Although it's known for having one of the largest freshman classes in the Ivy League (about 2,400 students), the University of Pennsylvania is still wildly tough to get into. Its acceptance rate for the class of 2027 was about 6%.
Once admitted, however, Penn students clearly thrive: 96% of students graduate within six years, giving Penn one of the highest graduation rates in Money's rankings. Among the most elite departments within Penn are business and economics, which are notoriously demanding. Students in introductory economics hold a midnight "Econ scream" just before midterms where they gather and scream ahead of the test in the name of stress relief. It may all be worth it, however, given how highly employers value degrees from the university. The median salary for students who attended Penn is nearly $113,000 within ten years — so it’s no wonder that the university ranks among the top three schools on Money’s list for student outcomes.
For fun, Penn hosts Spring Fling the last week of classes, touted as the largest college party on the East Coast. In 2024, the event featured Metro Boomin and Daya, and it was attended by over 10,000 students.
