How this school serves students from different economic backgrounds, including Pell students, first-generation pathways, and long-term mobility outcomes.
Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus admits 91.1% of applicants, making it a selective but accessible destination within the public research university landscape. Among admitted students who submitted scores, the middle 50% scored between 1,090 and 1,335 on the SAT (interquartile range), and between 26 and 32 on the ACT. 31.4% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants and 28.8% are first-generation college students, reflecting a student body that spans a meaningful range of economic backgrounds. Transfer enrollment accounts for 84.9% of the student body. Azimuth ranks Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus #247 for access among nonprofit four-year institutions. For students who enroll, Penn State delivers durable outcomes. Freshman retention stands at 92.6%, and the six-year graduation rate reaches 86.1%, with 54.6% of Pell-eligible students completing within that window. Low-income graduates see median earnings of $50,800 on a historical ten-year Scorecard measure, placing this cohort in the 72.7 percentile for low-income graduate earnings among nonprofit four-year institutions — a meaningful result given the Pell share of the student body. Azimuth ranks Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus #126 for mobility among nonprofit four-year institutions. As explored in Azimuth's analysis of access versus outcomes at scale, mobility rankings reflect both the volume of students served from lower-income backgrounds and the earnings outcomes those students achieve — Penn State's position reflects strength on both dimensions.
Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus admits 91.1% of applicants, making it a selective but accessible destination within the public research university landscape. Among admitted students who submitted scores, the middle 50% scored between 1,090 and 1,335 on the SAT (interquartile range), and between 26 and 32 on the ACT. 31.4% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants and 28.8% are first-generation college students, reflecting a student body that spans a meaningful range of economic backgrounds. Transfer enrollment accounts for 84.9% of the student body. Azimuth ranks Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus #247 for access among nonprofit four-year institutions. For students who enroll, Penn State delivers durable outcomes. Freshman retention stands at 92.6%, and the six-year graduation rate reaches 86.1%, with 54.6% of Pell-eligible students completing within that window. Low-income graduates see median earnings of $50,800 on a historical ten-year Scorecard measure, placing this cohort in the 72.7 percentile for low-income graduate earnings among nonprofit four-year institutions — a meaningful result given the Pell share of the student body. Azimuth ranks Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus #126 for mobility among nonprofit four-year institutions. As explored in , mobility rankings reflect both the volume of students served from lower-income backgrounds and the earnings outcomes those students achieve — Penn State's position reflects strength on both dimensions.
Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus admits 91.1% of applicants, making it a selective but accessible destination within the public research university landscape. Among admitted students who submitted scores, the middle 50% scored between 1,090 and 1,335 on the SAT (interquartile range), and between 26 and 32 on the ACT. 31.4% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants and 28.8% are first-generation college students, reflecting a student body that spans a meaningful range of economic backgrounds. Transfer enrollment accounts for 84.9% of the student body. Azimuth ranks Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus #247 for access among nonprofit four-year institutions. For students who enroll, Penn State delivers durable outcomes. Freshman retention stands at 92.6%, and the six-year graduation rate reaches 86.1%, with 54.6% of Pell-eligible students completing within that window. Low-income graduates see median earnings of $50,800 on a historical ten-year Scorecard measure, placing this cohort in the 72.7 percentile for low-income graduate earnings among nonprofit four-year institutions — a meaningful result given the Pell share of the student body. Azimuth ranks Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus #126 for mobility among nonprofit four-year institutions. As explored in Azimuth's analysis of access versus outcomes at scale, mobility rankings reflect both the volume of students served from lower-income backgrounds and the earnings outcomes those students achieve — Penn State's position reflects strength on both dimensions.
