University of Pennsylvania SAT Scores and GPA

What are University of Pennsylvania's average SAT scores and GPA? In this guide, we'll discuss what scores are needed for you to get admitted into University of Pennsylvania. You'll also get to calculate your own chances with our admissions calculator.

Location: Philadelphia, PA

This school is also known as: Penn

University of Pennsylvania Admissions Statistics

There are three critical numbers when considering your admissions chances: SAT scores, GPA, and acceptance rate. All these combine to tell you what you scores are required to get into University of Pennsylvania.

Average SAT: 1500

The average SAT score composite at University of Pennsylvania is a 1500.

University of Pennsylvania SAT Score Analysis

The 25th percentile New SAT score is 1440, and the 75th percentile SAT score is 1560.

In other words, a 1440 places you below average, while a 1560 will move you up to above average. There's no absolute SAT requirement at University of Pennsylvania, but they really want to see at least a 1440 to have a chance at being considered.

Here's the breakdown of SAT scores by section:

Section	Average	25th Percentile	75th Percentile
Math	770	770	800
Reading + Writing	730	730	770
Composite	1500	1440	1560

Average GPA: 3.9

The average GPA at University of Pennsylvania is 3.9. This makes University of Pennsylvania Extremely Competitive for GPAs.

(Most schools use a weighted GPA out of 4.0, though some report an unweighted GPA.

With a GPA of 3.9, University of Pennsylvania requires you to be at the top of your class. You'll need nearly straight A's in all your classes to compete with other applicants. You should also have taken plenty of AP or IB classes to show your ability to excel in academic challenge.

If you're a junior or senior, your GPA is hard to change from this point on. If your GPA is at or below the school average of 3.9, you'll need a higher SAT score to compensate and show that you're prepared to take on college academics. This will help you compete effectively with other applicants.

Admissions Rate: 6.5%

The acceptance rate at University of Pennsylvania is 6.5%. In other words, of 100 students who apply, only 7 are admitted.

This means the school is very selective. Scores are vital to getting past their first round of filters. After that, you will need to impress them beyond just your academic scores.

Final Admissions Verdict

Because this school is extremely selective, getting a high SAT score and GPA is vital to having a chance at getting in. If you don't pass their SAT and GPA requirements, they'll likely reject you without much consideration.

To be safe, you should aim for the 75th percentile, with a 1560 SAT and a 3.9 GPA or higher to be above average.

This is only part of the challenge - after this, you'll need to impress them beyond your academic scores, with your accomplishments and extracurriculars. But if you apply with a 1500 SAT or below, you unfortunately have a small chance of getting in.

Admissions Calculator

Other Schools For You

If you're interested in University of Pennsylvania, you'll probably be interested in these schools as well. We've divided them into 3 categories depending on how hard they are to get into, relative to University of Pennsylvania.

Reach Schools: Harder to Get Into

These schools are have higher average SAT scores than University of Pennsylvania. If you improve your SAT score, you'll be competitive for these schools.

School Name	Location	SAT Avg	ACT Avg
Massachusetts Institute of Technology	Cambridge, MA	1543	35
University of Chicago	Chicago, IL	1520	34
Harvard University	Cambridge, MA	1520	34
Princeton University	Princeton, NJ	1518	34

Same Level: Equally Hard to Get Into

If you're competitive for University of Pennsylvania, these schools will offer you a similar chance of admission.

School Name	Location	SAT Avg	ACT Avg
Yale University	New Haven, CT	1515	34
Carnegie Mellon University	Pittsburgh, PA	1510	34
Dartmouth College	Hanover, NH	1500	34
Brown University	Providence, RI	1493	34
New York University	New York, NY	1455	34
Boston College	Chestnut Hill, MA	1435	33
University of Michigan	Ann Arbor, MI	1435	33

Safety Schools: Easier to Get Into

If you're currently competitive for University of Pennsylvania, you should have no problem getting into these schools. If University of Pennsylvania is currently out of your reach, you might already be competitive for these schools.

School Name	Location	SAT Avg	ACT Avg
Boston University	Boston, MA	1418	32
Stony Brook University	Stony Brook, NY	1396	31
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute	Troy, NY	1393	30
Binghamton University	Binghamton, NY	1375	31

Data on this page is sourced from Peterson's Databases © 2023 (Peterson's LLC. All rights reserved.) as well as additional publicly available sources.