Private nonprofit · University

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania · Large city

#1 graduation rate in Pennsylvania#2 most selective in Pennsylvania#3 for grad earnings in Pennsylvania
5.4%
Admit rate
$28,699
Avg net price
97%
Graduation rate
$111,371
Median earnings

University of Pennsylvania is a private nonprofit bachelor's-granting institution in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (large city setting), enrolling 10,650 undergraduates.

Private nonprofitMidsize · 10,650 undergradsLarge cityHighly selective · 5% admitNCAA Division I-FCS · Ivy GroupCold wintersNear the coast

Will you get in?

See where your numbers land against University of Pennsylvania's admitted students.

Admit rate
5.4%
SAT (mid 50%)
1510–1570
Avg GPA
3.90

Enter a test score to see where you land against University of Pennsylvania's admitted students.

A guide, not a prediction. It compares your numbers with the middle 50% of admitted students and University of Pennsylvania's overall admit rate — it can't see essays, recommendations, activities, or your intended major, which all move real decisions.

About Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, colloquially referred to as Philly, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the sixth-most populous city in the United States. Before the arrival of Europeans in the early 17th century, the Lenape, an Indian tribe also known as the Delaware Indians, lived in the village of Shackamaxon in present-day Philadelphia and the surrounding area. Philadelphia is home to many national historical sites that relate to the founding of the United States. Independence National Historical Park is the center of these historical landmarks and one of the country's 22 UNESCO World Heritage Sites. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Large city
Highest degree offered
Graduate
To the ocean
3 miles
Nearest airport
6 miles to Philadelphia (PHL) · major hub

How University of Pennsylvania compares

Selectivity5.4%

More selective than 99% · #2 most selective of 111 in Pennsylvania

SAT average1553

Higher than 99%

Graduation rate97%

Higher than 99% · #1 of 116 in Pennsylvania

First-year retention99%

Higher than 97%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$111,371

Higher than 99% · #3 of 116 in Pennsylvania

Average net price$28,699

Cheaper than 19% · #84 cheapest of 112 in Pennsylvania

Median debt at graduation$15,715

Lower than 89%

Student–faculty ratio8 : 1

Lower than 89%

Undergraduate enrollment10,650

Larger than 89%

Percentiles compare University of Pennsylvania with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in Pennsylvania.

University of Pennsylvania campus

Student body

Undergraduate vs. graduate

28,281students
  • Undergraduate10,65038%
  • Graduate17,63162%

Undergraduates by gender

10,650undergrads
  • Women6,09357%
  • Men4,55743%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White27%
  • Black9.0%
  • Hispanic11%
  • Asian28%
  • Other or multiracial24%

Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
10,650
Graduate enrollment
17,631
Student–faculty ratio
8 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
17%
First-generation students
19%
Students over 25
7%
Median family income
$39,832
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$199,053
Endowment
$22,347,948,000

Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.

Where students come from

Home state of the 2,415 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.

  • From Pennsylvania15%
  • Other U.S. states72%
  • International13%

A national draw — only 14% of first-years come from Pennsylvania; 72% arrive from other states.

13% came from outside the U.S. Out-of-state students usually pay a higher tuition rate at public schools — check the cost card above for your bracket. Source: IPEDS residence & migration, fall 2023 entering class.

Admissions

Admission rate
5.4%
Test scores
Considered but not required
SAT range (25th–75th %)
1510–1570
SAT average
1553
SAT reading
740–770
SAT math
770–800
ACT composite
34–36
Average GPA
3.90

Cost

In-state tuition
$68,686
Room & board
$19,174
Books & supplies
$1,358
Total cost of attendance
$89,028
Average net price
$28,699

Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.

Outcomes

Graduated (within 6 years)
97%
Graduated on time (4 years)
86%
First-year retention
99%
Transferred to another college
0%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$90,555
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$111,371
Median debt at graduation
$15,715
Students with federal loans
10%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
83%

About 10% of students who finish here need more than four years — each extra year adds roughly another year of tuition and living costs.

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

All students
86%
Low-income (Pell)
85%
First-generation
80%

When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.

Campus life & athletics

On-campus housing
Yes
Dorm capacity
6,022
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
57%
Housing charge (year)
$12,166
Meal plan (year)
$6,330
Application fee
$75
Athletics
NCAA Division I-FCS
Football conference
Ivy Group
Varsity athletes
1,092 (629 men · 463 women)

Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.

Varsity sports (18)

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)277
Football108
Rowing107
Other Sports87
Lacrosse80
Soccer61
Swimming and Diving (combined)59
Fencing43
Basketball42
Baseball35
Squash35
Wrestling35
Field Hockey25
Gymnastics23
Tennis22
Softball18
Volleyball18
Golf17

Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.

Campus safety

Safety grade
C
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
2.7 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
59
Property offenses (2022–2024)
178

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 6 campuses (29,109 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.

Reported offenses in an average year

The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.

79reported offenses a year
20 violent a year59 property a year

By offense type, per year

Motor vehicle theft
49
Burglary
8.7
Robbery
7.0
Aggravated assault
6.7
Fondling
3.3
Rape
2.7
Arson
1.3

Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.

What you'll actually pay, by family income

Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.

< $30k
-$3,012
$30–48k
$316
$48–75k
$10,439
$75–110k
$25,476
$110k+
$55,972

College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.

Four-year (or more) true cost

Net price for your family's income, projected across the time it actually takes students here to graduate.

Est. total to a degree
$43,391

$10,439/year × about 4.2 years — most students here don't finish in exactly four, and each extra term adds cost. A planning estimate from net-price and graduation-timing data, not a bill.

Does the school pay you to attend?

Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.

47%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$56,764
average award, among those who get one

University of Pennsylvania discounts heavily: 47% of freshmen are awarded a grant straight from the school, averaging $56,764. For many families the real price lands well below sticker.

Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 2,415 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.

Is it worth it?

A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.

Median earnings (10 years)
$111,371
Typical debt at graduation
$15,715
Debt vs. one year's pay
14%
Out-earn a HS grad
88%

Typical debt would take roughly 1.4 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.

Strong value

Graduates here tend to earn well relative to what they borrow — typical debt pays back fast, and most out-earn a high-school graduate.

Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.

The pay gap here

Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.

Women
$102,322
Men
$128,601

Men out-earn women by $26,279 (26%) a decade out.

Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.

Campus climate

Summer high
89°F
Winter low
28°F
Annual rain
50.7″
Annual snow
16.1″

Average temperature

HighLow
20°60°100°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.02.55.0JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Phila Franklin Inst, PA US station (1.2 mi from campus).

Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.

Colleges similar to University of Pennsylvania

Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare University of Pennsylvania side by side →

Colleges near University of Pennsylvania

Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.