University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania · Private · 10,650 undergraduates · upenn.edu
Test policy (fall 2027)
Test required
Send an SAT or ACT score
Admit rate
4.9%
of 72,544 applicants
SAT (middle 50%)
1510 to 1570
of enrolled freshmen
Annual cost (2027-28)
$103,050Est.Estimate
before aid
Your chances and merit aid at University of Pennsylvania
See where you stand for admission, how much merit aid you could get, and what you'd pay after it.
We started you at a typical enrolled freshman here. Move the sliders to match you.
Your admission chances
4.9% of applicants admitted
Reach
It admits only 4.9% of applicants, so it's a reach for everyone.
Estimated merit aid
a year
Your cost after merit aid
$103,050
a year in 2027-28, from a $103,050 sticker price
What to do with your 1540
Send your score
This college requires an SAT or ACT score.
Reach, target and likely are a rough guide from your test score and how selective the college is. Admissions also weigh your courses, grades, essays and activities. Merit aid figures are estimates, before any need-based aid.
Admissions
Test policy for fall 2027
Test required
You must send an SAT or ACT score.
- Superscores: it combines your best section scores from different test dates.
- You can type your scores into the application; official reports come later.
Source: Testing - Penn Admissions - University of Pennsylvania · Checked October 16, 2026
Application deadlines
- Nov1Early Decision · November 1, 2026Binding: if admitted, you commit to enroll.
- Jan5Regular Decision · January 5, 2027The standard deadline.
Who gets in
4.9%
of applicants were admitted: 3,570 of 72,544 for fall 2025.
Early Decision
Binding. 13% of early applicants were admitted.
Wait list
3,252 students were offered a spot; 60 were later admitted.
Test scores of enrolled freshmen (fall 2025)
The shaded part shows the middle half of enrolled freshmen who sent scores: a quarter scored below it and a quarter above. 52% of them sent SAT scores and 18% sent ACT scores.
SAT total 1510 to 1570
Reading and Writing 740 to 770
Math 770 to 800
ACT composite 34 to 35
Source: Common Data Set 2025-26
High school GPA of enrolled freshmen
Average GPA: 3.90
- 4.059%
- 3.75 to 3.9932%
- 3.50 to 3.745%
- 3.25 to 3.494%
- 3.00 to 3.240%
- 2.50 to 2.990%
- Below 2.500%
Cost and financial aid
The sticker price is what a year costs before any aid. Most students pay less after grants and scholarships.
Sticker price for 2027-28Estimate
$103,050
a year
- Tuition$68,300
- Fees$8,640
- Food and housing$21,430
- Books and supplies$1,470
- Transportation and other$3,210
University of Pennsylvania published $99,082 for 2026-27. Its 2027-28 prices aren't out yet.
Source: Common Data Set 2025-26
What families actually pay
What a year cost on average after grants and scholarships, for freshmen who got federal aid in 2023-24, by family income.
- $0 to $30,000Not 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
Financial aid
100%
of a student's financial need is covered, on average
$70,867
average need-based grant to freshmen, money you don't repay
- FAFSA
- Required for need-based aid. It's the free federal aid form.
- CSS Profile
- Required. It's a second, more detailed aid form some colleges use for their own grants.
- Aid priority date: 2/1
- Send your aid forms by this date to be first in line for the college's grant money.
Source: Common Data Set 2025-26
AP credit
AP exams that earn credit can replace college courses, so you pay for fewer of them and may graduate sooner.
AP exams that earn credit
16 of 19
Earn credit with a score of 3
None
You need a 4 or 5 for credit here.
A 3-credit course is worth
about $6,830Est.Estimate
at 2027-28 tuition
Credit for each AP exam
| Exam | Score needed | Credits | Counts as |
|---|---|---|---|
| Art History | 5 | Waiver for ARTH 1010 or ARTH 1020, consult with undergraduate chair | |
| Calculus BC | 5 | 2 | Math 1400 (1 c.u.) (Students entering 2024 and earlier) Math 1300 (1 c.u.) (Students entering 2025 onward) |
| Chemistry | 5 | 1 | NURS 0061 (0.5 c.u.), for Nursing students only |
| Chemistry | 5 | 1 | EAS 091 (1 c.u.), for Engineering students only |
| Computer Science A | 5 | 1 | CIS 1100 |
| French Language and Culture | 5 | 1 | French 1000 (1.cu.) (fulfills language requirement) |
| German Language and Culture | 5 | 1 | German 0400 (1 c.u.) (fulfills language requirement) |
| Italian Language and Culture | 5 | 1 | ITAL 1000 (1 c.u.) (fulfills language requirement) |
| Japanese Language and Culture | 5 | 1 | JPAN 0400 (1 c.u.) (fulfills language requirement) |
| Latin | 5 | 1 | Latin 0400 (1 c.u.) (fulfills language requirement) |
| Macroeconomics | 5 | Economics 0200 waiver | |
| Microeconomics | 5 | Economics 0100 waiver | |
| Physics 1 | 5 | 1.5 | Physics 0101 |
| Physics 2 | 5 | 1.5 | Physics 0102 |
| Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism | 5 | 1.5 | Physics 0151 |
| Physics C: Mechanics | 5 | 1.5 | Physics 0150 |
| Psychology | 5 | Psychology 0001 Waiver | |
| Spanish Language and Culture | 5 | 1 | Spanish 1000 (1 c.u.) (fulfills language requirement) |
| Spanish Literature and Culture | 5 | 1 | Spanish 1200 (1 c.u.) (fulfills language requirement) |
| Statistics | 5 | STAT 1010 waiver or STAT 1110 waiver | |
| Statistics | 5 | NURS 2300 (1 c.u.), for Nursing students only |
Source: AP credit policy
After college
Graduate within 6 years
97%
Come back for a second year
99%
Typical earnings
$121,687
a year, 10 years after starting here
- University of Pennsylvania$228,201
- All colleges$89,719
Median yearly earnings of graduates five years after finishing a bachelor's in this major. 22 majors here have earnings data.
Keep exploring
Figures marked Estimate are our estimates, not numbers the college published. Check each college's own site before you apply. SAT is a trademark of College Board, and ACT is a trademark of ACT, Inc. Sharp is not affiliated with either, or with University of Pennsylvania. The University of Pennsylvania logo is a trademark of the college.