Penn State University Acceptance Rate for Indian Students

Established in 1855, Pennsylvania State University, University Park is a public research university located in State College in Pennsylvania, United States. It is one of the best study-abroad universities for international students and students from all over the globe apply to Penn State University Park admissions for its reputation, rankings, excellent academic programs, supportive faculty, and diverse opportunities. However, only a fraction of candidates secure enrollment due to the competitive nature of the university.

Moreover, the Penn State University Park ranking has been consistent among the top 100 global universities for a decade now. According to a top-ranking publisher, the university ranked #63 among the National Universities, #30 in Top Public Schools, #184 in Best Value Schools, and #82 in QS World University Rankings. Also, the university is a member of the Association of American Universities and is classified among ‘R1: Doctoral Universities –Very high research activity’. PSU was also ranked in the Top 6% for QS World University Rankings 2025

Penn State University Park Acceptance Rate 2025

The number of student applications received by the Pennsylvania State University Park for the class of 2028 exceeded 88,400. The number of students accepted was around 53,500, and the number of students who decided to enroll at Pennsylvania State Uni, University Park was around 9,000.   

This suggests that the yield rate stood at 17.1%. Whereas Penn State acceptance rate for the University Park campus for the class of 2028 was 60.5%, meaning the university's admission criteria are moderately selective. A comparison of the latest data with the previous year’s figures is below: 

For the UG crowd, PennState offers over 160 majors, 200 minors, and 100 undergraduate certificate programs. For graduates, there are over 200 major programs, several stand-alone graduate minor programs, and around 140 graduate and post-baccalaureate certificate programs available. The trend for the Pennsylvania State University acceptance rate for the College of Medicine is:

Penn State University Park Acceptance Rate for International Students

As per the latest data, Penn State University, Uni of Park campus received over 10,300 international applications, of which around 6,600 were offered admission. Thus, it can be concluded that the Penn State acceptance rate University Park for international students is around 64.3% at University Park, making the admission criteria moderately selective.   

The total number of international students on the campus is about 9,600. For the class of 2028, about 629 international aspirants enrolled at University Park. 

PennState houses over 9,000 international students, hailing from 50 states and over 150 nations. The total international (nonresident) UG enrollments for 2024-25 stood at almost 4,000. The data of the First-Year First-Time enrollees, along with their ethnic and racial categories, is given below:  

Currently, PennState houses 2,115 Indians as of Fall 2024. The data for Indian enrollments over the years at the Pennsylvania State University reveals that the Indian-origin crowd has been increasing at the university. The details for the same are given below:

Penn State University Park Acceptance Rate Trends

The number of applications received by Penn State Uni, University Park has witnessed a surge of over 15,000. Moreover, the number of students admitted has also increased by around 13,000. The Penn State University Park acceptance rate has also witnessed an increasing trend, from 54% in 2020 to 60% by 2025.   

This is good news for prospective students, as a higher acceptance rate suggests increased chances of admission for applicants. A year-by-year analysis of the Pennsylvania State University acceptance rate for the University Park campus over the years is below: 

An analysis of the enrollment trends of PennState for the last couple of years reveals that the number of both UG and PG students has remained rather constant. More details for the same can also be checked out from the table given below:

Also read Penn State University Park Courses

Penn State University Park Early Decision VS Regular Decision Rate Trends

Every year, Penn State University Park admits international students through Early Decision as well as Regular Decision. Usually, the university’s early decision acceptance rate is higher in comparison to the regular decision acceptance rate. Early decision allows applicants to apply to a university earlier than regular decision.

For Fall 2024-25 admissions, the Penn State University Park Early Decision acceptance rate was recorded to be 70.3% as per unofficial sources. The deadlines for available decision plans are as follows:

Penn State University Park Admission Requirements for International Students

In order to secure admission, applicants must fulfill certain Penn State University Park admission requirements for international students, which are listed below:

• Bachelor’s Degree from a regionally accredited institution;
• Official academic transcripts, which include the secondary and post-secondary school records;
• Standardized test scores (SAT/ACT);
• Proof of English language proficiency (IELTS: 6.5 | TOEFL: 80);
• Letters of recommendation (LORs);
• Resume/CV; and
• Completed online application, along with USD 75 = INR 6,235.

Conversion Used: 1 USD = INR 83.14

Also read about the Penn State University Park Cost

Penn State University Park Average GPA, SAT & ACT Scores

In order to secure an enrollment in Pennsylvania State University, University Park, students must appear for one of the standardized tests (SAT/ACT) or other entrance exams like GMAT/GRE for postgraduate courses and secure the minimum scores as listed below:

Tips to get selected in Penn State University Park

The Penn State University acceptance rate is 60.5%. This shows moderate selection criteria during university admission. However, international students who adhere to the following tips given below still get a place easily:

• Find a mentor: Students must find a mentor from the same university or who has been there earlier. The mentor can help them in every aspect, such as the admission process, course selection, activity participation, labs, and extracurricular activities.
• Take part in extracurricular activities: Students who participate in extracurricular activities create a positive impact on their resume over students who only do well academically. Students must indulge themselves in extracurricular activities to increase their selection chances.
• Brush up your English: Students with non-English speaking backgrounds or other cultures must improve their English language proficiency and must score well in tests, such as IELTS, TOEFL, Duolingo, and more. It may look significant, but it can make a huge difference in the resume.
• Start early: Students must start their preparation to get into the university a year earlier than they are going to join. They must list down all the requirements and the minimum score required, and try to score above the requirements to improve their selection probability.

Penn State University Park Acceptance Rate VS University of Pennsylvania Acceptance Rate

The Penn State University Park acceptance rate is around 60.5%. When compared to the University of Pennsylvania acceptance rate, standing at 5.4%, it can be deciphered that UPenn is a very competitive university to get into since UPenn is much more selective in its admission process.

UPenn admission process is very competitive, and thus, students must submit exceptional academic grades as well as excel in co-curricular activities. Applying early is one of the best practices, as the UPenn Early Decision acceptance rate is always much higher and so are the chances of getting in. Submission of impressive SAT/ACT scores also boosts the chances of securing admission.