For the first time in several years, it was a little easier to get into Penn
The University of Pennsylvania admitted 5.8% of applicants for fall 2026, an increase from 4.9% last year, due to a 15.5% drop in applications. The incoming class includes 12.5% international students, down from 13.7% the prior year, with 68.1% of admitted students committing to attend and standardized test scores reinstated as a requirement.
The University of Pennsylvania admitted 5.8% of applicants for the fall 2026 class, up from 4.9% in 2025 and 5.4% in 2024, marking a less selective admissions cycle. Whitney Soule, admissions dean, attributed the shift to a 15.5% decline in total applications, which dropped to 61,264 from 72,544 the previous year. Of the 3,575 admitted students, 2,435 (68.1%) have committed to attending, a rate similar to last year. The incoming class includes 12.5% international students, down from 13.7% in 2025, reflecting broader trends in U.S. universities where international enrollments have fallen amid immigration policies. Soule noted the class represents diverse backgrounds, with Pennsylvania residents making up 15% of the cohort and 167 students from Philadelphia. This is the first class since Penn reinstated standardized test requirements after a four-year pause. The middle 50% of admitted students scored between 1440 and 1550 on the SAT. Soule described the admitted students as ambitious and globally diverse, spanning regions across the U.S. and abroad. During the university’s board of trustees meeting, the group also designated former president Liz Magill as president emerita, a title granted to former leaders. Magill resigned in December 2023 amid controversy over her congressional testimony regarding antisemitism complaints at Penn.
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