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Penn State acceptance rate
Pennsylvania State University · University Park, Pennsylvania · Public · 42,284 undergraduates
Penn State expanded its offers faster than its applicant pool grew, so the rate climbed 10 points between 2014 and 2024, to 61%. Most four-year colleges are easier to get into: 1,195 of the 1,579 that report a rate admit a larger share. Virginia Tech is the hardest to get into among the six schools closest to Penn State in size and selectivity (55%); Ohio State University is the easiest (61%).
Acceptance rate since 2001
Show the numbers by year
| Fall | Applied | Admitted | Rate | Enrolled |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 88,478 | 53,579 | 60.6% | 9,169 |
| 2023 | 85,956 | 46,605 | 54.2% | 9,040 |
| 2022 | 85,784 | 47,360 | 55.2% | 9,216 |
| 2019 | 95,970 | 72,880 | 75.9% | 15,989 |
| 2018 | 52,742 | 29,793 | 56.5% | 8,075 |
| 2017 | 56,114 | 28,233 | 50.3% | 7,863 |
| 2016 | 52,974 | 29,878 | 56.4% | 8,499 |
| 2015 | 53,472 | 27,440 | 51.3% | 7,626 |
| 2014 | 50,299 | 25,295 | 50.3% | 8,183 |
| 2013 | 47,552 | 25,772 | 54.2% | 7,649 |
| 2012 | 45,502 | 23,855 | 52.4% | 7,366 |
| 2011 | 41,545 | 22,761 | 54.8% | 7,262 |
| 2010 | 40,714 | 21,017 | 51.6% | 6,560 |
| 2009 | 39,089 | 20,011 | 51.2% | 7,241 |
| 2008 | 39,551 | 20,156 | 51.0% | 6,495 |
| 2007 | 34,813 | 20,181 | 58.0% | 8,039 |
| 2006 | 29,904 | 18,423 | 61.6% | 6,496 |
| 2005 | 30,122 | 17,551 | 58.3% | 5,907 |
| 2004 | 31,264 | 17,174 | 54.9% | 6,048 |
| 2003 | 27,604 | 15,628 | 56.6% | 5,929 |
| 2002 | 28,100 | 15,966 | 56.8% | 6,122 |
| 2001 | 28,862 | 13,966 | 48.4% | 5,633 |
Applications and offers
Acceptance rate for women and men
| Fall 2024 | Applied | Admitted | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Women | 47,118 | 29,600 | 62.8% |
| Men | 40,752 | 23,582 | 57.9% |
SAT, ACT and test policy
- Test scores in admission
- Considered if submitted (test-optional)
- SAT reading and writing
- 620 to 700 (middle 50% of enrolled students)
- SAT math
- 620 to 720
- ACT composite
- 27 to 32
Colleges similar to Penn State
The six public four-year colleges closest to Penn State in acceptance rate and undergraduate enrollment.
| College | Acceptance rate | Avg net price | Earnings after 10 yrs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rutgers New Brunswick, NJ | 58% | $24,897 | $80,490 |
| Pitt Pittsburgh, PA | 58% | $29,362 | $73,113 |
| South Carolina Columbia, SC | 60% | $22,197 | $69,024 |
| Ohio State University Columbus, OH | 61% | $17,269 | $67,080 |
| Virginia Tech Blacksburg, VA | 55% | $25,808 | $88,716 |
| UMass Amherst Amherst, MA | 60% | $22,857 | $80,486 |
Admissions counts are first-time, first-year applicants reported by Penn State to IPEDS for each fall term (2001 to 2024), read from the Urban Institute Education Data Portal. Test score ranges and policy come from the College Scorecard. College Scorecard data updated November 2, 2026. How these figures are built · Penn State on College Scorecard