Updated February 11, 2025
University of Pennsylvania – Acceptance Rate and Statistics
What is attending the University of Pennsylvania like?
The University of Pennsylvania (aka UPenn and Penn) is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, making it a hub for great restaurants, entertainment, and museums. Although Penn itself has a campus with plenty of offerings, you can also get into downtown Philadelphia and explore the city.
Penn students are often career-focused, and the Wharton Business School is a renowned program — and one of only two Ivy League undergraduate business schools (along with Cornell). There are many extracurricular activities related to career development, and many business-minded undergrads choose to attend UPenn for this reason, but there are plenty of students with other interests and majors.
UPenn 2023-2024 Admissions Data
UPenn Admissions Statistics
The University of Pennsylvania’s acceptance rate is 5.38% overall, making it a very competitive school. However, last year, Penn admitted 51% of the class of 2028 through Early Decision, so if you’re sure that UPenn is the school for you, we’d recommend applying early.
Keep in mind that Penn’s Early Decision program is binding — if you apply and receive an offer of admission, you are legally obligated to attend the school. You can read more about the different application options on Penn’s website.
2023-2024 UPenn University (Class of 2028) Acceptance Rate
| Admission Cycle | Number of applicants | Number admitted | Acceptance rate |
| All Applicants | 65,235 | 3,508 | 5.38% |
Yale Acceptance Rate History
| Year | Number of applicants | Number admitted | Acceptance rate |
| 2023-2024 (Class of 2028) | 65,235 | 3,508 | 5.38% |
| 2022-2023 (Class of 2027) | 54,588 | 3,549 | 6.5% |
| 2021-2022 (Class of 2026) | 56,332 | 3,304 | 5.9% |
| 2020-2021 (Class of 2025) | 42,205 | 3,789 | 9.0% |
| 2019-2020 (Class of 2024) | 44,961 | 3,446 | 7.7% |
UPenn Class of 2027 Middle 50% score range of admitted students (25th and 75th percentiles)*
| SAT Math | 770-790 |
| SAT ERW | 730-750 |
| ACT Math | 33-35 |
| ACT Reading | 34-35 |
| ACT English | 35-35 |
| ACT Science | 34-35 |
| ACT Composite | 34-35 |
*What does this mean? The middle 50% score range refers to students from the 25th to the 75th percentile of admitted students. So if 100 students were admitted and we ranked their SAT scores from lowest to highest, we’d be looking at 50 students’ stats (from student 25 through student 75).
What is UPenn looking for?
According to UPenn’s admissions site, the university is looking for students who want to develop and refine their talents and abilities. They want to hear from students who would benefit in particular from Penn’s “liberal arts-based, practical, and interdisciplinary learning environment.”
They include the following questions as guideposts to inform your application:
- What are you interested in?
- Where have you focused your energy in your classes?
- How have you made a meaningful impact through your activities and commitments?
- How do you spend your time outside of school?
- Are you part of communities that bring you joy or sustain you?
- What experiences have challenged you?
- What are you like as a student? How do you interact with your peers?
- What do you hope to achieve at Penn?
- What kind of impact will you have on our campus?
We recommend going through each question individually to inspect your answers and think about how to showcase your responses in your application. You can demonstrate your answers through your essays, academic profile, teacher recommendations, and activities.
Other colleges you may be interested in:
| College Name | Number of applicants (Class of 2028) | Number admitted (Class of 2028) | Acceptance rate (Class of 2028) |
| Columbia University | 60,248 | 2,319 | 3.9% |
| Brown University | 48,881 | 2,521 | 5.2% |
| Yale University | 57,465 | 2,146 | 3.7% |
PrepMaven can help you in the admissions process
Wondering how to get into the University of Pennsylvania? PrepMaven can help you along the way. Whether you’re looking to boost your test scores, write a killer personal statement, or improve your GPA, we can be a helpful resource. With tutors who are graduates of top universities, valedictorians, National Merit Finalists, and National AP Scholars, we’re here to help you no matter what step you’re at in the admissions process.
Give us a call at 609-945-2264 or fill out our website form to learn how our flexible packages can work for you.
Alexis
Alexis is a tutor, writer, and producer. She graduated from Columbia University with a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature. As a tutor, she loves to help students explore their unique stories and share their personal journeys through impactful essay writing.
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