Study at the University of Pennsylvania

The University of Pennsylvania, known also as UPenn, a private Ivy League university, is located in Philadelphia. Established in 1740, the University has four undergraduate schools. It is spread over an area of more than 299 acres in the University City of West Philadelphia. 

Currently, UPenn houses more than 28,000 students, of whom 13% are foreign nationals. The University of Pennsylvania has an overall acceptance rate of 5.9%. Students having a GPA of 3.9 out of 4.0, which is equivalent to 94% or more, are more likely to be selected. 

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For Indian students, it would cost on average $77,740.6 to study at the University of Pennsylvania. Included in this sum would be both tuition fees and the living costs in Philadelphia. For foreign students, UPenn has restricted financial assistance resources. They, however, can register in work-study programs and take up part-time jobs.

There is an Indian center in the university for the benefit of Indian students to help them out with opportunities for research and scholarships. The university works in tandem with its Indian alumni groups. 

Rankings of the University of Pennsylvania

According to the QS World University Rankings 2025, the University of Pennsylvania is ranked #11 globally. 
The Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2025 place it at #14 worldwide.

Courses offered by the University of Pennsylvania

The University of Pennsylvania offers courses in 91 majors and 93 minors. Some of the popular courses offered by the University of Pennsylvania and their fees are as follows:

Top Programs	Aggregate Fee per year (USD)
Bachelor of Science [B.S], Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering	52,753.5
Bachelor of Science [B.S], Computer Engineering	52,753.5
BS, Computer and Cognitive Science	52,753.5
BS, Bioengineering	52,753.5
BS, Electrical Engineering	52,753.5
BS, Management and Technology	52,753.5
BS, Networked and Social Systems Engineering	52,753.5
BA, Biochemistry	52,753.5
BA, Logic, Information, and Computation	52,753.5
BA, Physics and Astronomy	52,753.5
BA, Architecture	52,753.5

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Admission process at the University of Pennsylvania

To gain admission to the University of Pennsylvania, students must submit high standardized test scores. 

The admission requirements for undergraduate courses are as follows:

Application Portal: Common Application 

Application Fees: $75

Additional Requirements for UG Courses at the University of Pennsylvania:

• Academic transcripts
• GPA of at least 3.0 out of 4.0, which is equivalent to 83% to 86%
• Two letters of recommendation (LORs)
• Scores of SAT or ACT (if applicable)

• • ACT: a minimum score of 35 to 36
  • SAT: a minimum score of 1490 to 1560
• Interview (depends on availability)
• Financial documents showing evidence to pay fees
• Score in one of the recognized English language proficiency tests

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University of Pennsylvania acceptance rate

As mentioned earlier, the overall acceptance rate of the university is 5.9%. 

The campus of the University of Pennsylvania

As the university is located in Philadelphia, it is easy to commute to New York and Washington DC from there. It has three campuses: University City campus; Morris Arboretum; and New Bolton Center.

The university offers various types of sports facilities, such as baseball, badminton, football, and tennis. It conducts intercollegiate competitions in 17 and 16 sports events for men and women, respectively. Over 60 community service courses that are academically based are imparted on the campus.

About 14,000 students, faculty, and other staff take part in over 300 volunteer and community service agendas of the university.

Students can commute within the city using Penn Buses, Penn Transit services, Penn Shuttles, Carpooling, etc.

Accommodation at the University of Pennsylvania

Students can opt to stay either on-campus or off-campus. They can avail of both types of accommodation facilities.

Accommodation on-campus

The university offers housing options to about 5,500 students in bachelor’s programs. The university is home to 12 undergraduate houses.

The mean cost of living in university-provided student accommodation ranges from about $11,000 to $13,000. 

The cost of an apartment close to the university campus ranges from $1,445.2 to $18,216.7. Students can opt to stay on a sharing basis. The basic facilities available in off-campus housing options are bedrooms, free laundry, free cable TV, free Wi-Fi, etc.

Cost of attendance at the University of Pennsylvania

The average cost of attendance at the University of Pennsylvania ranges from $77,724 to $80,153.6 per year.

The approximate cost of attendance for Indian students is as follows:

Type of Expense	Accommodation On-Campus (USD)	Accommodation Off-campus (USD)
Tuition Fees	52,900.4	52,900.4
Fees	6,813	6,813
Housing	11,063.4	9,460.4
Dining	5,768.5	4,918.4
Books & Supplies	1,275	1,275
Transportation	971.5	971.5
Personal Expenses	1,882.2	1,882.2

University of Pennsylvania scholarships

Around half of the undergraduate students at the University of Pennsylvania receive grant-based scholarships. The average scholarship is $56,000. 

Scholarship programs for undergraduates are as follows:

• Federal Pell Grant is a need-based scholarship for undergraduate students, which waives tuition fees for up to eight semesters.    
• Named Scholarships are given to students based on their country of origin.   
• International Student Financial Aid is granted to foreign students who apply for a scholarship during the time of applying for the university. This will cover all expenses of theirs through grants. 
• UPenn has devised its work-study programs, particularly for students who are ineligible for American federal funds. Students can work for up to 20 hours per week during semesters and 40 hours per week during vacations. 

Alumni of the University of Pennsylvania

The various benefits that the university offers to its alumni include; rebates on insurance, discounts for entertainment, discounts for buying groceries, education, etc. 

Placements at the University of Pennsylvania

About 80% of undergraduates who pass out of the University of Pennsylvania get jobs after they pass. 

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