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Academics

University of Pennsylvania
Academics

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How strong are the academics at University of Pennsylvania?

Let's cover class sizes, graduation rates, and outcomes.

8:1
Student to faculty ratio
29
Average class size
86%
4-year grad rate

Class Sizes

Class sizes likely stayed the same for you through high school. You'll find that college is much different. Some of the largest universities have classes that can seat hundreds of students in giant lecture halls. Conversely, as they progress and their focus narrows, higher-level courses can sometimes have just a handful of students.

Penn has an average student-to-faculty ratio of 8:1. The typical school is 14:1. While this ratio is important, what’s more important is how big a typical class is.

Class Sizes
2-9
504
10-19
637
20-29
210
30-39
115
40-49
93
50-99
279
100+
102

Honors Programs

University of Pennsylvania has an honors program and/or honors college. Specifics of these programs vary, but benefits of being in an Honors Program might include priority registration, being part of a tight-knit community, and accessing unique learning opportunities.

Learn more about honors options on Penn's website.

Outcomes

It’s critical to understand a school’s outcomes to understand if your four (or more) years at the school will be worth it. Here are some key statistics about the outcomes of students who enroll at University of Pennsylvania:

99%
First-year retention rate
86%
4-year grad rate
97%
6-year grad rate

Majors

Many students choose a school largely based on the what they want to study. The are University of Pennsylvania's most popular majors, ranked by how many people graduated with the concentration in the most recent year:

Financial Analytics
Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse
Econometrics and Quantitative Economics
Philosophy, Other
Biology/Biological Sciences, General
125.6
166.88
208.16
249.44
290.72
332

The Full List

Major Graduates
Architecture And Related Services
  • Architecture 9
Area
  • Women's Studies 2
  • Near and Middle Eastern Studies 2
  • African-American/Black Studies 1
  • African-American/Black Studies 1
  • South Asian Studies 1
  • South Asian Studies 1
  • Near and Middle Eastern Studies 1
  • Latin American Studies 0
  • East Asian Studies 0
Biological And Biomedical Sciences
  • Biology/Biological Sciences, General 160
  • Neuroscience 152
  • Biochemistry 48
  • Biology/Biological Sciences, General 22
  • Biophysics 17
  • Biophysics 10
  • Biomedical Sciences, General 5
  • Biochemistry 5
  • Neuroscience 3
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Other 0
Business
  • Management Science 68
  • Management Science 61
  • Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods, Other 41
  • Marketing/Marketing Management, General 38
  • Business Administration and Management, General 34
  • Business Administration and Management, General 33
  • Entrepreneurship/Entrepreneurial Studies 31
  • Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods, Other 24
  • Business/Commerce, General 23
  • Marketing/Marketing Management, General 22
  • Real Estate 20
  • Entrepreneurship/Entrepreneurial Studies 17
  • Real Estate 15
  • Business/Commerce, General 13
  • Accounting 11
  • Organizational Behavior Studies 7
  • Retailing and Retail Operations 5
  • Accounting 4
  • Finance, General 1
  • Sales, Distribution, and Marketing Operations, General 0
  • Actuarial Science 0
  • E-Commerce/Electronic Commerce 0
  • Retailing and Retail Operations 0
  • International Business/Trade/Commerce 0
  • Operations Management and Supervision 0
  • Insurance 0
Communication
  • Communication and Media Studies, Other 56
  • Communication, General 6
  • Communication and Media Studies 6
  • Communication and Media Studies, Other 4
Computer And Information Sciences And Support Services
  • Computer and Information Sciences, General 145
  • Computer Science 95
  • Computer and Information Sciences, General 39
Engineering
  • Mechanical Engineering 63
  • Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering 58
  • Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering 23
  • Systems Engineering 21
  • Electrical and Electronics Engineering 18
  • Materials Engineering 16
  • Engineering, Other 12
  • Computer Engineering, General 11
  • Mechanical Engineering 2
  • Materials Engineering 2
English Language And Literature/Letters
  • English Language and Literature, General 33
  • English Language and Literature, General 17
  • General Literature 4
  • Creative Writing 1
  • Creative Writing 0
Foreign Languages
  • East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General 10
  • East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics 10
  • Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General 9
  • Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics 9
  • East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General 8
  • East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics 8
  • Spanish Language and Literature 6
  • Linguistics 5
  • French Language and Literature 4
  • Russian Language and Literature 4
  • Comparative Literature 3
  • Comparative Literature 3
  • Linguistics 3
  • Spanish Language and Literature 2
  • Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General 1
  • Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics 1
  • Middle/Near Eastern and Semitic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General 1
  • Middle/Near Eastern and Semitic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics 1
  • French Language and Literature 1
  • Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Other 1
  • Russian Language and Literature 1
  • Italian Language and Literature 0
  • German Language and Literature 0
  • Middle/Near Eastern and Semitic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General 0
  • Middle/Near Eastern and Semitic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics 0
Health Professions And Related Programs
  • Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse 194
  • Community Health Services/Liaison/Counseling 85
  • Health/Health Care Administration/Management 20
  • Community Health Services/Liaison/Counseling 8
  • Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing, Other 8
  • Health/Health Care Administration/Management 4
  • Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing, Other 0
History
  • History, General 23
  • History, General 12
  • History and Philosophy of Science and Technology 7
  • History, Other 1
  • History and Philosophy of Science and Technology 1
  • History, Other 0
Liberal Arts And Sciences
  • Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities, Other 32
  • Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies 9
  • Humanities/Humanistic Studies 1
  • General Studies 0
Mathematics And Statistics
  • Statistics, General 32
  • Mathematics, General 29
  • Mathematics, General 12
  • Statistics, General 10
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
  • Financial Analytics 332
  • Financial Analytics 48
  • International/Globalization Studies 46
  • Cognitive Science, General 45
  • Biological and Physical Sciences 6
  • Mathematics and Computer Science 4
  • Cognitive Science, General 3
Natural Resources And Conservation
  • Environmental Studies 14
  • Environmental Studies 5
Philosophy And Religious Studies
  • Philosophy, Other 161
  • Philosophy 16
  • Philosophy 10
  • Philosophy, Other 6
  • Religion/Religious Studies 2
  • Religion/Religious Studies 2
  • Logic 0
  • Jewish/Judaic Studies 0
Physical Sciences
  • Physics, General 46
  • Chemistry, General 24
  • Geology/Earth Science, General 14
  • Physics, General 12
  • Chemistry, General 7
  • Geology/Earth Science, General 2
Psychology
  • Research and Experimental Psychology, Other 62
  • Psychology, General 16
  • Psychology, Other 5
  • Psychology, General 0
Public Administration And Social Service Professions
  • Public Policy Analysis, General 11
  • Public Policy Analysis, General 7
Social Sciences
  • Econometrics and Quantitative Economics 161
  • Political Science and Government, General 99
  • Econometrics and Quantitative Economics 45
  • International Relations and Affairs 22
  • Criminology 19
  • Anthropology, General 18
  • Urban Studies/Affairs 17
  • Research Methodology and Quantitative Methods 14
  • Political Science and Government, General 12
  • Social Sciences, Other 8
  • Research Methodology and Quantitative Methods 6
  • Urban Studies/Affairs 3
  • Anthropology, General 3
  • Criminology 2
  • International Relations and Affairs 1
  • Sociology, General 0
  • Economics, General 0
  • Social Sciences, General 0
Visual And Performing Arts
  • Design and Visual Communications, General 16
  • Fine/Studio Arts, General 14
  • Film/Cinema/Media Studies 13
  • Art History, Criticism and Conservation 8
  • Film/Cinema/Media Studies 3
  • Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General 3
  • Fine/Studio Arts, General 2
  • Music, General 2
  • Visual and Performing Arts, General 1
  • Design and Visual Communications, General 1
  • Music, General 0
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