Computer Science at the University of Pennsylvania is taught through the School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS), and it sits inside an unusually integrated university where CS students can combine coursework with Wharton business classes, the College of Arts and Sciences, or Penn Nursing through cross-school electives and dual-degree tracks. Penn's undergraduate CS program benefits from being part of an Ivy League institution with one of the largest private-university research budgets in the country, while the graduate Master of Science in Engineering in Computer and Information Science (MSE CIS) gives international students a one-to-two-year path into Philadelphia's growing tech scene and the wider New York/Boston tech corridor.
This guide walks through what it takes to get into Penn's Computer Science programs, both undergraduate and graduate, including the acceptance-rate reality, cost, requirements, English-test rules, and where graduates go.
Acceptance Rate
Penn does not publish a separate acceptance rate for Computer Science at either level. Penn admits undergraduates to the university as a whole rather than to a specific major, and its graduate acceptance rate varies enormously by school:
- Undergraduate (university-wide): Penn's overall acceptance rate is 4.9%, among the lowest in the country. There is no separate "CS acceptance rate," since Penn undergraduates apply to the university and are only later admitted into SEAS or another school; CS is consistently one of SEAS's most popular majors, so competition for CS-track spots inside SEAS is generally understood to run at or above the university-wide average.
- Graduate (SEAS, proxy figure): Penn does not publish one blended graduate acceptance rate; per-school estimates put Engineering (SEAS), which houses the MSE CIS program, at roughly 18-21%, a considerably more accessible band than Penn's undergraduate figure, though still competitive.
Bottom line: treat the 4.9% figure as an honest university-wide proxy for undergraduate CS, not a CS-specific number, and treat the 18-21% SEAS estimate as a directional range for the graduate MSE CIS program rather than an official published rate.
Fees and Cost of Attendance
Undergraduate (BSE Computer Science, 4-year degree):
| Cost Item | Amount (USD/year) |
|---|---|
| Tuition | $65,670 |
| Living expenses (Philadelphia) | $20,604 |
| Total estimated cost of attendance | $94,582 |
For the full four-year BSE, that puts total program cost at roughly $375,000-$380,000 before any financial aid. Tuition is identical for domestic and international students, and Penn's undergraduate financial aid is need-based, with admitted students who qualify for aid having 100% of demonstrated need met, typically through grants rather than loans (Penn is need-aware, not need-blind, for international applicants).
Graduate (MSE Computer and Information Science):
SEAS master's programs bill per course unit rather than a flat annual rate. At the published 2026-27 rate of $8,825 per course unit, a typical full-time course load works out to roughly $35,300/year in tuition, with total cost varying by how many course units a student takes per term and how quickly they complete the degree. The graduate application fee is $95 (Wharton's MBA application, a separate program, charges $275, but that does not apply to MSE CIS applicants).
Admission Requirements
Undergraduate, based on Penn's published international applicant requirements:
- Common Application or Coalition Application
- Official secondary school transcript / School Report
- Letters of recommendation (teacher and counselor)
- Personal essay and Penn-specific supplement
- SAT or ACT scores (Penn reinstated a test-required policy from the 2025-26 cycle; the middle 50% SAT range for admitted students is 1510-1570)
- English proficiency test (TOEFL/IELTS/Duolingo) for non-exempt applicants
- Application fee of $75, or an approved fee waiver
Early Decision is due November 1 (binding, decisions mid-December); Regular Decision is due January 5 (decisions early-to-mid April).
Graduate (MSE CIS), based on Penn Engineering's published requirements:
- Transcripts from all post-secondary institutions attended
- Statement of Purpose
- Two to three letters of recommendation
- Resume/CV
- GRE: optional for most SEAS master's programs, including MSE CIS
- TOEFL or IELTS scores, required for non-exempt international applicants
- Application fee of $95, or an approved fee waiver
The regular deadline for SEAS master's programs is typically February 1, with decisions generally released by April 1. Penn does not publish a minimum GPA, but competitive MSE CIS applicants typically come from strong CS, EE, or math undergraduate backgrounds.
How to Get Into Penn's Computer Science Program
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Build a coherent technical narrative in your essays. Penn's supplemental essays reward applicants who connect specific prior projects, internships, or coursework to why SEAS specifically (rather than a generic "Penn is a great school" pitch), since Penn's admissions committee reads thousands of similar-looking strong applications each cycle.
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Take advantage of Penn's cross-school structure if it fits your goals. Applicants interested in combining CS with business (via Wharton electives or the Jerome Fisher Program in Management and Technology) or with other disciplines should make that interdisciplinary interest explicit, since it is one of Penn's genuine differentiators relative to single-school engineering programs.
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Get recommendations that speak to technical depth. For both undergraduate and graduate applicants, a recommender who can describe specific evidence of quantitative or coding ability carries more weight than a general character reference.
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Clear the English-proficiency bar with consistency across sections, not just a high composite. Penn Admissions has specifically noted that the most competitive applicants show even performance across all four TOEFL sections rather than one strong section propping up the average.
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For graduate applicants, target a TOEFL of 100+ or IELTS 7.5+ rather than the bare minimum. Penn Engineering strongly recommends these higher figures for MSE CIS and other SEAS master's programs, a materially higher bar than Penn's undergraduate recommendation.
English Proficiency Requirement (IELTS/TOEFL)
Undergraduate:
- IELTS: minimum 7.0 overall, recommended 7.5
- TOEFL: minimum 100 overall, recommended 105; no official per-section minimum, but Penn Admissions notes that the most competitive applicants show consistency across all four sections
- Waiver: granted if English is the applicant's native and first language, or if English was the sole language of secondary-school instruction
Graduate (SEAS/MSE CIS):
- IELTS: minimum 7.0 overall, recommended 7.5
- TOEFL: minimum 100 overall; Penn Engineering strongly recommends 100+ for all master's and PhD applicants
- Duolingo: recommended 135 for SEAS graduate applicants, notably higher than the undergraduate recommendation of 120
- Waiver: granted for applicants who have graduated (or will graduate by matriculation) from a program taught entirely in English, including US institutions
For the full breakdown of Penn's testing policy across schools, see University of Pennsylvania IELTS requirements and University of Pennsylvania TOEFL requirements.
Career Outcomes
Penn does not publish outcomes broken out specifically for Computer Science; the figures below are Penn's broader university-wide outcomes, presented honestly as a proxy rather than a CS-specific statistic:
- Undergraduate employment rate after 6 months: 74% (university-wide figure); CS graduates, who are recruited heavily by major tech employers, typically place at or above this blended average
- Undergraduate average starting salary: roughly $95,000 (university-wide figure)
- Graduate employment rate after 6 months: 87% (university-wide figure)
- Graduate average starting salary: roughly $185,000 (university-wide figure)
- Top recruiters (university-wide, both levels): Goldman Sachs, J.P. Morgan, McKinsey & Company, Morgan Stanley, Google, Boston Consulting Group, Bain & Company
Penn CS graduates benefit from Penn's brand recognition and Philadelphia's proximity to both the New York finance corridor and a growing regional tech and biotech scene, alongside strong on-campus recruiting from major technology employers like Google.
FAQ
Does Penn publish a separate acceptance rate for Computer Science? No. Penn admits undergraduates to the university, not to a specific major, so there is no dedicated CS acceptance rate. The best available figures are Penn's 4.9% university-wide undergraduate rate and a directional 18-21% estimate for SEAS graduate admissions, which houses the MSE CIS program.
What IELTS or TOEFL score do I need for Penn's Computer Science program? Undergraduate applicants should target IELTS 7.0+ (7.5 recommended) or TOEFL 100+ (105 recommended). Graduate MSE CIS applicants face a similar IELTS floor (7.0, 7.5 recommended) but a graduate-specific TOEFL recommendation of 100+, which Penn Engineering treats as a stronger signal than the undergraduate threshold.
Is the GRE required for Penn's graduate Computer Science program? No. The GRE is optional for most SEAS master's programs, including MSE CIS, and applications are evaluated holistically.
How much does Penn's Computer Science program cost? Undergraduate tuition is $65,670/year, with total cost of attendance around $94,582/year. Graduate MSE CIS is billed per course unit ($8,825/c.u. for 2026-27), working out to roughly $35,300/year for a typical full-time course load.
Does Penn offer financial aid to international Computer Science students? Yes, at the undergraduate level. Penn's admissions process is need-aware for international applicants, but admitted students who are awarded aid have 100% of demonstrated need met. Graduate financial support is more limited and comes primarily through research or teaching assistant positions rather than guaranteed funding.
Can I combine Computer Science with a business degree at Penn? Yes. Penn's cross-school structure allows CS students to take Wharton electives, and the Jerome Fisher Program in Management and Technology offers a formal dual-degree path combining engineering (including CS) with business, though this is a separate, more selective application track.