University of Pennsylvania
#1 Best Colleges in Pennsylvania- Graduation Rate
- 97% A+
- Most students who enroll finish their degree here
- Earnings (10yr)
- $111,371 A+
- Top 1% nationally — exceptional earning power
- Net Price
- $28,699 F
- 67% more than the typical college
- Acceptance Rate
- 5% A+
- Rejects about 95 of every 100 applicants
Bottom line: A B overall grade — strong outcomes across the board. 25.2× return on investment — every $1 spent returns $25.2 over 20 years. Ranked #1 in Best Colleges in Pennsylvania.
Every $1 spent returns $25.2 over 20 years — debt pays back in ~under a year. Net gain: $2,777,018.
What The Data Says
-
A B overall — outcomes above the typical U.S. college.
-
Graduates earn 173% more than the national college median.
-
A 97% graduation rate — 69% above the national average.
-
Inventor rate in the top 16% nationally — patents, startups, and new technology flow from its graduates.
-
A top feeder school for 6 major employers.
Economic Footprint
- Inventor Rate
- 1.6%
- Top 16%
- Patents
- 201
- Linked to graduates
- World Rank
- #109
- Times Higher Education
- Employer Pipelines
- 6
- Top feeder programs
- Patent Citations
- 237
- Downstream influence
- Research Score
- 49/100
- Times Higher Education
Why University of Pennsylvania Matters
University of Pennsylvania is a private research university in Philadelphia, PA ranked #109 in the world by Times Higher Education, and its outcomes are not an accident. They are driven by exceptional admissions selectivity, a top-tier research enterprise, an unusually high rate of inventors and patents, and a well-connected, high-opportunity alumni network. The result: graduates whose earnings land in the top 1% of all U.S. colleges.
Interpretation generated from this school's federal outcomes, research, and mobility data.
Institutional Profile
- Institution Type
- Private Research University
- Carnegie Class
- R1 · Very High Research
- Enrollment
- 10,650
- Setting
- Urban
- Primary Strengths
- Social Sciences, Biology & Biomedical, Health Professions, Computer Science & IT
Why students choose University of Pennsylvania
CollegeRanker Report Card
Graded on outcomes, against every U.S. college.
Each grade is this school's national percentile on a real outcome — earnings, value, mobility, and more.
How we grade →Admissions
Highly selective — admits about 5% of applicants, with a middle-50% SAT of 1510–1570. Run your numbers in the admissions predictor below.
Check your odds →Net price + aid
Students pay about $28,699 a year after grants and scholarships — 67% above the typical U.S. college. See net price by family income below.
See cost & aid →Earnings + debt
Graduates earn a median of $111,371 ten years after enrolling — 173% above the typical college, against $15,715 in median debt.
See outcomes →Mobility + social capital
Moves 1.8% of its students from the bottom income fifth to the top — top 36% nationally for mobility. High social capital (1.88 economic connectedness).
See mobility →Overview
With an acceptance rate of just 5%, the University of Pennsylvania attracts students who are not only academically strong but also deeply passionate about their fields. This school is especially well-suited for those interested in areas like Biology and Biomedical studies, Social Sciences, Health Professions, Computer Science and IT, and Business and Marketing. The vibrant atmosphere of Philadelphia adds an urban edge to the college experience, making it a great fit for students looking to engage in both rigorous academics and lively city life.
Looking at the outcomes, graduates from Penn see significant returns on their investment. With a 10-year earnings average of $111,371, it's clear that a degree from here can open doors to lucrative career paths. While 17% of students receive Pell Grants, indicating a commitment to supporting diverse backgrounds, the high graduation rate of 97% suggests that students who enroll are likely to complete their studies successfully.
Financially, the net price after aid sits at $28,699, which is manageable given the strong earning potential post-graduation. With a median debt of $15,715, students here can graduate with a reasonable financial burden. Those who thrive at Penn are often highly motivated, driven, and ready to take advantage of the rich resources and opportunities available within the institution and the surrounding city.
Rankings
- #1 Best Colleges in Pennsylvania
- #1 Best Bachelor's Programs in Pennsylvania
- #1 Best Master's Programs in Pennsylvania
- #1 Best Online Colleges in Pennsylvania
- #1 Best Social Mobility Colleges for Public Health
- #1 Best Business Colleges in Pennsylvania
- #1 Best Nursing Colleges in Pennsylvania
- #1 Best Biology Colleges in Pennsylvania
Can I Get In?
How selective University of Pennsylvania is — and how your numbers stack up.
Tool
Will I Be Accepted?
Enter your credentials to see your chances at this school.
Academics & Admissions
Is It Hard to Get Into University of Pennsylvania? Acceptance Rate & Requirements
Based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, University of Pennsylvania turns away the vast majority of its applicants. The acceptance rate is 5%. Admitted students typically arrive with an average SAT score near 1,553. The graduation rate is roughly 97%.
- Acceptance Rate
- 5%
- Retention Rate
- 99%
- SAT Average
- 1553
- ACT Midpoint
- 34
- SAT Range
- 1510–1570
- ACT Range
- 34–36
- Full-Time Faculty
- 79%
- Faculty Salary (mo)
- $22,117
- Student–Faculty Ratio
- 8:1
- Diversity Index
- 0.81
- First-Gen Students
- 19%
- Applicants
- 54,588
- Admitted
- 3,549
Can I Afford It?
What you'll actually pay after grants and aid — not the sticker price.
Cost & Financial Aid
How Much Does It Cost to Attend University of Pennsylvania? Tuition, Net Price & Aid
Published tuition at University of Pennsylvania is $68,686, but few families pay that. The number to watch is net price, what students actually pay each year after federal grants and institutional scholarships. Here it averages about $28,699. For the lowest-income families, those earning under $30,000, need-based grants can fully cover tuition, leaving little or nothing to pay out of pocket. The median graduate leaves with about $15,715 in federal student loans.
- In-State Tuition
- $68,686
- Out-of-State
- $68,686
- Avg Net Price
- $28,699
- Median Debt
- $15,715
- Pell Grant Rate
- 17%
- Federal Loan Rate
- 10%
What Families Actually Pay
- Family Income $0–$30K
- $-3,012
- Family Income $30K–$48K
- $316
- Family Income $48K–$75K
- $10,439
- Family Income $110K+
- $55,972
What Happens After?
Earnings, debt, and where graduates actually land.
Students Like You
Tell us a little about yourself to see what students like you have typically experienced at University of Pennsylvania — the net price for your income, your admission odds, and the outcomes that follow. These are patterns from federal data, not predictions.
Graduate Outcomes
Is University of Pennsylvania Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI
Ten years out, alumni of University of Pennsylvania earn a median of $111,371, well above the national average for bachelor's degree holders.
- 6 Years After Entry
- $90,555
- 8 Years
- $100,118
- 10 Years
- $111,371
- Debt-to-Earnings
- 0.14x
- Earning > $25K
- 90%
Earnings Trajectory
Graduation by Timeframe
- 100% (2,018)
- 86%
- 100% (2,018)
- 86%
- 100% (2,018)
- 86%
- 100% (2,018)
- 86%
Where Grads Go
University of Pennsylvania is a top feeder for:
- #1 Morgan Stanley
- #2 Bain & Company
- #2 Goldman Sachs
- #2 JPMorgan Chase
- #3 Boston Consulting Group
- #3 McKinsey & Company
Rank among programs feeding each employer.
Top employers of University of Pennsylvania’s MBA graduates, by hires reported in the school’s employment report.
- Goldman Sachs ✓ VerifiedFinance & banking · Class of 2024
- JPMorgan Chase ✓ VerifiedFinance & banking · Class of 2024
- McKinsey & Company ✓ VerifiedConsulting · Class of 2024
- Morgan Stanley ✓ VerifiedFinance & banking · Class of 2024
- Boston Consulting Group ✓ VerifiedConsulting · Class of 2024
- Bain & Company ✓ VerifiedConsulting · Class of 2024
How University Compares
Dot right of center = above national average.
Net Price by Family Income
What families actually pay after aid, by income bracket.
The Mobility Equation
Mobility = Access x Success. How many low-income students get in, and how many reach the top 20%?
College ROI Calculator
Is University of Pennsylvania Worth It?
A data-driven look at the return on your educational investment — using real federal data.
Yes — for most students, University of Pennsylvania delivers a positive return. Over four years, the typical net price is $28,699/year ($114,796 total). Graduates earn $111,371 at ten years, and over a 20-year career we project $2,891,814 in total earnings — a net gain of $2,777,018 (25.2× your investment). The median debt is $15,715, which takes less than a year to pay back at typical earnings. With a 97% graduation rate, the path to that return is well-tested. This is a exceptional ROI compared to national averages.
- Total Cost (4yr)
- $114,796
- Projected 20yr Earnings
- $2,891,814
- Net Return
- $2,777,018
- ROI Multiple
- 25.2×
- Cost Per Year
- $28,699
- Median Debt
- $15,715
- Debt Payback
- Less than 1 yr
- Graduation Rate
- 97%
Does It Change Lives?
Mobility, social capital, and innovation — does it move people up?
Social Mobility
Data: Raj Chetty's Mobility Report Card · 30M+ anonymized tax records
Does University of Pennsylvania Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes
University of Pennsylvania is a genuine engine of upward mobility. Its mobility rate, the share of students who start in the bottom income quintile and climb to the top, is 1.76%, well above the typical college. About 5.8% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 30.2% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $95,400, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.
- Mobility Rate
- 1.76%
- Bottom 20% → Top 20%
- Success Rate
- 30.2%
- If bottom 20% get in
- From Bottom 20%
- 5.8%
- Share of students
- Parent Median Income
- $129,615
- today's $ (2015 cohort data)
Research & Teaching
Data: Times Higher Education World University Rankings
How Research-Intensive Is University of Pennsylvania? World Rank, Teaching & Citations
Times Higher Education places University of Pennsylvania at #109 worldwide, a mark of serious research standing. Its profile spans a research score of 49/100, teaching at 46/100, and citation impact of 78/100, reflecting both the volume of research output and how often that work is cited by scholars elsewhere.
- World Rank
- #109
- Teaching
- 46.3
- Research
- 49.2
- Citations
- 77.6
- International
- 19.9
Innovation & Knowledge Creation
Patents, inventors, and research influence · Opportunity Insights & Times Higher Education
University of Pennsylvania produces inventors at an above-average rate (top 16% nationally), with 201 patents tied to its graduates, and ranks among research universities with a 49/100 research score.
- Inventor Rate
- 1.58%
- Top 16% nationally
- Patents Produced
- 201
- Linked to graduates
- Patent Citations
- 237
- Downstream influence
- Research Score
- 49/100
- Times Higher Ed
- Academic Influence
- 78/100
- Citation impact (THE)
- Industry Engagement
- 44/100
- Knowledge transfer (THE)
- Inventors From Low-Income
- 1.68%
- Bottom-20% families
Institutional Finances
Data: NCES IPEDS
- Investment Income
- $-169,934,000
Top Programs
The fields University of Pennsylvania awards the most degrees in, by share of completions. Where federal field-of-study data exists, we show what graduates in that major earned early in their careers. Each links to its degree guide — or see what someone with your income, scores, and major would pay and earn here in the Students Like You simulator.
- Social Sciences 11%
- Biology & Biomedical 10%
- Health Professions 9% $83,184 early-career
- Computer Science & IT 7%
- Engineering 7%
- Business & Marketing 6%
- Mathematics & Statistics 4%
- Psychology 4% $41,975 early-career
Early-career median earnings by major (typically 1–2 years after completion, bachelor's level where available), in today's dollars (CPI-adjusted). Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard field of study. Distinct from the school-wide 10-year median; suppressed for small programs.
Top Careers
Where these majors tend to lead — common career paths for University of Pennsylvania's most popular programs, ranked by median pay with our proprietary scorecard insights.
- CChief Executive Officer$189,520 · 3% growthAdaptable 64
- C+IT Manager$169,510 · 15% growthAdaptable 52
- B-AI/ML Engineer$156,000 · 23% growthAdaptable 52
- B-Computer Vision Engineer$145,000 · 20% growthAdaptable 52
- CPhysicist$142,850 · 5% growthAdaptable 66
- CAstronomer$142,850 · 4% growthAdaptable 66
- C+Cloud Architect$142,000 · 15% growthAdaptable 52
- B-Site Reliability Engineer$140,000 · 20% growthAdaptable 52
Frequently Asked Questions
Is It Hard to Get Into University of Pennsylvania? Acceptance Rate & Requirements
Based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, University of Pennsylvania turns away the vast majority of its applicants. The acceptance rate is 5%. Admitted students typically arrive with an average SAT score near 1,553. The graduation rate is roughly 97%.
How Much Does It Cost to Attend University of Pennsylvania? Tuition, Net Price & Aid
Published tuition at University of Pennsylvania is $68,686, but few families pay that. The number to watch is net price, what students actually pay each year after federal grants and institutional scholarships. Here it averages about $28,699. For the lowest-income families, those earning under $30,000, need-based grants can fully cover tuition, leaving little or nothing to pay out of pocket. The median graduate leaves with about $15,715 in federal student loans.
Is University of Pennsylvania Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI
Ten years out, alumni of University of Pennsylvania earn a median of $111,371, well above the national average for bachelor's degree holders.
Does University of Pennsylvania Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes
University of Pennsylvania is a genuine engine of upward mobility. Its mobility rate, the share of students who start in the bottom income quintile and climb to the top, is 1.76%, well above the typical college. About 5.8% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 30.2% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $95,400, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.
How Connected Is University of Pennsylvania? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks
Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs high at University of Pennsylvania. Its economic connectedness score is 1.88, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (-0.00), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 8% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.
How Research-Intensive Is University of Pennsylvania? World Rank, Teaching & Citations
Times Higher Education places University of Pennsylvania at #109 worldwide, a mark of serious research standing. Its profile spans a research score of 49/100, teaching at 46/100, and citation impact of 78/100, reflecting both the volume of research output and how often that work is cited by scholars elsewhere.
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Similar Schools
Schools with similar outcomes, selectivity, and student profiles to University of Pennsylvania.
- Carnegie Mellon UniversityPittsburgh, PA · Close peer93% grad $114,862 earn 12% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar selectivity · similar grad rate
- Northwestern UniversityEvanston, IL · Close peer96% grad $89,363 earn 8% acceptWhy: similar selectivity · similar grad rate · similar net price
- Cornell UniversityIthaca, NY · Close peer95% grad $104,043 earn 9% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar selectivity · similar grad rate
- Yale UniversityNew Haven, CT · Close peer96% grad $100,533 earn 4% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar selectivity · similar grad rate
- University of Notre DameNotre Dame, IN · Close peer96% grad $99,980 earn 11% acceptWhy: similar selectivity · similar grad rate · similar net price
- Boston CollegeChestnut Hill, MA · Close peer91% grad $103,937 earn 16% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar grad rate · similar size
Social Capital
Data: Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas
How Connected Is University of Pennsylvania? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks
Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs high at University of Pennsylvania. Its economic connectedness score is 1.88, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (-0.00), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 8% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.
Research Note