The Academic Ranking of World Universities ranked Penn State in the range of 101-150 in its listing of the top 1,000 world-class universities, out of more than 2,500 institutions ranked worldwide.
Facts and Rankings
For more than 150 years we’ve been leaders in higher education, but it’s our community of shared pride that motivates us to do good around the world.
We are Penn State
$1.034B in annual research expenditures
Top 6% world-class university
QS World University Rankings, 2024
24 campuses across Pennsylvania
Land, space, sun, or sea, Penn State is the place to be
As one of only three land- space- sun-, and sea-grant universities in the U.S., Penn State is on the cutting edge of research, education, and service to Pennsylvania communities.
Shared pride
1,000+ student clubs and organizations
#5
Best public school for internships.
Princeton Review, 2024
Top-ranked Military- and Veteran-Friendly
5-star
Rating for LGBTQ students.
Campus Pride Index, 2023
Home to the world’s largest student-run philanthropy
50,000+ career preparedness programs
Athletics
Penn State has one of the nation’s most comprehensive and successful athletic programs, featuring 29 varsity programs and participates in the Big Ten Conference at the NCAA Division I level for most sports. At Penn State’s 20 undergraduate campuses, 75+ NCAA Division III teams and 100+ PSUAC teams qualify for national championships through the USCAA.
Investing in your future
8,000+ Penn State scholarships
Top 10%
Worldwide in employer reputation and employment outcomes.
QS World University Rankings, 2024
Explore student tuition calculators
#4
Best colleges for first-generation college students.
Best Colleges, 2022
21% of Penn Staters are first-generation students
17,000 Pell Grant recipients University-wide
Achieving success
We take pride in delivering world-class education to our community of Penn Staters. Unique programs assist students with financial, academic, and personal challenges to help all succeed.
Our community of Penn Staters
88,000+ students
58%
Of students are Pennsylvania residents.
Students from 50 states and 145 countries
Check out Undergraduate Admissions statistics
Nearly 10,000 international students
39%
Of students are from diverse backgrounds.
7,900+ faculty across all campuses
759,000+ alumni
See Penn State’s Data Digest dashboards
Innovation ecosystem
Invent Penn State’s 21 innovation spaces across the state work with students, alumni, corporate partners, and community innovators to accelerate the movement of great ideas and economic development in the Commonwealth and beyond.
Penn State rankings
Often ranked as a top thirty research university, our quality is reflected in Penn State’s worldwide standings as a leader in research, education, and community. Our record-breaking research expenditures exceed $1.034B, ranking 12 disciplines in the top 10 by the National Science Foundation.
Undergraduate program rankings
U.S. News and World Report “Best Colleges” (Undergraduate) 2024
Penn State ranks 28th among national public universities and 60th overall out of 435 national universities listed in U.S. News World Report’s “Best Colleges” ranking for 2024. Penn State also ranks 23rd among Association of American Universities public institutions and is the top-ranked public university in Pennsylvania.
Undergraduate Programs
Undergraduate program rankings released by U.S. News include 16 top-25 ratings (four in the top 10) ratings for select programs in engineering and business, among others.
Best Undergraduate Business Programs
Penn State tied for #21 in “Best Undergraduate Business Programs,” out of 523 ranked institutions. In addition, the University ranked in the following specialties:
- #8 in Supply Chain Management/Logistics
- #11 in Production/Operation Management
- #17 in Management (tie)
- #25 in Accounting (tie)
- #24 in Marketing (tie)
- #50 in Finance (tie)
Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs (at schools whose highest degree is a doctorate)
Penn State tied for #19 out of 208 ranked institutions in “Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs.” In addition, the University ranked in the following specialties:
- #9 in Materials Engineering
- #9 in Industrial/Manufacturing Engineering
- #10 in Biological/Agricultural Engineering (tie)
- #13 in Civil Engineering
- #15 in Aerospace/Aeronautical/Astronautical Engineering (tie)
- #15 in Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering (tie)
- #15 in Mechanical Engineering (tie)
- #20 in Chemical Engineering
- #25 in Computer Engineering (tie)
- #27 in Electrical/Electronic/Communications Engineering
Best Undergraduate Computer Science Programs
Penn State tied for 40 out of 554 ranked programs.
Best Undergraduate Nursing Programs
Penn State tied for 31 out of 656 ranked programs.
Best Undergraduate Economics Programs
Penn State tied for 41 out of 309 ranked programs.
Best Undergraduate Psychology Programs
Penn State tied for 34 out of 542 ranked programs.
Graduate program rankings
U.S. News and World Report, “America’s Best Graduate Schools 2023-24”
U.S. News “Best Graduate Schools” ranks professional school programs in business, education, engineering, law, medicine and nursing, including specialties in each area.
#37 in Best Business Schools (Smeal College of Business) (tie)
- #6 in Supply Chain/Logistics (tie)
- #11 in Production/Operations
- #20 in Management (tie)
- #22 in Accounting (tie)
- #21 in Business Analytics (tie)
#49 in Best Education Schools (College of Education) (tie)
- #3 in Higher Education Administration
- #6 in Student Counseling and Personnel Services (tie)
- #10 in Educational Administration and Supervision
- #13 in Special Education
- #15 in Secondary Teacher Education (tie)
- #19 in Curriculum and Instruction (tie)
- #15 in Education Policy
- #15 in Educational Psychology
#32 in Best Engineering Schools (College of Engineering)
- #6 in Petroleum Engineering
- #10 in Nuclear Engineering (tie)
- #10 in Industrial/Manufacturing/Systems Engineering (tie)
- #11 in Biological/Agricultural Engineering
- #11 in Materials Engineering
- #17 in Mechanical Engineering (tie)
- #15 in Aerospace/Aeronautical/Astronautical Engineering (tie)
- #19 in Civil Engineering (tie)
- #27 in Chemical Engineering (tie)
- #28 in Electrical/Electronic/Communications Engineering (tie)
- #26 in Computer Engineering (tie)
- #38 in Biomedical Engineering/Bioengineering (tie)
Humanities and Social Sciences
- #23 in Sociology
—#3 in Sociology of Population (tie)
—#15 in Social Stratification (tie) - #26 in Psychology (tie)
—#5 in Industrial Organizational Psychology (tie) - #27 in Criminology
- #27 in Economics (tie)
—#9 in International Economics (tie)
—#13 in Microeconomics
—#17 in Econometrics (tie)
Public Affairs
- #72 in Best Public Affairs Programs, University Park (tie)
- #72 in Best Public Affairs Programs, Penn State Harrisburg School of Public Affairs (tie)
Sciences
- #1 in Geology
- #4 in Geochemistry
- #6 in Earth Sciences (tie)
—#2 in Environmental Sciences (tie)
—#3 in Geology
—#3 in Geochemistry (tie)
—#7 in Paleontology (tie)
—#9 in Geophysics (tie) - #19 in Statistics (tie)
- #23 in Physics (tie)
—#12 in Cosmology/Relativity/Gravity
—#14 in Condensed Matter (tie)
—#16 in Atomic/Molecular/Optical (tie) - #28 in Biostatistics (tie)
- #34 in Chemistry (tie)
—#22 in Inorganic Chemistry (tie)
—#16 in Analytical Chemistry (tie) - #37 in Mathematics (tie)
—#26 in Applied Mathematics (tie) - #35 in Computer Science (tie)
—#25 in Artificial Intelligence (tie) - #46 in Biological Sciences (tie)
U.S. News “Best Online Programs” Rankings, 2023 – Penn State World Campus
Penn State World Campus ranked in these graduate degree disciplines and the overall bachelor’s degree programs category.
- #3 online graduate engineering
- #16 (tie), online graduate education
- #16 (tie), online graduate business (non-MBA)
- #10 (tie), online graduate computer IT
- #19 (tie), online MBA
- #25 (tie), online bachelor’s programs
Specific disciplines within the program categories were also ranked. The specialties rankings were based on ratings provided by peer institutions.
In addition, U.S. News ranked “Best Online Programs for Veterans” in six categories, with Penn State’s online bachelor’s programs at:
- #1 online graduate engineering
- #7, online graduate business (non-MBA)
- #4, online graduate education
- #6, online computer IT
- #15 (tie), online MBA
- #15 online bachelor’s programs
QS World University Rankings 2024
Penn State ranked No. 83 in the world — a jump of 10 positions from No. 93 last year — in the recently released 2024 QS World University Rankings, placing the University in the top 6% worldwide among the 1,500 institutions ranked by QS. Penn State also placed, out of 199 ranked U.S. institutions, at No. 8 among public universities nationally and No. 4 among Big Ten institutions.
Center for World University Rankings 2023
Penn State is ranked 54th among the best universities in the world out of 2,000 ranked, placing the University in the top 3% for the quality of education of its students and the research prowess of its faculty, by the Center for World University Rankings for 2023.
Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2024
Penn State is 20th among U.S. public universities, and placed 42nd in the nation overall, in the 2024 Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings. Penn State placed in the top 6% globally among about 1,900 ranked institutions, rising 29 places from last year to No. 122 in the world.
Academic Ranking of World Universities (AWRU) 2023
The Academic Ranking of World Universities ranked Penn State in the range of 101-150 in its listing of the top 1,000 world-class universities, out of more than 2,500 institutions ranked worldwide.
AWRU 2022 Global Ranking of Academic Subjects
Penn State ranks in the top 50 in 16 subject area rankings and in the top 100 in the world in an additional 14 subjects, according to the 2022 Global Ranking of Academic Subjects, released by the Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU), which evaluates the performance of world universities in relevant subjects, using a number of metrics including research output, research influence, international collaboration, research quality, and international academic awards.
U.S. News and World Report “Best Global Universities” 2022-23
Penn State is ranked at #84 internationally, among 2,000 institutions evaluated, across 95 countries, in U.S. News and World Report’s “Best Global Universities” for 2022-23.
Campus Pride Index 2023
For the third year in a row, Penn State has received 5 out of 5 stars for overall campus climate — and included among the “Best of the Best,” a list of 30 four-year public and private colleges across the nation — in the 2023 Campus Pride Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Questioning-Friendly Campus Climate Index. Campus Pride is a national nonprofit organization for student leaders and campus groups working to improve LGBTQ environments at colleges and universities.
Forbes “Best Employers for New Grads” survey 2023
Times Higher Education University Impact Rankings 2023
Penn State ranked 3rd in the U.S. and 40th in the world out of nearly 1,600 participating institutions in the Times Higher Education University Impact Rankings, placing Penn State in the top 2.5% of universities worldwide.
The global rating is a broad multidimensional assessment of a university’s research, community outreach and education, and campus operations. The criteria used in the assessment are linked to the United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals, global goals adopted by all U.N. Member States that look to improve life for all people and help protect the planet.
The Princeton Review/Entrepreneurship Magazine, Top Schools for Entrepreneurship 2023
Penn State has been ranked as the #23 school for undergraduate entrepreneurship studies in the U.S. in annual ratings of the top schools for entrepreneurship studies, by The Princeton Review and Entrepreneurship Magazine. Among schools in the Mid-Atlantic region, Penn State came in at #3.
U.S. News and World Report, “Best Children’s Hospitals 2022-23”
Penn State Health Children’s Hospital ranks among the nation’s best hospitals for children in multiple specialties—cardiology and heart surgery (#33), diabetes and endocrinology (#41), and pulmonology (#42).
Compiled by Penn State’s Office of Strategic Communications
Medical Schools in Pennsylvania: How to Get In (2023)
Which are the best medical schools in Pennsylvania? Learn the Pennsylvania medical school rankings, plus strategies to get into your top-choice schools
Part 1: Introduction
Part 2: List of medical schools in Pennsylvania: 2023 rankings and admissions statistics
Part 3: Pennsylvania medical school profiles
Part 4: Pennsylvania medical school admissions strategies
Appendix A: Pennsylvania medical schools by degree type
Appendix B: Pennsylvania medical schools by institution type
Appendix C: Pennsylvania medical schools by region
Part 1: Introduction
Pennsylvania is known for its rich history, plethora of museums, and record of scientific advancements (e.g., the telescope lens, the polio vaccine, and the extra-uterine placenta). It is also well-regarded for its numerous medical schools, located in a diverse range of cities from Erie to Pittsburgh to Philadelphia.
Whether you want to work with urban patient populations as a Philadelphia medical student or you aspire to immerse yourself in the osteopathic tenets of medicine at the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine or the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, it’s likely that you will find a Pennsylvania medical school that dovetails with your professional aspirations.
Our goal for this guide is to outline the various admissions statistics and unique qualities of Pennsylvania medical schools so you can prepare an informed and comprehensive medical school application geared towards getting into these institutions.
Part 2: List of medical schools in Pennsylvania: 2023 rankings and admissions statistics
Below you will find statistics on Pennsylvania medical schools’ rankings, locations, average GPAs and MCAT scores, and other information to help you compare the schools side-by-side. While compiling this information, a few main takeaways were observed:
- Six Pennsylvania medical schools appear in the 2023 U.S. News Best Medical Schools (Research) ranking, with two landing in the top 15.
- In-state applicants enjoyed higher interview rates at all allopathic medical schools in Pennsylvania, with the exception of the University of Pennsylvania.
- The majority of Pennsylvania medical schools are located in the largest city, Philadelphia.
- All Pennsylvania medical schools are private.
In the ranking column below, numbers in parentheses show each medical school’s national ranking, whereas numbers outside parentheses reflect each Pennsylvania medical school’s relative rank. Relative rankings allow us to more easily answer the question, “Which are the ‘best’ medicals school in Pennsylvania?”
(Note: We strongly recommend that you sign up for MSAR for the most up-to-date information on MD programs and that you sign up for Choose DO for DO program data.)
| Pennsylvania Medical Schools | U.S. News Ranking | Location | Degree | Year Est. | Annual Tuition and Fees | Avg. GPA | Avg. MCAT | Interview Rate | First-Year Class Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine | 1 (6) | Philadelphia | MD | 1765 | $67,291 IS $67,291 OOS |
3.95 | 522 | 11.6% IS 11.5% OOS |
156 (12.8% IS) |
| University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine | 2 (14) | Pittsburgh | MD | 1886 | $60,298 IS $62,600 OOS |
3.86 | 517 | 26.0% IS 8.9% OOS |
158 (39.9% IS) |
| Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University | 3 (56) | Philadelphia | MD | 1824 | $61,270 IS $61,270 OOS |
3.82 | 514 | 13.6% IS 5.4% OOS |
275 (28.0% IS) |
| Temple University Lewis Katz School of Medicine | 4 (68) | Philadelphia | MD | 1901 | $55,483 IS $58,761 OOS |
3.74 | 512 | 24.0% IS 5.5% OOS |
219 (40.2% IS) |
| Drexel University College of Medicine | 5 (85) | Philadelphia | MD | 1848 | $62,089 IS $62,089 OOS |
3.79 | 512 | 32.1% IS 9.2% OOS |
303 (31.7% IS) |
| Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine | 6 (95–124) | Erie | DO | 1992 | $37,200 IS $37,200 OOS |
3.5 | 503 | NA | 314 (20.4% IS) |
| Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine | UR | Scranton | MD | 2008 | $60,300 IS $66,725 OOS |
3.8 | 513 | 41.3% IS 8.0% OOS |
114 (70.2% IS) |
| Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine | UR | Hershey | MD | 1967 | $52,482 IS $52,482 OOS |
3.82 | 512 | NA | 151 (53.0% IS) |
| Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine | UR | Philadelphia | DO | 1899 | $53,502 IS $53,502 OOS |
3.5 | 505 | NA | 327 (43.7% IS) |
