background image

The University of Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania, Philadelphia

About the University of Pennsylvania

The University of Pennsylvania is a private institution that was founded in 1740. It has a total undergraduate enrolment of 10,183 and its setting is urban. UPenn has a strong focus on interdisciplinary learning and research, offering double degree programs, unique majors and academic flexibility. This means competition to study at the university is fierce, particularly at undergraduate level.

A Brief History
A brief history

The University of Pennsylvania was founded in 1740 by Benjamin Franklin, one of the United States’ founding fathers, who was eager to create a school to educate future generations.

General info
General information

The university has 12 schools: 5 offer undergraduate and graduate studies, and 7 offer only graduate studies. Penn's highly ranked schools include its world famous Wharton School of Business.


Acceptance Rate

1440 - 1550

Average SAT Score

32 - 35

Average ACT Score

3.7 - 4.0

GPA Aim (top of class)
background image

Quick facts about the University of Pennsylvania

  • Undergrad degree: 4 year liberal arts
  • Public or Private: Private
  • Setting: Urban
  • Residential Status: Primarily on campus
  • Number of Undergraduates: 10,000 (approx)
  • Number of Freshman: 2,340 (approx)
  • Acceptance Rate: 8%

UPenn by the numbers

What is UPenn's QS World University Ranking?


What is UPenn's US News Ranking?


How many undergraduate fields of study does UPenn have?

UPenn offers 92 distinct undergraduate degrees, concentrated into 66 majors within 21 broad fields of study.

What is UPenn's Student-Faculty Ratio?


What percentage of UPenn students are international students?


What percentage of UPenn students live on campus?


What is the median starting salary of UPenn graduates?

$68,000 USD

How many varsity sports teams are there at UPenn?


How hard is it to get into UPenn?

Very! UPenn’s acceptance rate is approximately 8%.

background image

Get into your dream university. Speak with an advisor today.

background image

Check Out Our Videos

Slide 1 of 3
  • How this Math Student Got into UPenn
  • A Day in the Life: University of Pennsylvania Student
  • Big Questions Ep. 19: UPenn
background image

The 6 most popular majors

Virtual tour of the University of Pennsylvania

background image

Notable alumni

Beyond it's long list of Nobel Prize winning alumni, including Egyptian chemist and “father of femtochemistry” Ahmed H. Zewail, and Physiology and Medicine winners Gerald M. Edelman and Stanley B. Prusiner, UPenn's alumni also includes actors and astronauts! US President Donald Trump is a Wharton School graduate, while television producer, musician and songwriterJohn Legend turned down Harvard to attend UPenn.

Notable alumni graphic
background image

Hear from Crimson student, Anika, who was accepted into UPenn's Class of 2023.

Learn how Anika gained admission to UPenn, and why studying at a world leading university has been a life-long dream for the future linguistics major.

background image

Find the US College that best suits you!

Our Academic Advisors will help you experience the exclusive Crimson's US College Admissions Calculator to generate a list of recommended colleges that are the best fit for you.

You may also like these schools: