Demographics at Penn State

I'm a junior trying to get a clearer picture of where I might apply to. I was wondering what the demographic breakdown is at Penn State? Like in terms of socio-economic status, race, state of origin etc.

Penn State, in terms of its demographics, is a pretty diverse institution, and over time it has been working on increasing the diversity of its student body. Here is a quick snapshot:

Race and Ethnicity: As of 2020, Penn State’s undergraduate student body was about 64% White, 8% Asian, 6% Hispanic, and 4% Black. International students made up about 8% of the total student body. Keep in mind that these ratios can shift somewhat from year to year and they also vary across different campuses of Penn State.

State of Origin: A majority of the students attending Penn State are from Pennsylvania, with in-state students making up about 72% of the freshmen class. However, students come from all over the U.S. and internationally, from over 130 countries.

Socio-economic status: The socio-economic diversity can be harder to properly quantify than race or state of origin. Approximately 43% of the undergraduate student body receives some form of financial aid, whether it be federal, state, or institutional.

If you’re looking for a large, public research university with a cosmopolitan environment, Penn State definitely fits the bill. The diversity in terms of socio-economic status, race, ethnicity, and geographic origin ensures exposure to a wide variety of perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences.

Remember, this is just a snapshot of the student body. A highly diverse student population is typical of many large public research institutions, so if diversity is a crucial part of your college choice, you might also want to look at universities of similar size.