Penn State Harrisburg Admission Requirements

Admission Rate & Difficulty

Acceptance Rate

The acceptance rate at Penn State Harrisburg is 95.5%.  Its admission rate is the 118th lowest in Pennsylvania.

Admission Selectivity

How hard is it to get into Penn State Harrisburg and can you get accepted?

Penn State Harrisburg is an easy school to get into and you have a very good chance of acceptance if you meet the admission criteria. Last year, 9,483 out of the 9,925 who applied were admitted.

Penn State Harrisburg typically accepts and attracts "B+" average high school students with an average GPA around 3.48. 13% of those admitted chose to enroll in the school.

Can you get into Penn State Harrisburg?

96% are accepted, can you get in? Use the admission calculator to see if you have the grades and test scores needed to get in. See your admission chances based on your extracurriculars, intended major, background, and more.

Admission Requirements in Brief

To have the best chance of getting into to Penn State Harrisburg you should:

• Have a high school GPA of 3.48 or better
• Earn B+ grades in high school
• Score 1210 on the SAT
• Score 26 on the ACT

GPA Requirements & Average GPA

What GPA do you need to get into Penn State Harrisburg?

GPA Requirements

The GPA requirements for getting into Penn State Harrisburg are to have around a 3.48 high school GPA. You are required to have above average high school grades.

If your high school grades are above the average 3.48 GPA, you have a very good chance of being admitted as Penn State Harrisburg accepts 96% of applicants.

Average GPA

The average unweighted GPA at Penn State Harrisburg is 3.48 on the 4.0 scale. To achieve the average GPA for admission, you need to earn B+ letter grades and regularly score around 87-89 percent on tests and assignments in high school.  The school ranks #51 in Pennsylvania for highest average GPA.

Importance of GPA

Since Penn State Harrisburg is a test optional college, extra focus will be placed on your GPA when the school considers your application. As a result, it is very important that you meet the GPA requirements.

See additional colleges accepting applicants in the 3.5 GPA range.

*This school has not published high school GPA data for its incoming freshman class. In these cases, CollegeSimply uses an algorithm to predict GPA based on this school's test scores and a large sample of college GPA data. 3.48 is a prediction of the school's average incoming freshman GPA.

Testing Requirements

Submission of SAT or ACT scores is not required for admission to Penn State Harrisburg. If you optionally submit test scores, they will be considered with your application, but they are not mandatory. 28% of students submitted SAT scores and 2% submitted ACT scores for admission for the most recent academic year..

SAT Requirements & Average SAT Score

SAT Scores you need to get in

What are the SAT requirements for you to be admitted to Penn State Harrisburg?

Average Score & Range

The average SAT score at Penn State Harrisburg is 1210 out of 1600 and the range for the middle 50% of accepted students is 1100-1310. Students who get into Penn State Harrisburg score in the top 41 percent of all SAT test takers..  Penn State Harrisburg ranks #27 in the state of Pennsylvania for highest average SAT composite score.

Score for Acceptance

You should target scoring 1210 or above to be most competitive with other applicants. Penn State Harrisburg regularly admits students with SAT scores down to 1100 on a 1600 scale. However, three quarter of admitted students score higher. If you score below a 1100, admission should be considered a reach. Some students may be accepted with minimum SAT's as low as 990, but scores this low are outside the normal range.

Score Submission Requirements

Penn State Harrisburg is a test optional school meaning do not have to submit SAT scores with your application. The position on SAT scores from the college is "not required for admission, but considered if submitted (test optional)".

View other colleges which accept students in the 1210 SAT score range.

Chance of Acceptance by SAT Score

The table below outlines your predicted admission chances based on SAT score alone. If you are an average applicant with a score of 1205, you have around a 96% chance of being admitted. A 1310 places you well ahead of most other applicants and gives you about a 98% chance of getting in.

ACT Requirements & Average ACT Score

ACT Scores needed to get accepted

What are the ACT requirements for students to get into Penn State Harrisburg?

Score Range

The average ACT score for admitted students to Penn State Harrisburg is 26, while the middle 50% of students (25th to 75th percentile) score between a 24 and 28.  The school ranks #33 in Pennsylvania for highest average ACT composite score.

Score for Acceptance

For the best chance of admission, you should have an ACT of 26. This will place you in solid competition against other applicants. At a minimum, you should aim for a 24 and score in the score in the top 27 percent nationally. The lowest ACT score likely to be admitted is a 22.

2 percent of applicants submit ACT scores to Penn State Harrisburg.

Score Submission Requirements

You do not have to to submit ACT scores with your application as Penn State Harrisburg is test optional. The policy from the school on ACT scores is "not required for admission, but considered if submitted (test optional)".

Find other colleges with similar ACT score requirements

Chance of Acceptance by ACT Score

Here are your predicted chances of getting into Penn State Harrisburg for different ACT score ranges. A typical applicant with a 26 score has around 96% chance of getting in. Your odds increase to about 98% with a 28 ACT score.

Admission Statistics

Admission and enrollment rates by gender are detailed the the table below.

Application Fee

The cost for prospective students to apply to Penn State Harrisburg is $65.

Application Requirements

What are the requirements for admission to Penn State Harrisburg and what student information is used for admission decisions?

Credits Accepted

Admission Requirements Summary

Because Penn State Harrisburg is lightly competitive to get into, you have a very good chance of acceptance with the right GPA and test scores. If you have a 3.48 GPA, you are almost certain to getting in. Combining this with an SAT score of 1210 and ACT of 26 will almost guarantee your admission.