Pennsylvania State University is the best university in the state of Pennsylvania in academics, research and graduate education. Established in 1855, currently, the university enrols 88,914 students. Around 10% of the total students enrolled in the undergraduate programs at Pennsylvania State University are of international origin. Commonly known as Penn State, the university demonstrates an acceptance rate of 54%.
With a huge research endowment of 993 million USD including 610 million USD from Federal grants, the university is one of the top research institutes in the USA. 18 disciplines of the university are ranked among top 10 in the USA for research expenditures.
Likes:
- Campus: Upenn has a huge campus with a comprehensive list of amenities. These includes athletic facilities, cultural institutions, healthcare and dining.
- Scholarship Opportunities: Pennsylvania State University manifests a financial endowment of over 3.6 billion USD. Nearly 50% students of the university receive some kind of financial assistance from the university to study in USA. International students have to exclusive aids to avail – SIGIS and PSTAG.
- Placement Opportunities: Penn State PhD graduates earn the highest average annual salary of 159,000 USD. Further, the MBA graduates of the university secure a mean salary of 107,000 USD per annum.
Check: High Paying Jobs in USA
Dislikes:
- Enormous Campus: A variety of temptations on campus might distract prospective applicants from academics.
- Cost of Attendance: International students can expect to spend somewhere between 52,000-56,000 USD (~39-42 lakh INR) as a total cost of studying in Pennsylvania State University.
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Pennsylvania State University Rankings
- #93 in QS World University Rankings, 2023
- #63 in National Universities by U.S. News and World Report, 2022
- #23 in Top Public Schools by U.S. News and World Report, 2022
- #34 in Most Innovative Schools by U.S. News and World Report, 2022
- #119 in World University Rankings by Times Higher Education, 2022
- #47 in Impact Rankings, 2022 by Times Higher Education.
The subject-specific ranking comparison of Penn-State University with few other universities in USA is given below:
| Subject | Pennsylvania State University | Arizona State University | North Carolina State University |
| Computer Science | #93 | #89 | #189 |
| Engineering | #74 | #105 | #149 |
| Chemistry | #63 | #217 | #171 |
| Physics | #55 | #490 | #526 |
| Mathematics | #42 | - | #74 |
Pennsylvania State University Programs
Pennsylvania State University offers over 160 undergraduate majors, more than 200 minors and 100 undergraduate certificate courses. Besides international students can choose from 190 graduate majors, various minors, and more than 100 certificate programs at graduate level in Penn State. It also offers 11,000 undergraduate certificate courses, postgraduate programs, and doctorate courses through 18 schools and colleges.
Explore: Penn State Programs
Pennsylvania State University Campus
Penn State has 7 on-campus housing complexes on the main campus that can accommodate 35% of its student population.
- The university has 24 campuses spread across Pennsylvania. The main and the largest campus is University Park.
- The Penn State World campus offers more than 60 online programs, degrees and certificates.
Pennsylvania State University Accommodations
Penn State University has housing options on all the campuses. First-year international students mandatorily need to stay on campus. The on-campus housing is offered to the students on a first-come-first-serve basis. The cost of living on-campus is provided in the following table:
| Campus | Cost in USD |
|---|---|
| Abington | 4,847-5,512 |
| Altoona | 3,687-4,684 |
| Beaver | 3,322-4,153 |
| Berks | 4,684-5,993 |
| Behrend | 3,687-5,993 |
| Brandywine | 4,160 |
| Greater Allegheny | 3,322-4,153 |
| Harrisburg | 4,347-5,486 |
| Hazleton | 3,322-4,916 |
| Mont Alto | 3,322-4,153 |
| University Park | 2,763-6,500 |
| Graduate and Family Housing | 1,168-1,535 |
Pennsylvania State University Admission
For the last admission cycle, Pennsylvania State University recorded a total admission of 88,914 students. Majority of the applications were for undergraduate degrees with 73,476 students. Postgraduate programs recorded an enrollment of more than 15,000 students.
Pennsylvania State University Enrollment Statistics by Years
Pennsylvania State University Application Process
Application Portal: Applications for both UG and graduate programs must be submitted on the official website of the university – MyPennState
Application Fee: 75 USD (5,912 INR)
Undergraduate Admission Requirements:
- Official transcripts
- Personal statement
- GPA: 3.59/4 ~ 91% (recommended)
- SAT/ACT scores (test-optional)
- English language test scores – TOEFL, IELTS
- Portfolio (if applicable)
- Standardized test scores
Postgraduate Admission Requirements:
- Academic transcripts
- GMAT/GRE scores
- SOP
- English language proficiency test scores
- Essays
- LOR
- Resume
- Passport
Pennsylvania State University Cost of Attendance
Students have to prepare themselves for tuition costs and living costs for Pennsylvania State University's cost of attendance. The total expense can go up to 46 lakhs a year depending on the lifestyles of students. The estimated average annual cost of attendance of studying at Penn State University is tabulated below:
| Expenses | Cost in INR (per Academic Year) |
|---|---|
| Tuition and Fees | 29.22 lakhs |
| Transportation & Personal Expenses | 3.16 lakhs |
| Room and Meals | 9.73 lakhs |
| Miscellaneous | 1.45 to 4 lakhs |
| Total Expense | Up to 46 lakhs |
Pennsylvania State University Scholarships
Pennsylvania State University offers financial aids in the form of scholarships, grants, loans and work-study programs. International students are not eligible for any federal or state aids.
- Penn State University provides two scholarships exclusively for international students – The Special International Grant-in-Aid (SIGIA) and Penn State Tuition Assistance Grant (PSTAG).
- These scholarships grant up to 2,000 USD (1.58 lakhs).
- 46% students of the university receive some form of financial aid.T
Pennsylvania State University Alumni
Penn State has over 645,000 people in its alumni network worldwide. These alumni enjoy the following benefits offered by the university:
- Access and invitations for athletic, cultural, educational events
- Access to The Penn Stater and AlumnInsider
- Discounts on the alumni tours, worldwide vacation rents, healthcare centres, home, car, health, auto, life insurance
- Financial services and alumni career services.
Penn State University Notable Alumni:
- Ty Burrell – Actor
- Jonathan Frakes – Actor
- Lara Spencer – T.V. Presenter
- Adam McKay – Film Director
Pennsylvania State University Placement
Pennsylvania State University offer excellent placement opportunities to its international students. Graduates working in Compliance, AML, KYC, and Monitoring earn the highest average annual salary of 195,000 USD (1.54 cr).
The average salary of Pennsylvania State University graduates according to their respective degrees are as follows:
| Degree | Average Annual Salary (USD) |
|---|---|
| Doctorate | 150,000 |
| MBA | 107,000 |
| B.Sc. | 94,000 |
| B.A. | 86,000 |
| M.Sc. | 83,000 |
Penn State is a highly popular institute offering admission to international students in USA. The university maintains a standard quality of education with candidates exhibiting a minimum GPA of 3.59 (~93-96%) on a scale of 4.0. The public land grant research university has its only private ‘Ivy League’ competitor University of Pennsylvania in the state.
FAQs
Ques. Does Pennsylvania State University require SAT or ACT scores?
Ans. Pennsylvania State University has declared to go test-optional. That means students will have to decide if they are going to submit their SAT and ACT scores. There is no minimum requirements for these scores.
Ques. Does Pennsylvania State University offer scholarships to international students?
Ans. Penn State University provides two scholarships for international students – The Special International Grant-in-Aid (SIGIA) and Penn State Tuition Assistance Grant (PSTAG), granting up to 2,000 USD or 1.58 lakhs INR.
Ques. Is Penn State University an Ivy League school?
Ans. No. Pennsylvania State University is not a member of the Ivy League. However, Penn State is a highly esteemed institution in itself and has ranked #23 in Top Public School by U.S. News in 2022.
Ques. Is Pennsylvania State University a good university for international students?
Ans. Pennsylvania State University has ranked #93 in QS World University Rankings in 2023. It has also ranked #63 in National Universities by U.S. News and World Report, 2022. Penn State is regarded as the best institution in Pennsylvania.
Ques. What is Pennsylvania State University famous for?
Ans. Pennsylvania State University is famous for its large alumni community spread all over the world. It has gained its popularity through high quality teaching, research and placement opportunities.
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