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
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 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.
5.7% 1440 - 1550 32 - 35 3.7 - 4.0
Acceptance Rate Average SAT Score Average ACT Score GPA Aim (top of class)
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: 5.7%
UPenn by the numbers
What is UPenn's QS World University Ranking? 15
What is UPenn's US News Ranking? 6
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? 6:1
What percentage of UPenn students are international students? 20%
What percentage of UPenn students live on campus? 52%
What is the median starting salary of UPenn graduates? $68,000 USD
How many varsity sports teams are there at UPenn? 33
How hard is it to get into UPenn? Very! UPenn’s acceptance rate is approximately 8%.
The 6 most popular majors
21% Business / Marketing
Wharton’s undergraduate degree program offers business and more. It combines business and liberal arts on one Ivy League campus.
14% Social Sciences
UPenn's Social Sciences and Humanities School offers a plethora of study possibilities including options in Criminology, Economics, English, History, Political Science, Psychology and Sociology.
10% Biology
UPenn's Biology program is committed to providing students with a wide range of opportunities to explore the remarkable diversity of biological systems in the modern world.
10% Engineering
UPenn Engineers pose and answer questions that will transform our world. Students are taught to think like engineers through opportunities to approach challenges in new and unique ways.
9% Computer and Information Sciences
UPenn's Department of Computer and Information Science offers two types of undergraduate degrees, the Bachelor of Science in Engineering (BSE) and the Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS).
6% Philosophy
At UPenn, Philosophy majors reflect on the nature and achievement of disciplines such as science, the arts, and the humanities. Philosophical topics are divided into the practical and the theoretical.
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.
Elon Musk
Entrepreneur and founder of Tesla Motors and SpaceX.
Born and raised in Pretoria, South Africa, Elon Musk attended the University of Pennsylvania after transferring from Queen’s University in Canada. At UPenn, he received a bachelor’s degree in Wharton School, and a bachelor's degree in physics from UPenn’s College of Arts and Sciences. Musk is most well known for co-founding PayPal, forming SpaceX the maker of launch vehicles and spacecraft and being CEO of electric car company Tesla.