UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State remains a top higher education destination for students from Pennsylvania and beyond, with 86,557 students enrolled across the University, according to the annual enrollment snapshot released today (Oct. 29)
A record-high 42,822 residential undergraduate students are enrolled at the University Park campus this fall — including the campus’ third-largest-ever incoming class of 9,148 students — reflecting intentional efforts to gradually increase the number of enrollments at the campus to meet strong demand. Penn State continues to attract a record number of prospective undergraduate students, with a 10% increase in applications for an all-time high of 145,654.
More than 9,300 of this fall’s incoming class of 15,239 first-year undergraduate students across all campuses hail from Pennsylvania, joining the more than 62% of all undergraduates University-wide who call the Keystone State home — a trend that has remained steady for years.
“Penn State is known for its exceptional educational environment, with expansive academic offerings and experiential learning opportunities that foster students’ drive for success and position them for rewarding careers,” said Penn State president Neeli Bendapudi. “Even in a time of change for higher education, the demand for a Penn State degree is strong. We remain committed to our land-grant mission, to educating students from Pennsylvania and around the nation and world, and to giving them the skills and knowledge to achieve their greatest ambitions.”
Overall enrollment at University Park remained steady, while University-wide enrollment declined by 1.6%, or 1,438 students, over last year. Across Penn State's 20 Commonwealth Campuses, overall enrollment dropped by 5.8%, or 1,365 students. Fotis Sotiropoulos, executive vice president and provost, underscored Penn State’s commitment to reimagining the campuses and continuing to support a thriving ecosystem that provides a world-class education to Pennsylvanians across the state.
“Our Commonwealth Campuses continue to serve as a crucial access point to Penn State. More than 78% of students at a Commonwealth Campus are Pennsylvania residents, 20% are from underrepresented backgrounds and more than 38% are first-generation college students,” Sotiropoulos said. “Through targeted recruiting strategies and other initiatives designed to promote enrollment, we will continue to provide a Penn State education and experience to students across the commonwealth.”
While Penn State remains strong, its enrollment has been impacted by larger trends and pressures that have affected many universities nationally. Graduate student enrollment, for example, has declined by 3.2%, or by 420 students — more than 75% of whom are international.
Other notes from the fall 2025 enrollment snapshot include:
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Continued steady growth in four-year graduation rates.
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Steady retention rates, highlighting consistency in the percentage of students who remain at Penn State after one, two and three years.
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A slight increase in overall enrollment of underrepresented minority students University-wide. At University Park, there was a 5.5% increase in first-year underrepresented student enrollment over last year.
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A continued increase in first-generation student enrollment, with more than 28% of first-year undergraduate students across Penn State's campuses being the first in their families to attend college.
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Steady enrollment of Pell-eligible students.
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A slight increase in enrollment at Penn State World Campus, driven primarily by new undergraduate students, first-year and transfer, reflecting continual changes in enrollment preference with more students electing to pursue their undergraduate degree online.
More fall 2025 enrollment information can be found on the Penn State Data Digest website.
Editor’s note: Totals include students enrolled in associate, bachelor’s, graduate, medical and law degree programs across all Penn State campuses, as well as non-degree students in undergraduate, graduate and law programs. As an affiliate campus, Pennsylvania College of Technology enrollment numbers are not included in Penn State’s overall total enrollment. Read more about Penn College enrollment growth on Penn State News.