
Pennsylvania State University, including Penn State Abington, is institutionally accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. Abington is a Penn State campus, not a separately accredited university.
Institutional accreditation evaluates the university as a whole and is relevant to eligibility for federal student aid. It does not mean that every individual major carries a separate professional accreditation, nor does it automatically make a graduate eligible for a license. Students considering fields with licensing requirements should check the accreditation and state requirements for their specific program and campus. Likewise, accreditation does not require another college to accept every Penn State course in transfer; the receiving institution decides how credit applies to its degree.
First-year applicants apply to Penn State and select Abington as a campus preference. They generally need a high school diploma or equivalent and an academic record that allows Penn State to assess their preparation. Admission is not open admission, although recent Abington admissions figures show that most applicants were offered a place.
Reported admissions requirements include a secondary-school record and GPA. Class rank and recommendation letters are not generally required. SAT and ACT scores have been considered rather than required; applicants should check the policy for their intended application term before deciding whether to submit scores. International applicants may also need to document English-language proficiency. Requirements for particular majors or applicant categories can differ from the general campus process.
In the reported first-year admissions cycle, Abington admitted 6,406 of 6,620 applicants, an acceptance rate of about 97%. That figure describes a past applicant pool, not an individual applicant's likelihood of admission or eligibility for a particular major. Penn State publishes application dates by entry term; applying early can matter for campus availability and aid consideration even where applications continue to be reviewed later.
The reported standard Penn State undergraduate application fee is $65. An application fee is a charge to submit an application; it is separate from tuition, housing charges, and any later enrollment-related payment.
Penn State offers application-fee waivers for eligible applicants, including students who can document financial need under its waiver criteria. Applicants should review the waiver options within the application or through Penn State admissions before paying and submitting, because a fee already paid may not be refundable. Transfer applicants and students using a different application route should confirm the charge displayed for their particular application rather than assuming every route has identical terms.
Abington students interested in Reserve Officers' Training Corps should plan around a cross-enrollment arrangement rather than assume that a complete ROTC unit operates on the Abington campus. Reported opportunities include Army ROTC and Air Force ROTC through cooperating host institutions.
The practical questions are where required military-science classes and training take place, whether travel fits an Abington course schedule, and whether participation remains workable after a 2+2 campus move. ROTC enrollment, scholarship selection, and a later service commitment are separate matters: joining a class does not itself guarantee a scholarship, while accepting certain benefits can create an obligation. Students should confirm branch-specific eligibility and cross-enrollment procedures with the host unit before making an academic plan around ROTC.
Penn State Abington accepts transfer applicants and generally evaluates college coursework from accredited institutions for possible transfer credit. Transfer students have been able to enter in fall, spring, and summer, subject to Penn State's term-specific application rules and available programs.
Applicants should submit the Penn State transfer application and official records from every college attended. Penn State may also require high school information depending on the applicant's prior college work. Admission to Abington and acceptance of particular courses toward a major are different decisions: a course can transfer as credit without satisfying a specific degree requirement. Penn State's transfer-credit equivalency resources can help with preliminary planning, but an official evaluation and academic advising are needed to see how credits apply to the chosen program.
Reported credit options also include AP, CLEP, DSST, and certain learning evaluated through American Council on Education recommendations, under applicable Penn State rules. Transfer applicants should check major-specific prerequisites and entry-to-major standards, especially if they intend to finish at another campus.
Penn State Abington students can explore education abroad through Penn State's university-wide international education programs. Options across the university include longer programs and shorter, sometimes faculty-led experiences; availability depends on the term, destination, and academic program.
Study abroad requires more planning than simply choosing a destination. Students should establish how a proposed program's courses will satisfy Penn State degree requirements, whether their major has tightly sequenced classes, and whether a planned 2+2 campus change affects the timing. Program costs and the treatment of financial aid vary. Education abroad advising and a student's academic adviser can help distinguish a Penn State-operated program from an approved partner or other option and clarify credit approval before a student commits.
11% of admitted students enrolled (716 of 6,406)
Application fee
$65Early Decision
NoEarly Action
Yes, deadline November 1Percent of students submitting ACT scores
1.38%Percent of students submitting SAT scores
19.97%High school completions
General Educational Development (GED) requiredComputer required
NoComputer purchase/lease plan is available in the institution
YesSecondary school GPA
RequiredSecondary school rank
Neither required nor recommendedSecondary school record
RequiredCompletion of college-preparatory program
Considered but not requiredRecommendations
Neither required nor recommendedFormal demonstration of competencies
Neither required nor recommendedAdmission test scores
Considered but not requiredTOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language
RequiredOther Test (Wonderlic, WISC-III, etc.)
Neither required nor recommendedOpen admission policy
NoDual credit
NoCredit for life experiences
YesAdvanced placement (AP) credits
YesOrientation program
YesROTC-Army
ROTC branch unit at a cooperating host institutionROTC-Air Force
ROTC branch unit at a cooperating host institutionStudy abroad
YesWeekend/evening college
YesStudent can complete their preparation in certain areas of specialization
YesPreparation at another institution required
NoApproved by the state for initial certification or licensure of teacher
NoGenerally accepts credits
YesAccept ACE recommendation for credit
YesPossible transfer
Fall, Spring, SummerData last updated on November 2, 2026
Data sources: IPEDS 2024-25, Peterson 2026, College Scorecard 10/2026, Clery 2024 (2023-24), OpenAlex 2026
Figures on this profile come from federal and third-party datasets in the editions listed above and are refreshed periodically, so they may differ from what the institution currently reports. Confirm costs, deadlines and requirements with the school before making decisions.