Penn: What the Numbers Actually Say
Penn is the Ivy that tells you the most about how it will read your file. Test scores: very important, stated plainly while many peers hedge. Interviews: important, which only one school in nine declares. Binding Early Decision, which fills a large share of the class with students who committed first. The whole filing reads like the school it serves — direct, transactional, and clear about what it values.
Penn admitted 5.4% of 65,236 applicants. The average net price after aid is $28,699, the median graduate earns $111,371 ten years after enrolling — top 1% nationally — and students from the lowest-income third of families are earning a mean $113,100 ten years after entry.
At a glance
| University of Pennsylvania | US median | |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Philadelphia, PA | |
| Undergraduates | 10,013 | |
| Acceptance rate | 5.4% | |
| Applicants / admits | 65,236 / 3,523 | |
| Middle 50% SAT | 1510–1570 | |
| Middle 50% ACT | 34–36 | |
| Student–faculty ratio | 8:1 | |
| Average net price after aid | $28,699 | $20,150 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs out | $111,371 | $53,038 |
| Median debt at graduation | $15,715 | $23,000 |
US medians are across every college reporting the figure to the College Scorecard — roughly 1,700 for net price and 1,800 for earnings.
Admissions: what Penn says it weighs
Penn drew 65,236 applications and admitted 3,523 — 5.4% — with 68% of admits enrolling. The early round is binding Early Decision.
| Application factor | University of Pennsylvania says | How common that is |
|---|---|---|
| Academic GPA | Very important | 91% of schools say the same |
| Application Essay | Very important | 34% of schools say the same |
| Character/personal qualities | Very important | 27% of schools say the same |
| Extracurricular activities | Very important | only 19% of schools say the same |
| Recommendation(s) | Very important | 32% of schools say the same |
| Rigor of secondary school record | Very important | 87% of schools say the same |
| Standardized test scores | Very important | 26% of schools say the same |
| Talent/ability | Very important | only 15% of schools say the same |
| Class rank | Important | 46% of schools say the same |
| Interview | Important | only 11% of schools say the same |
| Alumni/ae relation | Considered | 40% of schools say the same |
| First generation | Considered | 66% of schools say the same |
| Geographical residence | Considered | 34% of schools say the same |
| Volunteer work | Considered | 66% of schools say the same |
| Work experience | Considered | 69% of schools say the same |
| Level of applicant's interest | Not considered | 38% of schools say the same |
| Religious affiliation/commitment | Not considered | 89% of schools say the same |
| State residency | Not considered | 57% of schools say the same |
The school’s own ratings from its Common Data Set filing, set against the 357 filings in our dataset. Bold rows are ratings fewer than a quarter of schools share — the places this school’s process is genuinely unusual. Declared weight is not submission policy; requirements change year to year and should be checked directly.
The table is unusually legible. GPA and test scores both sit at very important — the latter a weight many selective schools have stepped back from — and the interview is rated important, which only 11% of schools declare. A strong score and a strong conversation do real work at Penn, by its own account.
The admitted middle 50% runs 740–770 on SAT reading and 770–800 on maths, with 50% of enrolled first-years having submitted an SAT score. Those shares describe the class, not the current submission rules — check those directly.
Cost
The sticker is about $92,524; the average net price after grants is $28,699. Penn meets 100% of demonstrated need with an average first-year grant of $68,578, 18% of students borrow, and the median graduate leaves owing $15,715.
| Family income | University of Pennsylvania | US median |
|---|---|---|
| $30,000 – $48,000 | $316 / year | $15,431 |
| $48,000 – $75,000 | $10,439 / year | $17,510 |
| $75,000 – $110,000 | $25,476 / year | $21,308 |
| Over $110,000 | $55,972 / year | $25,893 |
Average net price actually paid by aided US students at each income level, from the College Scorecard. Sticker price is what almost nobody at these income levels pays.
Outcomes
Median earnings, 10 years after entry · US median $53,038
Earnings of students from the lowest-income third · US median $42,600
Average net price after aid · US median $20,150
Median debt at graduation · US median $23,000
Bar length is the share of US colleges this school beats on each measure; the tick marks the national median. Price and debt are inverted, so a longer bar is always the better outcome. Source: College Scorecard.
Median earnings ten years after entry, $111,371, rank in the top 1% of American colleges — Wharton pulls the figure, but the university-wide number is what the Scorecard reports — and students from the lowest-income third of families are earning a mean $113,100 a decade after they started. 98.8% of first-years return and 96.5% graduate within six years.
The classroom: an 8:1 student–faculty ratio with 58.8% of course sections under 20 students, across 10,013 undergraduates. Greek life takes in 19% of men and 17% of women.
How University of Pennsylvania compares
Frequently asked questions
What is Penn’s acceptance rate?
5.4%. Penn received 65,236 applications and admitted 3,523 students; 68% of those admitted enrolled.
How much does Penn actually cost?
An average $28,699 a year after grants, against a sticker of about $92,524. A family earning $75,000–$110,000 typically pays $25,476. Penn meets 100% of demonstrated need.
How much do test scores matter at Penn?
By its own filing, a great deal: standardised tests are rated very important, a weight many selective peers no longer declare. That is declared weight, not submission policy — confirm current testing requirements directly.
Should I apply Early Decision to Penn?
Penn runs binding Early Decision and admits a meaningful share of its class through it. If Penn is your clear first choice and the net-price numbers work for your family, ED is the committed signal its process is built around — but it binds you before you can compare aid offers.
Do Penn graduates earn more?
Among the most of any school: median earnings of $111,371 ten years after enrolling — top 1% nationally — and a mean $113,100 ten years after entry for students from the lowest-income third of families.
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