-purpose electronic computer, and the mRNA work behind COVID-19 vaccines.
Penn suits students who already have a sense of direction, like the energy of a big city and want an Ivy League education with a practical edge. The social scene is lively and the campus is compact. Admission is need-blind for citizens and permanent residents of the United States, Canada and Mexico, and aid meets full need with grants rather than loans.
Leges sine moribus vanae
“Laws without morals are useless” — university motto
Why students choose Penn
Four undergraduate schools on one compact campus, with coordinated dual-degree programs that combine them.
The undergraduate Wharton School, one of the few places where business is an undergraduate major inside an Ivy League university.
Financial aid meets 100% of demonstrated need with no loans; families earning up to $200,000 with typical assets have tuition fully covered.
A location in Philadelphia's University City, walkable to Center City and a train ride from New York and Washington.
Admissions
Fall 2025 entering class (Class of 2029)
About 1 in 20 applicants is admitted
3,570 admitted from 72,544 applicants
Middle 50% of admitted students scored in this range.
Of 17,882 international applicants, 441 were admitted. Penn is need-aware for international applicants (those who are not citizens or permanent residents of the U.S., Canada or Mexico).
Deadlines
- Early Decision Binding Next deadline · In 26 daysNovember 1, 2026
Binding; decisions in December. Last test dates: October 2026 ACT or November 2026 SAT.
- Regular Decision Non-binding In ~3 monthsJanuary 5, 2027
Decisions in April. Last test date: December 2026.
How to apply
Common App, Coalition Application or QuestBridge; choose one of the four undergraduate schools or a coordinated dual-degree program; Penn essays (a 150-200 word thank-you note, a 150-200 word community essay and a school-specific prompt); counselor recommendation plus one core-subject teacher recommendation; SAT or ACT; $75 fee or waiver.
What admissions looks for
- Academic readiness shown through the courses you have taken and your experiences as a learner.
- Franklin-inspired qualities: open-minded and curious, inventive and practical, connecting across fields, imperfect but self-improving, focused on social good.
- How you spend time outside class, who inspires you and how you contribute to your communities.
- A clear reason for choosing Penn and your specific undergraduate school, and how you would serve the wider community.
Tips for applying to Penn
- 1 Your choice of undergraduate school matters: the school-specific essay must explain precisely why that school, not just why Penn.
- 2 The thank-you note essay rewards a specific, sincere story about one person rather than a general tribute.
- 3 Early Decision is binding, so apply ED only if Penn is your clear first choice and you have checked the net price calculator.
- 4 International applicants who may need aid must request it when they apply; requests after admission cannot be considered.
What are your chances?
Sign up to see your personalized admission chances for University of Pennsylvania
Sign up to see your chancesCosts & financial aid
2026-27 · figures in USD
Penn is need-blind for citizens and permanent residents of the U.S., Canada and Mexico and need-aware for other international applicants, and it meets 100% of demonstrated need with grant-based, no-loan aid. Families earning up to $200,000 with typical assets have tuition covered, and under $75,000 all billed costs are covered.
- Full tuition covered
- Family income up to $200,000 (typical assets)
- All billed expenses covered
- Family income under $75,000 (typical assets)
- None
- Loans in aid packages
- $8,308
- Required fees (2026-27)
Academics
Academic calendar: Semesters (fall and spring)
Wharton undergraduate business
A four-year business degree inside an Ivy League university; alumni include Elon Musk (B.S. economics) and Justice William Brennan.
Coordinated dual-degree programs
Applicants can apply directly to programs that combine two of Penn's four undergraduate schools.
School of Nursing
One of the four undergraduate schools, sharing a campus with the Perelman School of Medicine.
Engineering and Applied Science
The school where ENIAC, the first general-purpose electronic computer, was completed in 1946.
Linguistics
Noam Chomsky earned his BA, MA and PhD at Penn.
Research
- ENIAC, the first general-purpose electronic computer, completed at Penn in 1946.
- Perelman School of Medicine, founded in 1765 and the oldest medical school in the United States.
- Penn research on modified mRNA that underpins COVID-19 vaccines.
Schools & faculties
- College of Arts and Sciences
- School of Engineering and Applied Science
- School of Nursing
- The Wharton School
- Annenberg School for Communication
- School of Dental Medicine
- Stuart Weitzman School of Design
- Graduate School of Education
- Penn Carey Law
- Perelman School of Medicine
- School of Social Policy and Practice
- School of Veterinary Medicine
Student life
Most first-years live in Penn's college houses, residential communities with their own faculty leadership, such as Hill and Lauder College Houses. Campus life runs along Locust Walk, the tree-lined pedestrian spine of campus. Traditions are a big part of Penn's social identity: Spring Fling in April, Hey Day when juniors become seniors, the Econ Scream before exams, and fans throwing toast onto Franklin Field after the third quarter of home football games. Penn competes in NCAA Division I in the Ivy League.
- Spring Fling, Penn's annual spring festival and concert.
- Hey Day, when juniors celebrate becoming seniors.
- Toast throwing at Franklin Field football games.
- NCAA Division I athletics in the Ivy League.
Location
Penn is in University City, West Philadelphia, just across the Schuylkill River from Center City. Philadelphia is a large, affordable-by-East-Coast-standards city with a deep food scene, major museums and professional sports. 30th Street Station, next to campus, has Amtrak trains to New York in about 90 minutes and to Washington, D.C. Drexel University is next door, so the neighbourhood is full of students.
Nearest airport: Philadelphia International Airport (PHL)
Notable alumni
- EM Elon MuskFounder of SpaceX and CEO of Tesla; B.A. physics and B.S. economics (Wharton)
- SP Sundar PichaiCEO of Google and Alphabet; MBA, Wharton
- NC Noam ChomskyLinguist; BA, MA and PhD from Penn
- WJ William J. Brennan Jr.U.S. Supreme Court Justice; B.S. in economics, Wharton, 1928
- JL John LegendSinger-songwriter and EGOT winner; class of 1999
- EB Elizabeth BanksActor and film director
- EP Ezra PoundModernist poet; master's degree in romance philology
Frequently asked questions
What is Penn's acceptance rate?
For fall 2025, Penn admitted 3,570 of 72,544 first-year applicants, about 4.9%, according to its 2025-26 Common Data Set.
Is Penn Early Decision binding?
Yes. Early Decision (deadline November 1) is binding. Regular Decision (January 5) is not.
Does Penn require the SAT or ACT?
Yes. Penn requires the SAT or ACT for fall 2027 applicants, with a hardship waiver available through the application. The middle 50% ACT range for fall 2025 enrollees was 34-35.
Is Penn need-blind for international students?
No. Penn is need-blind for citizens and permanent residents of the U.S., Canada and Mexico, and need-aware for other international applicants, but it meets full need for all admitted aid recipients.
How much does Penn cost?
The 2026-27 on-campus cost of attendance is $99,082, including $65,670 tuition and $8,308 in fees. Families earning up to $200,000 with typical assets have tuition covered.
Sources & methodology
Figures on this page were checked against official university publications, national application services and ranking publishers in September 2026. Each number is shown with the year or admissions cycle it describes. Always confirm deadlines and fees on the university's own website before applying.
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