Introduction
Pennsylvania State University, colloquially known as Penn State, is a public research university that awards associate, bachelor
Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus
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Information Summary
| Overall Score (about) | 96.1 |
| Total Cost On-Campus Attendance | $36,652 |
| Admission Success rate | N/A |
| ACT / SAT 75%ile scores | 30 / 1360 |
| Student Ratio Students-to-Faculty | 15 : 1 |
| Retention (full-time / part-time) | 93% / 68% |
| Enrollment Total (all students) | 46,810 |
History
Although the school was not officially established until 1863, the idea of it was born in the 1850’s. Like many land grant universities, the school began as an agricultural college. A local iron worker donated 200 acres of farmland to the new institution, and the first president conceived a broad education based on his own European education.
Over the decades, the school grew as an agricultural research institution while developing a respected scientific research community. The United States’ involvement in the space race, along with national concerns for the quality of education, among other hot topics, have guided it to develop leading educational and research programs. The school received full university status in 1953.
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Academics
The university’s strongest academic programs are in the technical and scientific fields, primarily life sciences, engineering, agriculture, and the earth sciences. These are also some of the tougher disciplines on campus. Other quality programs include geography, chemistry, mathematics, and business. Some of the more popular lectures can have class sizes of 300 or more. Overall, Penn State offers more than 225 programs of study for undergraduates. All undergraduates are required to take a certain allotment of
Most Popular Fields of Study
Unique Programs
The meteorology program is home to AccuWeather, a system used to make accurate weather forecasts. In fact, the system
Admissions
An impressive eighty percent of undergraduates ranked in the top quarter of their high school class. For first year admissions, applicants must have a high school diploma or equivalent. The average entrant has a high school GPA of 3.51 to 3.90, a SAT score of 1180 to 1340, and an ACT score of 26 to 30. High school GPA accounts for two-thirds of an applicant
Financial Aid
Financial aid is available with a combination of grants, scholarships, loans, and work-study programs. For all undergraduates, the FAFSA should be submitted as early as possible. The Office of Student Aid offers university-wide scholarships, for which students are automatically considered when the apply for admission. Scholarships that are based in particular fields must be applied for through the department that offers them. Athletes are especially welcomed in the scholarship programs, which offers over 500 different athletic scholarships in various NCAA sports.
Over seventy percent of students with financial aid received loans. The Office of Student Aid can facilitate application for the appropriate loan program for each student, including Perkins Loans, Stafford Loans, and the PLUS loan for parents of undergraduates.
Student Financial Aid Details
Students
Dormitory living is a requirement for all first year students. While the university is fairly well known for its academics, it also has quite a reputation for parties and celebrations on campus. Greeks make up a significant portion of the student body, and offer regular partying options. The student union, aptly named The Hub, is open 24 hours for students who are looking for some kind of entertainment besides partying.
The university
Student Enrollment Demographics
Student Graduation Demographics
Athletics
The athletic department fields twenty-nine varsity teams in NCAA Division I, with baseball, basketball, cross-country, diving, fencing, football, golf, gymnastics, lacrosse, soccer, swimming, tennis, track & field, volleyball, and wrestling for men and basketball, cross-country, diving, fencing, field hockey, golf, gymnastics, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, track & field, and volleyball for women. National titles have been captured in field hockey, fencing, and volleyball.
The Nittany Lions have almost a cult following. Tailgate parties—both pregame and postgame—prevail on game day. Some of the University
Traditions
The Nittany Lion mascot dates back to the early 1900s, when the term
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