Pennsylvania State University at University Park was established in 1855 as the Farmers’ High School of Pennsylvania. The school’s mission was to provide a practical education to rural students who intended to pursue agricultural and mechanical careers. The school was located in Centre County, near State College, Pennsylvania. As the school grew, it changed its name to the Agricultural College of Pennsylvania in 1862 and began offering four-year degrees. In 1874, the college became the first land-grant college under the Morrill Act and adopted its current name, The Pennsylvania State University at University Park.
Throughout its history, Penn State has grown and adapted to meet the changing needs of students. In World War I and II, Penn State provided training for military personnel and veterans through specialized programs. After World War II, Penn State established a number of Schools including Engineering Science & Mechanics (in 1951), Nursing (1955), Public Health (1957), Business Administration (1959), Education (1960), and Communications Arts & Sciences (1965). In 1965, Penn State became a full-fledged university with an enrollment of over 25,000 students.
Today Penn State is one of the largest universities in America with an enrollment of over 100,000 students across 24 campuses throughout Pennsylvania. It is consistently ranked among the top universities in the nation for academics and research programs as well as student life experiences. The university also offers an extensive list of majors including Liberal Arts & Sciences; Engineering; Agriculture; Business; Communications; Education; Health & Human Development; Nursing; Science; Visual & Performing Arts; Law; Medicine; Veterinary Medicine; Information Sciences & Technology and more. Check polyhobbies for information about Alaska Bible College.
Pennsylvania State University at University Park, as one of the top colleges ranked by major educational institutions, has impressed us by its high selectivity and student friendly application process during admissions. The following tables detail 2018 class profile, including total applications received, average high school GPA, SAT scores/ACT scores, and acceptance rates of Pennsylvania State University at University Park. To learn more about GPA, SAT and ACT scores information, please follow the links below. If you want to find even more about Pennsylvania State University at University Park, such as tuition fees and scholarships, you can click the link after tables to visit the school’s official website.
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Admissions Stats
Pennsylvania State University at University Park is a highly selective school, admitting only around 50% of the students who apply for admission. The student body is diverse, with students from all over the United States and more than 100 countries represented. The most popular majors are business, engineering, communications and media studies, social sciences and humanities, and health professions. For the fall 2020 semester, Penn State had an undergraduate enrollment of 48,096 students. Of those enrolled, approximately 20% were international students from more than 100 countries. About 24% of the student population identified as a minority group including African American/Black (8%), Hispanic/Latino (7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (7%) and Native American/Alaska Native (1%). The average GPA was 3.67 and SAT scores ranged from 1290 to 1470. In terms of gender breakdowns for 2020 admissions cycle, 55% of applicants were female while 45% were male. Penn State also offers generous financial aid packages to help make college affordable for all admitted students.
Fall 2022 Selectivity
| Selectivity | more selective |
| Fall 2022 acceptance rate | 55% |
| Early decision acceptance rate | N/A |
| Early action acceptance rate | N/A |
| Acceptance rate (excluding early action and early decision students) | 55% |
Fall 2022 Applications, Acceptances & Enrollments
| Applicants | 41,545 |
| Female applicants | 20,353 |
| Male applicants | 21,192 |
| Applicants accepted | 22,761 |
| Female applicants accepted | 11,581 |
| Male applicants accepted | 11,180 |
| Freshman enrollment | 7,262 |
| Female freshman enrollment | 3,510 |
| Male freshman enrollment | 3,752 |
| Early decision applicants | N/A |
| Early decision applicants accepted | N/A |
| Early decision applicants enrolled | N/A |
| Early action applicants | N/A |
| Early action applicants accepted | N/A |
| Early action applicants enrolled | N/A |
| Total enrolled incoming freshmen who were accepted under early acceptance or early action | N/A |
Fall 2022 Wait List
| School has a wait list | Yes |
| Applicants placed on wait list | 1,315 |
| Students accepting place on wait list | 988 |
| Students accepted from wait list | 697 |
Fall 2022 High School Rank
| Freshman students submitting high school class standing | 60% |
Fall 2022 High School GPA
| Freshman students submitting high school GPA | 97% |
| Average high school GPA | 3.5 |
| High school GPA 25th-75th percentile range | 3.4-3.8 |
Fall 2022 Freshman SAT Scores
| Freshman students submitting SAT scores | 81% |
| SAT Critical Reading average score | 573 |
| SAT Critical Reading 25th-75th percentile range | 530-630 |
| SAT Math average score | 615 |
| SAT Math 25th-75th percentile range: | 560-670 |
| SAT Writing average score | 584 |
| SAT Writing 25th-75th percentile range | 530-640 |
| SAT Essay 25th-75th percentile range | N/A |
Fall 2022 Freshman ACT Scores
| Freshman students submitting ACT scores | N/A |
| Average ACT Composite score | N/A |
| ACT Composite 25th-75th percentile range | N/A |
| ACT Composite score breakdown | N/A |
| ACT English 25th-75th percentile range | N/A |
| ACT English score breakdown | N/A |
| ACT Math 25th-75th percentile range | N/A |
| ACT Math score breakdown | N/A |