UPenn acceptance rate, cost and outcomes
University of Pennsylvania · Private nonprofit · Philadelphia, PA · 11,611 undergraduates (IPEDS fall 2023)
UPenn admitted 5.9% of applicants for fall 2023, down from 12.2% in 2013. Tuition and fees are $71,236 for every student in 2025-26.
Admit rate, 2013 to 2023
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| Fall | Admit rate | Applicants | Admitted |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 12.2% | 31,282 | 3,830 |
| 2014 | 10.4% | 35,866 | 3,718 |
| 2015 | 10.2% | 37,268 | 3,787 |
| 2016 | 9.4% | 38,918 | 3,674 |
| 2017 | 9.3% | 40,413 | 3,757 |
| 2018 | 8.4% | 44,491 | 3,740 |
| 2019 | 7.7% | 44,961 | 3,446 |
| 2020 | 9.0% | 42,205 | 3,789 |
| 2021 | 5.9% | 56,332 | 3,304 |
| 2022 | 6.5% | 54,588 | 3,549 |
| 2023 | 5.9% | 59,465 | 3,489 |
Applications went from 31,282 in fall 2013 to 59,465 in fall 2023. Admit rate = admitted ÷ applicants. Source: IPEDS fall admissions.1
What families actually pay
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| Family income | Net price / year, 2024-25 |
|---|---|
| $0 to $30,000 | Not reported |
| $30,001 to $48,000 | $234 |
| $48,001 to $75,000 | $12,421 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 | $25,263 |
| Over $110,000 | $61,455 |
| Tuition and fees, all students (2025-26) | $71,236 |
| Cost of attendance (2024-25) | $92,288 |
| Average net price, students with federal aid (2024-25) | $29,577 |
Net price is the cost of attendance minus grants, for first-time full-time students with federal aid, 2024-25. Tuition is 2025-26. Source: College Scorecard.2
SAT and ACT
Middle 50% (25th to 75th percentile) of enrolled first-year students who submitted scores: 51% submitted the SAT, 19% the ACT. Source: IPEDS fall 2023.1
Similar private colleges
| College | Admit rate | Tuition and fees |
|---|---|---|
| Swarthmore PA | 6.9% | $69,226 same for all |
| Carnegie Mellon PA | 11.4% | $68,776 same for all |
| Villanova PA | 25.1% | $70,826 same for all |
Same state and type first, then the nearest admit rate. Fall 2023 and 2025-26 figures.
What the numbers say
Penn drew 59,465 applications for fall 2023 and admitted 5.9% of applicants.1 Back in 2013 the rate stood at 12.2%, so it has dropped 6.3 percentage points over the decade.1 In 8 of the 10 yearly comparisons the rate declined.1 Applications rose 90% while admissions slipped from 3,830 to 3,489.1
Test scores are optional. Where reported, the middle 50% of SAT reading and writing scores ran from 730 to 770 and SAT math from 770 to 800, with ACT composites from 34 to 35.1
A single tuition-and-fees price of $71,236 applies for 2025-26, set beside a $43,696 median for 77 private colleges in Pennsylvania.2 The average net price in 2024-25 was $234 for families earning $30,001 to $48,000, $12,421 for $48,001 to $75,000, and $61,455 for incomes over $110,000.2
97% of students who entered in 2019 graduated within 6 years, against a 60% median across 115 Pennsylvania colleges.2 Retention after the first year was 99%.2 Median earnings 10 years after entry are $121,687, and the median federal loan debt at graduation is $15,000.2
Every number on this page, with its source field
| Figure | Value | File, field, year |
|---|---|---|
| Applicants | 59,465 | IPEDS ADM2023, APPLCN, fall 20231 |
| Admitted | 3,489 | IPEDS ADM2023, ADMSSN, fall 20231 |
| Enrolled first-years | 2,416 | IPEDS ADM2023, ENRLT, fall 20231 |
| Undergraduates | 11,611 | IPEDS DRVEF2023, EFUG, fall 20234 |
| Admission policy | Selective (not open admission) | IPEDS IC2023, OPENADMP, 2023-243 |
| Test policy | Test-optional | IPEDS ADM2023, ADMCON7, fall 20231 |
| SAT reading/writing, 25th percentile | 730 | IPEDS ADM2023, SATVR25, fall 20231 |
| SAT reading/writing, 75th percentile | 770 | IPEDS ADM2023, SATVR75, fall 20231 |
| SAT math, 25th percentile | 770 | IPEDS ADM2023, SATMT25, fall 20231 |
| SAT math, 75th percentile | 800 | IPEDS ADM2023, SATMT75, fall 20231 |
| ACT composite, 25th percentile | 34 | IPEDS ADM2023, ACTCM25, fall 20231 |
| ACT composite, 75th percentile | 35 | IPEDS ADM2023, ACTCM75, fall 20231 |
| Enrolled students submitting SAT | 51% | IPEDS ADM2023, SATPCT, fall 20231 |
| Enrolled students submitting ACT | 19% | IPEDS ADM2023, ACTPCT, fall 20231 |
| Tuition and fees, all students | $71,236 | College Scorecard, TUITIONFEE_IN, 2025-262 |
| Cost of attendance | $92,288 | College Scorecard, COSTT4_A, 2024-252 |
| Average net price, students with federal aid | $29,577 | College Scorecard, NPT4_PRIV, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income $0 to $30,000 | Not reported | Not reported |
| Net price, income $30,001 to $48,000 | $234 | College Scorecard, NPT42_PRIV, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income $48,001 to $75,000 | $12,421 | College Scorecard, NPT43_PRIV, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income $75,001 to $110,000 | $25,263 | College Scorecard, NPT44_PRIV, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income over $110,000 | $61,455 | College Scorecard, NPT45_PRIV, 2024-252 |
| Graduation rate within 6 years | 97% | College Scorecard, C150_4, 2019 entrants2 |
| First-year retention | 99% | College Scorecard, RET_FT4, fall 2023 entrants2 |
| Undergraduates with a Pell grant | 20% | College Scorecard, PCTPELL, 2024-252 |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry | $121,687 | College Scorecard, MD_EARN_WNE_P10, 2022-232 |
| Median federal debt of graduates | $15,000 | College Scorecard, GRAD_DEBT_MDN, FY2024-252 |
| Median tuition and fees, private nonprofit colleges, Pennsylvania (N = 77) | $43,696 | College Scorecard, median TUITIONFEE_IN, private nonprofit bachelor's institutions, 2025-262 |
| Median graduation rate within 6 years, Pennsylvania (N = 115) | 60% | College Scorecard, median C150_4, bachelor's institutions, 2019 entrants2 |
Sources
- National Center for Education Statistics (NCES): IPEDS admissions files, fall 2013 to fall 2023 (IC2013, ADM2014, ADM2015, ADM2016, ADM2017, ADM2018, ADM2019, ADM2020, ADM2021, ADM2022, ADM2023). Checked 26 Oct 2026.
- U.S. Department of Education: College Scorecard, Most Recent Institution-Level Data (Most-Recent-Cohorts-Institution (release of 15 Oct 2026)). Data years: 2019 entrants, 2022-23, 2024-25, 2025-26, FY2024-25, fall 2023 entrants. Checked 25 Oct 2026.
- National Center for Education Statistics (NCES): IPEDS Institutional Characteristics 2023-24 (IC2023.zip). Data years: 2023-24. Checked 26 Oct 2026.
- National Center for Education Statistics (NCES): IPEDS Fall Enrollment, derived variables, fall 2023 (DRVEF2023.zip). Data years: 2023. Checked 26 Oct 2026.
AdmitFacts is not affiliated with UPenn, the U.S. Department of Education or NCES. Missing values are shown as Not reported, never estimated. The file field behind each figure is listed under "Every number on this page". How we build each page