- Acceptance rate: 99% for fall 2024
- SAT, middle 50%: 550–640 reading and writing, 540–635 math
- ACT, middle 50%: 18–27 composite
- Average net price: $22,450 a year (2022–23)
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How does your GPA compare?
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Where you standEnter your GPA
Add a test score to compare it with what Penn State Berks reported: an acceptance rate of 99% for fall 2024 and an ACT middle 50% of 18–27.
Weighted GPAs above 4.0 can't be compared directly. Many colleges recalculate on their own scale, so use your unweighted GPA here.
A guide based on reported data, not a prediction. Penn State Berks reviews each application.
Penn State Berks GPA requirements
Penn State Berks requires a high school GPA from first-year applicants, according to what it reported to the U.S. Department of Education for fall 2024.
Federal data doesn't include GPA averages, and Penn State Berks hasn't published one we could verify, so this page doesn't list an average GPA.
Penn State Berks acceptance rate
Penn State Berks admitted 5,950 of 6,030 first-year applicants for fall 2024, an acceptance rate of 99%, according to what it reported to the U.S. Department of Education.
Penn State Berks is a public 4-year college in Reading, Pennsylvania, with 1,880 undergraduates.
SAT and ACT scores
Scores of the first-year students who entered Penn State Berks in fall 2024 and submitted them. Half of them scored between the 25th and 75th percentiles:
| Test | 25th percentile | Median | 75th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| SAT Reading and Writing | 550 | 600 | 640 |
| SAT Math | 540 | 580 | 635 |
| ACT Composite | 18 | 20 | 27 |
| ACT English | 14 | 22 | 26 |
| ACT Math | 18 | 20 | 25 |
The U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard estimates an average SAT score of 1174 for admitted students.
Admission requirements
What Penn State Berks looks at when it decides on first-year applicants, as it reported to the U.S. Department of Education for fall 2024:
| Admission factor | Status |
|---|---|
| High School GPAYour cumulative high school grade point average. | Required |
| High School RecordYour transcript: the courses you took and the grades you earned. | Required |
| College Preparatory ProgramCompletion of a college preparatory curriculum in high school. | Considered if submitted |
| Essay or Personal StatementA personal statement or essay written for your application. | Considered if submitted |
| Test ScoresSAT or ACT scores. | Considered if submitted |
| High School Class RankYour ranking relative to other students in your graduating class. | Not considered |
| RecommendationsLetters of recommendation from teachers, counselors, or other mentors. | Not considered |
| Other TestsOther admission tests, such as the Wonderlic or WISC-III. | Not considered |
| Demonstration of CompetenciesEvidence of specific skills through portfolios, auditions, or other demonstrations. | Not considered |
| Work ExperiencePaid or volunteer work. | Not considered |
| Legacy StatusWhether a parent or other relative attended the college. | Not considered |
AP credit
Penn State Berks awards college credit for Advanced Placement (AP) exams, according to what it reported to the U.S. Department of Education for 2024–25. The college decides which exams and scores earn credit.
It also awards credit for life experience, such as work or military service.
Average net price
First-time, full-time undergraduates paying in-state tuition who received grant or scholarship aid paid an average net price of $22,450 a year at Penn State Berks in 2022–23, according to the U.S. Department of Education.
Net price is the full cost of attendance minus grants and scholarships.
Frequently asked questions
How hard is it to get into Penn State Berks?
Not very selective: at least 3 in 4 applicants got in. Penn State Berks admitted 99% of first-year applicants for fall 2024.
Do I have a chance at Penn State Berks with a 3.0 GPA?
GPA alone can't tell you here. Penn State Berks admitted 99% of first-year applicants for fall 2024. It requires a high school GPA but hasn't published an average we could verify, so there's no admitted-student GPA to compare a 3.0 against. Your transcript and test scores are the clearer guide.
How important is GPA for getting into Penn State Berks?
A lot: Penn State Berks requires high school GPA and high school record. It considers college preparatory program, essay or personal statement and test scores if you send them. It doesn't consider high school class rank, recommendations, other tests, demonstration of competencies, work experience and legacy status. That's what it reported to the U.S. Department of Education for fall 2024.
What GPA does Penn State Berks look for?
Penn State Berks requires a high school GPA from first-year applicants, it said in its report to the U.S. Department of Education for fall 2024. It hasn't published an average GPA we could verify, so we don't list one.
What percent of applicants does Penn State Berks accept?
Penn State Berks' acceptance rate was 99% for fall 2024: it admitted 5,950 of 6,030 first-year applicants, according to its filing with the U.S. Department of Education.
Is Penn State Berks test optional?
Check Penn State Berks' admissions website for the current rule: testing policies change from year to year. Penn State Berks was test optional: it considered SAT or ACT scores if you sent them, according to what it reported to the U.S. Department of Education (fall 2024). Of its fall 2024 first-year students, 25% sent SAT scores and 1% sent ACT scores.
What SAT and ACT scores do Penn State Berks students have?
The middle 50% of Penn State Berks' fall 2024 first-year students who sent scores had SAT 550–640 in reading and writing and 540–635 in math; ACT composite 18–27, according to what the college reported to the U.S. Department of Education. A quarter scored below that range.
How much does Penn State Berks cost after financial aid?
First-time, full-time undergraduates paying in-state tuition who received grant or scholarship aid paid an average of $22,450 a year at Penn State Berks in 2022–23, according to the U.S. Department of Education. Net price is the cost of attendance minus grants and scholarships.
Does Penn State Berks give credit for AP exams?
Yes. Penn State Berks awards college credit for Advanced Placement (AP) exams, according to its filing with the U.S. Department of Education for 2024–25. The college decides which exams and scores earn credit.
Does Penn State Berks look at legacy status?
No. Penn State Berks doesn't consider whether a parent or other relative attended, as it reported to the U.S. Department of Education for fall 2024.
Before you apply, check Penn State Berks' official admissions site: requirements can differ by program and change from year to year.
Sources
- College Navigator: Pennsylvania State University-Penn State BerksU.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, IPEDS (2024–25 provisional data): admissions, test scores and admission factors for fall 2024, undergraduate enrollment for fall 2024, net price for 2022–23 and credit policies for 2024–25.
- College Scorecard dataAverage SAT: an estimate by the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard (June 10, 2026 release).
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