University of Pennsylvania admissions, by the numbers
Every figure on this page comes from the school’s own Common Data Set (2024-2025 edition) and was independently verified against official sources.
5.4%
acceptance rate
65,236
applicants
3,523
admitted
14.2%
Early Decision rate (2.6x the overall rate)
The admissions picture
Penn received 65,236 applications in its 2024-2025 Common Data Set, the largest pool in our dataset, and admitted 3,523 students for a 5.4% acceptance rate. Testing is required under its current policy.
Penn offers binding Early Decision and admitted 14.2% of ED applicants, about 2.6 times the overall rate. Penn has long filled a substantial share of its class early, so applicants who know Penn is the goal, especially Wharton hopefuls, should weigh ED seriously.
What University of Pennsylvania says it weighs
Colleges report how much each application factor matters in section C7 of their Common Data Set. These are University of Pennsylvania’s own ratings, not our opinion.
Very important
Important
Considered
Not considered
What this means
Penn's top tier is rigor, GPA, essays, recommendations, and character. But the most unusual line in its filing sits one tier down: Penn rates work experience and volunteer work as important, a rating most elite schools reserve for academics. Penn is the rare Ivy that tells you, in its own document, that real-world work counts. For a school whose flagship undergraduate program is a business school, that is not a coincidence.
Testing policy
SAT or ACT scores are required.
How to stand out at University of Pennsylvania
- 1
Get real work on the record. Penn is the only school in this dataset that rates work experience important in its own filing, so an actual internship or job is a documented advantage here, not just color.
- 2
Apply Early Decision if Penn is the first choice. At 14.2% ED versus 5.4% overall, the binding commitment buys a real statistical edge.
- 3
For Wharton, prove the interest happened already. Direct-admit business school means reviewers look for applicants who have done something commercial, analytical, or entrepreneurial, not just declared the ambition.
For business-minded applicants
Penn is one of the few elite schools with a direct-admit undergraduate business school: the Wharton School's BS in Economics, offering 21 concentrations such as finance and entrepreneurship, plus coordinated dual-degree programs like Huntsman and M&T.
Wharton is the clearest undergraduate business path in the Ivy League: you apply to it directly, graduate with a BS in Economics, and choose among concentrations from finance to entrepreneurship, with dual-degree programs like Huntsman and M&T layering on international studies or engineering. That clarity cuts both ways, because the applicant pool self-selects toward students with real business evidence. Combined with Penn rating work experience as important, the message is unusually explicit: show up with something you have actually built, sold, analyzed, or run.
Building a profile for University of Pennsylvania?
University of Pennsylvania rates extracurriculars important in its own filing. Real internship experience is exactly that kind of signal.
Common questions about University of Pennsylvania admissions
Does Penn care about work experience?
Yes, explicitly. Penn's own Common Data Set rates work experience as important, alongside volunteer work and extracurriculars. Most elite schools only mark work experience considered, which makes a real internship or job a documented differentiator at Penn.
How hard is it to get into Wharton?
Penn does not publish a separate Wharton admit rate in its Common Data Set, but Wharton is a direct-admit program within a university that overall admitted 5.4% of applicants. Competitive Wharton applications typically pair top academics with concrete business evidence such as an internship, a venture, or serious analytical work.
Is Early Decision worth it at Penn?
The data says yes for committed applicants: 14.2% of ED applicants were admitted versus 5.4% overall, about 2.6 times the odds. ED is binding, so it should be reserved for a genuine first choice and a financial picture you have already checked.
Sources
Data reflects the 2024-2025Common Data Set, the most recent verified edition at the time of publication. Always confirm current requirements on the school’s admissions site.