How to Get Into UPenn鈥 Acceptance Rate & Strategies

August 4, 2025

upenn acceptance rate

The University of Pennsylvania was founded in the 18th century as a member of the Ivy League. This being the case, it’s surprising that it took 250 years for it to become the uber-elite, highly selective institution that it is today. If your parent, grandparent, or older neighbor went to Penn, they faced an entirely different admissions landscape than that encountered by applicants in the 2020s. For example, in 1980, the UPenn acceptance rate was over 40%; the average SAT score was approximately 1240. In contrast, current cohorts face a sub-6% acceptance rate and the median SAT score of a contemporary undergrad is above 1500.

As hellish as the admissions process is for applicants to the general university, getting into Wharton鈥攖he world鈥檚 premier business school鈥攊nvolves descending a few additional levels into the inferno. Given this challenging set of facts on the ground, the intention of this article is to inform you of the following:

  • University of Pennsylvania acceptance rate (plus how to predict your chances with our free admissions calculator)
  • Is UPenn an Ivy?
  • UPenn vs Penn State
  • UPenn early decision acceptance rate
  • Wharton acceptance rate
  • SAT, ACT, GPA, and class rank of accepted Penn applicants
  • Admissions trends
  • How Penn admissions officers evaluate applicants
  • A look at the demographics of UPenn undergraduates
  • The percentage of accepted students that attend the university (yield rate)
  • Tips for applying to Penn
  • How to approach the UPenn supplemental essays
  • How to assess whether applying to Penn is even worth the $75 application fee (for you)

UPenn Admissions Calculator

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Is UPenn an Ivy?

The University of Pennsylvania was founded in 1740, decades before the birth of the United States.听 As mentioned in the opening paragraph, UPenn is indeed a member of the prestigious Ivy League.

UPenn vs Penn State

If you are just beginning your college search, you may be wondering about the difference between UPenn (sometimes just “Penn”) and the similarly named “Penn State.” In short, Penn State is an excellent public institution with a main campus about three hours away from Philadelphia. On the other hand, UPenn is a Philly-based, private, Ivy League university that is among the most highly selective institutions in the United States.

UPenn Acceptance Rate

A whopping 72,544 applications were received by Penn for the Class of 2029, the largest applicant pool to date (and over 10% larger than the previous year). Of these applicants, 3,530 were offered a place in the Class of 2029. That means that UPenn’s overall acceptance rate this year was a mind-boggling 4.8%.

Historical University of Pennsylvania acceptance rates are as follows:

Applicants Admits Acceptance Rate
Class of 2028 65,236 3,523 5.4%
Class of 2027 59,465 3,474 5.8%
Class of 2026 54,588 3,549 6.5%
Class of 2025 56,332 3,304 5.7%

UPenn Early Decision (ED) Acceptance Rate

Out of the 8,683 early decision applications received for a spot in the Class of 2028, Penn accepted 1,235. This means that UPenn’s early decision acceptance rate was just over 14%. What’s more, UPenn tends to fill about half of its incoming class with Early Decision applicants. Though the actual numbers aren’t out yet, an official news release pegs the number of ED applicants for the Class of 2029 at over 9,500.

As you can see, historically, UPenn’s ED acceptance rate tends to be about three times higher than its overall acceptance rate.

Applicants Admits Acceptance Rate
Class of 2027 8,109 1,204 14.8%
Class of 2026 7,794 1,210 15.5%
Class of 2025 7,961 1,183 14.8%

Knowing the ED numbers also allows us to calculate UPenn’s regular decision (RD) acceptance rate. For the Class of 2028, there were 57,127 RD applications, of which 2,288 were accepted. This means that UPenn’s RD acceptance rate was a miniscule 4%.

What GPA do you need to get into Penn?

Among enrolled 2024-2025 first-year students (most recent data available), the average GPA was 3.9. Of these enrolled students, 59% of students earned a 4.0 or above, and 31% had a GPA between 3.75 and 3.99.

What class rank do you need to get accepted to Penn?

Among enrolled 2024-25 first-year students, 91% hailed from the top 10% of their graduating class, while 98% earned a place in the top quarter

What is the minimum SAT or ACT score for UPenn?

Based on university-reported data for the Class of 2028, the mid-50% SAT EBRW range for enrolled freshmen was 740 to 770, and the mid-50% range for the SAT Math was 770 to 800. Moreover, the mid-50% ACT composite range was 34-36.

Wharton 鈥 Undergraduate Acceptance Rate

Recent statistics for Wharton-specific undergraduate acceptance rates have not been made available. In fact, Wharton has demographic information from its website. In one fairly recent year, when the overall Penn acceptance rate was 9.2%, the Wharton acceptance rate was only 7.1%. Therefore, it is reasonable to assume that getting into Wharton is likely still a degree (or two) more difficult than getting into another undergraduate school within the university.

48% of Wharton students in the Class of 2027 were female and 68% identified as students of color. First-generation students accounted for 15% of the Wharton Class of 2027. There were 524 total members of the cohort.

Admissions Trends & Notes 鈥 Class of 2028

  • , applications to Penn increased by 10%.
  • Students were admitted to the Class of 2028 from 92 countries and 47 states.
  • The Class of 2028 includes one of the largest groups of Philadelphia-based students ever.
  • 19% of the Class of 2028 were first-generation students.
  • 95% of the Class of 2028 demonstrated personal development through athletics, employment, or internships.
  • 92% demonstrated community impact through activities like volunteer service or social justice initiatives.
  • 78% demonstrated commitment to learning through research, speech/debate teams, and tech
  • 67% demonstrated cultural engagement through art, dance, religion, theater, or foreign exchange

How Penn Evaluates Applicants

Five factors are rated as being 鈥渧ery important鈥 in admissions decisions at the University of Pennsylvania: rigor of coursework in high school, GPA, application essay, recommendations, and character/personal qualities. It is important to remember that Penn is no longer test-optional. The next tier of 鈥渋mportant鈥 factors includes class rank, interview, extracurricular activities, volunteer work, work experience, and talent/ability.

In terms of extracurricular activities, it’s critically important to have some type of 鈥渉ook鈥 when applying to Penn. For example, there are over competing for the Quakers. Some of those individuals were recruited by a Penn coach, giving them a serious edge in the admissions process. Yet, sports are only one of a multitude of areas where one鈥檚 talents can knock down the doors to any Ivy League institution like the University of Pennsylvania. In the words of the admissions office, 鈥淧enn looks for students with the ability to turn their ideas and interests into action, people whose talents and experiences will energize our community.鈥 Your talents and accomplishments in the laboratory, on the stage, in the orchestra, at work, or in a volunteer setting can all be just as impactful as those on the playing field.

Behind the University of Pennsylvania Acceptance Rate

Let鈥檚 look at the recent demographics of Penn undergrads:

Historically, the undergraduate student body has been comprised of the greatest number of students from the following states:

  1. Pennsylvania
  2. New York
  3. New Jersey
  4. California
  5. Maryland
  6. Florida:
  7. Texas
  8. Massachusetts

If you reside in the Deep South or a less-populated state like Montana or Idaho, your location is more likely to provide a boost to your admissions chances than if you live in Pennsylvania or New York. Colleges like Penn love to say that each freshman class includes a member of each U.S. state, which is why being from a remote locale can help your chances.

Looking at ethnic identity, the breakdown of the Class of 2028 was as follows (percentages do not add up to 100% as applicants can list multiple races):

  • White: 22%
  • Asian American: 31%
  • Hispanic: 11%
  • African American: 8.6%
  • International: 13%

The gender breakdown of the incoming Class of 2027 is as follows:

  • Men: 46%
  • Women: 54%

University of Pennsylvania Yield Rate

Penn鈥檚 yield rate鈥攖he percentage of accepted students who elect to enroll, divided by the total number of students who are admitted鈥攊s currently 68%. The takeaway is that an exceptionally high number of those admitted to Penn ultimately choose to attend the university. Part of the explanation for this is that the majority of the class was brought aboard via binding early decision. For comparison, elite schools such as Duke, Northwestern, Notre Dame, and Claremont McKenna all have yield rates closer to 60%.

Tips for Applying to Penn

The 65,000+ Quaker hopefuls should all be aware of the following:

  • UPenn is no longer test-optional. As of 2025, applicants will need to submit either SAT or ACT scores.
  • An interview is not a mandatory part of the admissions process, but 90% of applicants are typically offered one with an alumni interviewer. Interviews are primarily informational in nature (although they are part of the admissions process) and have been branded as “Alumni Conversations” by Penn. Last year, all “conversations” were virtual.
  • For advice on what types of questions you should be prepared to answer/ask visit our blog鈥College Interview Tips.
  • Penn does not consider 鈥demonstrated interest,鈥 but it’s always a good idea to make contact with the university throughout the process. This can include a campus visit, an email to an admissions officer, connecting with the school via social media, or attending a Penn event in your area.
  • Do everything you can to 鈥渂ring your application to life.鈥 This means seeking out recommenders who can speak to your passion and help your unique personality and attributes pop off the page. Essays will also be key鈥

Required Essays

Make sure to dedicate sufficient time and effort to the supplemental essays required by Penn. Two are required for all freshmen and one is dependent on the undergraduate school to which you are applying. In the 2025-26 cycle, they were as follows:

  1. Write a short thank-you note to someone you have not yet thanked and would like to acknowledge. (We encourage you to share this note with that person, if possible, and reflect on the experience!) (150-200 words) 听
  2. 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. (150-200 words) 听

School-Specific Essays

College of Arts and Sciences: The flexible structure of The College of Arts and Sciences鈥 curriculum is designed to inspire exploration, foster connections, and help you create a path of study through general education courses and a major. What are you curious about and how would you take advantage of opportunities in the arts and sciences? (150-200 words)

School of Engineering and Applied Science: Penn Engineering prepares its students to become leaders in technology by combining a strong foundation in the natural sciences and mathematics with depth of study in focused disciplinary majors. Please share how you plan to pursue your engineering interests at Penn, particularly within the intended major you selected.听(150-200 words)听

School of Nursing: Penn Nursing intends to meet the health needs of society in a global and multicultural world by preparing its students to impact healthcare by advancing science. Why have you decided to apply to Nursing? Where do you see yourself professionally in the future and how will you contribute to our mission of promoting equity in healthcare? (150-200 words)听 听

Wharton: Wharton prepares its students to make an impact by applying business methods and economic theory to real-world problems, including economic, political, and social issues.鈥 Please reflect on a current issue of importance to you and share how you hope a Wharton education would help you to explore it.鈥 (150-200 words) 听

There are also a number of specific essays for dual degree and specialized programs.

For a detailed look at how to tackle these essays, visit our blog entitled:UPenn Supplemental Essay Prompts and Tips.

Should I apply to Penn?

If you are at the top of your high school class and boast exceptional standardized test scores, it could be worth adding Penn to your college list. At the same time, unless you are a star athletic recruit of the progeny of a U.S. President, it鈥檚 hard to give many applicants better than a 50/50 chance at earning a place in the Penn freshman class. That said, given that Penn fills nearly half of its class via the early decision round, applying early will increase your chances considerably.

UPenn Acceptance Rate – Final Thoughts

Any student applying to Penn should also have a solid backup plan in place. For more information on constructing a properly balanced list of prospective colleges, consult our blog鈥How to Create the Perfect College List.

Ready to start your applications? Consider checking out the following: