They call it Happy Valley, and Penn State fans surely seem happy—even ecstatic—as they cheer their football and basketball teams. In February, 750 people danced for 46 hours to raise money for pediatric cancer, the biggest such fundraiser in the country.

A 20-campus system

Most of us think of the University Park campus when we say Penn State, but the main campus, with 42,000 undergraduate students, is only one of 20 in the state university system. PSU joined five other northeast public universities online in February to give counselors a quick update. No matter which campus you attend, your degree will be from Pennsylvania State University.

Applications for fall 2025

Penn State had 120,000 applications for fall 2025. It will remain test-optional for 2026. Admissions representatives Brandon Quay and Kim Emigh said that for your best chance of admission, you should apply by November 1, the early action deadline. The state flagship enrolls about 55% Pennsylvanians and 45% out-of-state students. Be aware that PSU requires the SRAR (Self-Reported Academic Record). The main campus is the most competitive in the state system. Students who don’t make it onto the main campus may be offered admission at one of the satellites. You can appeal that decision, but unless there are extenuating circumstances, the decision isn’t likely to change.

Top majors

Top majors are engineering, business, nursing, biological sciences, and psychology. Nursing at the main campus is a direct-admit, four-year BSN pathway, but pre-nursing and nursing are offered at Altoona, Behrend (Erie), Fayette, Mont Alto, Schuylkill, and Scranton. You must finish your nursing degree at the same campus you start at. The University Park cohort has 160 students, while the other campus cohorts run between 30 and 50. You do not have to have calculus in high school to be considered. You must finish the nursing degree at the campus where you started, so you won’t be able to spend two years at, say, Schuylkill, and then internally transfer to Happy Valley. 

The Smeal College of Business is very selective, with an admit rate of about 25%. In the College of Arts and Architecture, architecture is a direct-admit program. The colleges of engineering, business, science, and liberal arts are popular, but even within those are some majors with lower enrollment, like Earth & Mineral Sciences or Information Sciences & Technology.

Students should take three years of math if applying for a non-STEM major; those applying for engineering, computer science, or science should at least have pre-calculus, as those majors will require you to take Calculus I and II. 

Application review

Applications are reviewed only for academics, so your GPA and the rigor of your classes, plus your SAT or ACT score if you choose to submit it, are the only factors considered important or very important. Looking at the Common Data Set for Penn State, you will find these factors are not considered: the essay, character/personal qualities, extracurricular activities, and recommendations. According to admission rep Quay, “We review students based on their courses and grades from years 9-11 and we consider the senior year schedule.” 

So if you want to be a Nittany Lion, focus on getting and maintaining a high GPA in the most rigorous courses you can take. Average GPA = 3.67. Demonstrated interest, great recommendations, and a killer essay won’t move the needle if your GPA isn’t strong.