Pennsylvania State University
Public university in State College and multiple campuses in Pennsylvania, United States
About This School
How does this school stack up?
Pennsylvania State University (Penn State) was founded in 1855 as the Farmers’ High School of Pennsylvania.
In 1862, the school’s name was changed to the Agricultural College of Pennsylvania. In 1874 it was changed once again, this time to Pennsylvania State College, at which time a classical liberal arts curriculum was married to the agricultural training program.
In 1953, under the presidency of Milton S. Eisenhower—the brother of former US Army Supreme Commander and then–US President, Dwight D. Eisenhower—the college was upgraded to Pennsylvania State University.
With 23 campuses statewide in addition to the flagship University Park campus, Penn State is the first-tier public university system in Pennsylvania (the University of Pennsylvania being a private institution). With a total student population of more than 96,000, it is one of the largest universities in the US.
Prominent Penn State connected individuals include the following:
- Poet, Theodore Roethke
- Novelists, John Barth, Joseph Heller, Alan Furst & Richard Russo
- Screenwriter, Steven E. de Souza
- Computer scientists, Jef Raskin & John M. Carroll
- Physicists, David Bohm, Roger Penrose & Lee Smolin
- Nobel laureate in chemistry, Paul Berg
- Climate scientist, Michael E. Mann
- Plant geneticist, Nina Fedoroff
- Population geneticist, Masatoshi Nei
- Anthropologist, Nina Jablonski
- Radical social critic and Catholic priest, Ivan Illich
- Online education pioneer, Michael G. Moore
- Former US Senators Richard Schweiker, Rick Santorum & Kelly Ayotte
- Prime Minister of Bhutan, Jigme Thinley
Admissions
What does this school look for?
Annual Applications
52,742
Acceptance
56%
Graduation Rate
86%
Median SAT Score
1260
Median ACT Score
27
Costs
How much does it cost to attend?
Tuition (in-state)
$17,416
Fees (in-state)
$1,038
After Graduation
Averages for 10 years after enrolling
Avg Earnings
$57,200
Employed
92%
Campus Life
What's it like to attend this school?
The People
Full time on-campus stats
Student Body
47K
Under-Grads
43K
Graduates
4K
The Campus
Where will you be attending?
Location
201 Old Main,
University Park PA
16802-1503
On Campus Crime Rates
Property Crime
9k per 100k
Violent Crime
1k per 100k
What is Pennsylvania State University known for?
Our answer to this is to show you the disciplines in which a school's faculty and alumni have had the highest historical influence. A school may be influential in a discipline even if they do not offer degrees in that area. We've organized two lists to show where they are influential and offer corresponding degrees, and where they are influential through scholarship although they don't offer degrees in the disciplines.
Top areas of influence with degrees offered
Influential People
Who are Pennsylvania State University's Most influential alumni?
Pennsylvania State University's most influential alumni faculty include professors and professionals in the fields of Education, Engineering, and Earth Sciences. Pennsylvania State University’s most academically influential people include Paul Berg, Valerie Plame, and Steven Levy.
Paul Berg
American biochemist, Professor emeritus at Stanford University & Nobel laureate in Chemistry
view profile