Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus

University Park, PA · Public

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54.2%
Acceptance Rate
1310
Median SAT
$63,435
Median Earnings
85,956
Applicants

Acceptance Rate Trend

Down 2.3 percentage points since 2018

Applications & Admissions

Yield Rate Trend

Percentage of admitted students who enroll

Most Popular Majors (2023)

Degrees awarded in latest year

Major Popularity Over Time

How top majors have grown or declined

Historical Admissions Data

Each row shows the admissions cycle for that academic year. Applicants is the total number of students who applied for freshman admission. Admitted shows how many received acceptance letters. Rate is the acceptance rate (admitted ÷ applicants) — lower percentages indicate more selective schools. Yield measures the percentage of admitted students who actually enrolled — a high yield (above 50%) suggests the school is a top choice for admitted students, while lower yields indicate students often choose other options. SAT shows the 25th-75th percentile range, meaning the middle 50% of enrolled students scored within this range. Data is sourced from IPEDS, the federal database where all US colleges report annually.

Year Applicants Admitted Rate Yield
2023 85,956 46,605 54.2% 19.4%
2022 85,784 47,360 55.2% 19.5%
2019 95,970 72,880 75.9% 21.9%
2018 52,742 29,793 56.5% 27.1%
2017 56,114 28,233 50.3% 27.9%
2016 52,974 29,878 56.4% 28.4%
2015 53,472 27,440 51.3% 27.8%

Graduate Outcomes

Median Earnings (10 years)
$63,435
Median Earnings (6 years)
$55,620
Median Debt
$25,000
6-Year Graduation Rate
85.7%

Tuition & Costs (2023)

In-State Tuition
$17,920
Out-of-State Tuition
$34,984
Fees
$530
Room & Board
$12,318
Total Cost of Attendance
$47,832

What You'll Actually Pay

Net price after grants/scholarships by family income

$0-30k income $19,458
$30-48k income $19,743
$48-75k income $26,257
$75-110k income $33,579
$110k+ income $37,209

Popular Majors

  • 1 Finance and Financial Management Services
  • 2 Information Science/Studies
  • 3 Psychology, General
  • 4 Computer and Information Sciences, General
  • 5 Mechanical Engineering

Student Demographics (2023)

Total Enrollment 50,399
International 15%
Women 47%
Race/Ethnicity
White 58%
Hispanic 9%
Asian 7%
Black 5%

Financial Aid (2023)

Grants are free money; loans must be repaid

Receive Grants 49%
Avg: $13,716 free money/year
Pell Grant Recipients 13%
Federal aid for <$60k income families
Have Federal Loans 40%
Avg: $6,435
School's Own Grants 35%
Avg: $8,733 from school funds