Penn State Harrisburg

It is very difficult to get into Penn State Harrisburg. The acceptance rate at Penn State Harrisburg is 96%. Out of 9,925 applications received in 2023, 9,483 students were offered admission.

If you want to apply to Penn State Harrisburg, the fee for the application costs $65.

Students who apply to Penn State Harrisburg for the fall semester should anticipate a decision by October 1.

Penn State Harrisburg Admissions Stats at a Glance

The following is an overiew of some of Penn State Harrisburg's admissions stats.

Penn State Harrisburg 2023	Admissions Statistics
Mean Unweighted GPA	3.3
Admitted Students in Top 10% of Graduating Class	15.28%
Admissions Test Policy	Not optional
Applicants Who Submit SATs	28%
Applicants Who Submit ACTs	2%
Waitlist	No

Penn State Harrisburg Application Deadlines

These are the application deadlines for Penn State Harrisburg.

Application Type	Offered	Application Deadline	Notification Deadline
Early Decision I	No	–	–
Early Decision II	–	–	–
Early Action	Yes	November 1	December 24

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Applying Early to Penn State Harrisburg?

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Penn State Harrisburg does not offer early decision but does offer early action.

🗓️ The Early Action deadline is November 1. Penn State Harrisburg will release EA admissions decisions no later than December 24.

Some students apply to college early to help their chances of acceptance. When you apply early, your application is considered before all the regular decision applicants apply. Applying early may increase your chance of admission, since it shows that you are very interested in a school.

➡️ Discover a list of some selective colleges that admit significantly more applicants during early decision or early action than during regular admission.

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More on Penn State Harrisburg Admissions

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Is Penn State Harrisburg Challenging To Get Into?

Getting into Penn State Harrisburg is very difficult. Penn State Harrisburg has open admissions, which means admission is not competitive and any applicants that met the basic requirements can enroll.

In 2022, Penn State Harrisburg accepted 96% of students, approximately 9,483 from the 9,925 applicants.

Schools that are very difficult to get into, like Penn State Harrisburg, accept fewer than 60% of all applicants. At least 50% of all admitted students have GPAs in the top 10% of their high school class and scored over 1230 on the SAT and over 26 on the ACT.

Transferring to Penn State Harrisburg

For more information on transferring to Penn State Harrisburg, contact the school directly.

For Students Waitlisted to Penn State Harrisburg

Penn State Harrisburg has not reported data for waitlisted and admitted students.

What Does Penn State Harrisburg Look For in an Applicant?

Colleges consider a range of factors when determining who to admit for their next incoming class. Each college decides which factors are they consider most important in the admissions process. When creating your list of schools to apply to, you may want to consider your strengths and any possible weaknesses in your application, and choose schools that prioritize the admissions factors where you're strong.

Admissions Factors at Penn State Harrisburg

What does Penn State Harrisburg consider during the admissions process? Take a look at the list below to see which factors are most important during the admissions process.

Admissions Factor	Level
Academic GPA	Very Important
Rigor of Secondary School Record	Important
Alumni/ae Relations	Considered
Geographical Residence	Considered
Racial/Ethnic Status	Considered
Standardized Test Scores	Considered
State Residency	Considered
Talent/Ability	Considered

Make sure to check with Penn State Harrisburg for more information on admission factors.

Penn State Harrisburg Application Requirements

To apply to Penn State Harrisburg, all applicants must submit the following items. Check in with Penn State Harrisburg's admissions department to confirm all application materials and requirements.

Area	Required	Recommended	Required for Some	Details (If Any)
Written Essay or Personal Statement	–	√	–	–
Interview	–	–	√	–
Transcript(S) of College Record	–	–	–	–
Transcript of High School Record	√	–	–	–

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GPA and Testing

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What GPA Do I Need To Get Into Penn State Harrisburg?

Students admitted to Penn State Harrisburg have an average unweighted GPA of 3.3.

Out of all students that were admitted, 32.25% submitted a class rank. At Penn State Harrisburg 15.28% of students ranked in the top 10% of their graduating class in high school, 40.93% were in the top 25% and 77.2% were in the top 50%.

GPAs of Admitted Students

At Penn State Harrisburg, student GPAs fall in the following ranges.

GPA	Percent of Students
4.0 GPA	–
3.75 and 3.99	14.73%
3.50 and 3.74	18.13%
3.25 and 3.49	19.45%
3.00 and 3.24	20.87%
2.50 and 2.9	22.66%
2.00 and 2.49	4.15%

This chart depicts the percentage of all enrolled, degree-seeking, first-time, first year (freshmen) students who had high school grade point average within the given ranges.

Note: Some schools choose not release this information. If you have any questions regarding missing numbers, be sure to reach out to Penn State Harrisburg directly.

About GPAs

Your high school grade point average (GPA) is a number that reflects your high school academic performance. A weighted GPA or an unweighted GPA are the two possible GPA scores considered by colleges.

An unweighted GPA is an average of your scores from each class on a four-point scale. Unweighted GPAs range from 4.0 to under 1.0. A weighted GPA considers your average grade and the difficulty of your classes. A weighted GPA boosts your average by adding extra points for honors or Advanced Placement courses.

Standardized Test Scores

Penn State Harrisburg is not test optional. Test optional schools allow students to choose if they want to submit ACT or SAT scores with their applications or not.

In 2022, 28% of Penn State Harrisburg's first-year students submitted their SAT scores with their application. 2% of admitted applicants sent ACT scores.

What is a Good SAT Score for Penn State Harrisburg?

To be competitive with other Penn State Harrisburg applicants, you should strive to score between 1110 and 1300 (or higher!) on the SAT. At Penn State Harrisburg 25% of admitted students scored higher than 1300 and 25% of scored lower than 1110, but the majority of students scored somewhere in between these two numbers.

On the SAT Math Section, 25% of Penn State Harrisburg students scored 660 or higher and 75% of students scored 550 or higher. On the SAT Critical Reading section (formerly called the Verbal section), 25% of Penn State Harrisburg students scored 650 or higher, and 75% scored a 550 or higher.

To be most competitive at Penn State Harrisburg, you should strive to earn between 24 and 27.5 on the ACT.

An ACT score of 27.5 means you fall in the 75th percentile for Penn State Harrisburg's admitted students. One out of every four students scored above a 27.5, and three out of four students scored lower than 27.5 on the ACT.

A 24 on the ACT is the 25th percentile for Penn State Harrisburg students. Only one out of every four students scored below 24.

More Information on Transferring to Penn State Harrisburg

Transfer applications are processed on a on a rolling basis as they are received.

Transfer students can enroll in Penn State Harrisburg during the following terms:

• Fall Term

• Winter Term

• Spring Term

• Winter Term

• Summer Term

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Penn State Harrisburg Admissions FAQs

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Can I defer my acceptance to Penn State Harrisburg?

✅ Yes, admitted students can defer their admission to Penn State Harrisburg.

Does Penn State Harrisburg accept transfer credits?

✅ Penn State Harrisburg accepts eligible transfer credits from accredited institutions. Penn State Harrisburg accepts:

• CLEP subject tests • DSST/DANTES

Does Penn State Harrisburg accept Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) credits?

✅ Penn State Harrisburg accepts International Baccalaureate credits (IB) credits.

Do I have to submit test scores to Penn State Harrisburg?

✅ Penn State Harrisburg is not test optional.

What is Penn State Harrisburg's acceptance rate?

✅ Penn State Harrisburg has an acceptance rate of 96%.

What is the early decision acceptance rate at Penn State Harrisburg?

❌ Penn State Harrisburg does not offer early decision.

Want To Learn More About Penn State Harrisburg?

To learn more about Penn State Harrisburg, choose from the options below:

Overview

Student Life

Academics

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