Acceptance Rate History
Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus Acceptance Rate: 55.3% in 2025 (2013–2025 history)
PA · Current rate: 55.3%
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What is Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus's acceptance rate in 2025?
Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus's acceptance rate in 2025 is 55.3%, down from 60.6% in 2024.
Common Data Set 2025-2026
What is Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus's out-of-state acceptance rate?
- In-state: 56.7% (12,096 admitted of 21,321 applicants)
- Out-of-state: 53.3% (38,846 admitted of 72,861 applicants)
- International: 64.8% (8,010 admitted of 12,365 applicants)
Out-of-state applicants were admitted at about the same rate as in-state applicants. International applicants were admitted at a higher rate than in-state applicants.
Fall 2025 · Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus Common Data Set (2025-26), section C1. Rates are our calculation from the counts the college reported.
Year-by-Year Data
| Year | Acceptance Rate | Applicants | Admitted |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 55.3% | 106,547 | 58,952 |
| 2024 | 60.6% | 88,478 | 53,579 |
| 2023 | 54.2% | 85,956 | 46,605 |
| 2022 | 55.2% | 85,784 | 47,360 |
| 2019 | 75.9% | 95,970 | 72,880 |
| 2018 | 56.5% | 52,742 | 29,793 |
| 2017 | 50.3% | 56,114 | 28,233 |
| 2016 | 56.4% | 52,974 | 29,878 |
| 2015 | 51.3% | 53,472 | 27,440 |
| 2014 | 50.3% | 50,299 | 25,295 |
| 2013 | 54.2% | 47,552 | 25,772 |
Source: IPEDS Admissions Survey (NCES) · College Scorecard
Cost
The same school, two different prices
Family income under $30k: $19,845/yr · Family income over $110k: $37,831/yr (AY 2023–24)
Average paid by students receiving federal aid, by family income (College Scorecard). In-state students only. International students are not eligible for U.S. federal aid, so they are not in this cohort and typically pay closer to the sticker price.
High-income families typically pay closer to sticker.
Aid for international students
Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus does not publish figures on financial aid for international students.
Source: official Common Data Set filing
Admitted Student Profile
SAT Range · Middle 50% (25th–75th)
1240–1420
College Scorecard 2024
Admitted students at Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus scored between 1240 and 1420 on the SAT (middle 50%).
Source: College Scorecard · U.S. Dept of Education
What this school weighs — Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus
Course rigor and GPA are not in this table. Nearly every school rates both at the top, so they tell you nothing about this one. These six are where schools differ.
| Class rank | Not considered |
|---|---|
| Standardized test scores | Considered |
| Application essay | Not considered |
| Recommendations | Not considered |
| Extracurricular activities | Not considered |
| Character / personal qualities | Not considered |
Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus Common Data Set 2025–26, section C7
How to read these numbers
- The 2025 rate covers Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus's whole applicant pool — early and regular applications counted together in one figure. It is not the rate of any single round.
- 1240–1420 is the middle half of admitted scores, not a cutoff: a quarter of admitted students scored below 1240, and a quarter scored above 1420.
- The table above holds 11 reported years, 2013 through 2025. Across them Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus's rate ranged from 50.3% to 75.9%, so any single year is one point inside that range.
Each figure above describes a class a school already admitted in a completed cycle. It is a record of who was admitted, not a measurement of any one application.
Source: College Scorecard · IPEDS Admissions Survey (NCES) · U.S. Dept. of Education
Where do you stand?
School
Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus
Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus
SAT
Middle 50% of admitted students scored 1240–1420.
This is SAT only — one slice of an application, not the whole of it.
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Trend Analysis
Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus's acceptance rate has increased from 54.2% in 2013 to 55.3% in 2025. The most notable shift occurred in 2022.
Analysis compiled from official data trends.
Similar Schools — Acceptance Rate History
Data sourced from IPEDS and College Scorecard. Does not represent endorsements or guarantee admission outcomes.