Public
Accredited · Middle States Commission on Higher Education
Erie, Pennsylvania
95.7% Acceptance Rate
Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College — Admission Snapshot 2026
A complete at-a-glance picture of every metric that matters for your 2026 application
95.7%Acceptance Rate
3.49Avg GPA
1213Avg SAT
26Avg ACT
$32,038Annual Cost
$63,435Grad Salary
26.7%Pell Grant
Acceptance Rate
95.7%
Avg GPA
3.49
Avg SAT
1213
Avg ACT
26
Selectivity
Inclusive
Institution Type
Public
Campus
Main Campus
Accredited By
Middle States Commission on Higher Education
SAT Middle 50%
1110–1320
ACT Middle 50%
23–28
Avg Net Price
$22,951
Need-Based Aid
26.7% receive Pell
Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, founded in 1948, is a comprehensive residential college of Penn State University located on a 854-acre suburban campus. Behrend offers 40+ undergraduate programs with strengths in engineering, business, and plastics technology, maintaining a 14:1 student-to-faculty ratio. The college features state-of-the-art facilities including the Advanced Manufacturing and Innovation Center and the $30 million School of Engineering building. Behrend's bachelor's degrees are awarded by Penn State University, providing the value of a Big Ten education in a smaller college setting.
Behrend's location near Lake Erie provides unique freshwater research opportunities through the university's Great Lakes Research Center. The Lions compete in NCAA Division III athletics in the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference. The campus's Knowledge Park houses technology companies that collaborate with faculty and students, while its Burke Center for Entrepreneurship supports student startups. Behrend's winter weather research benefits from its location in Pennsylvania's snowbelt region.
Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College Acceptance Rate
Admission at Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College is inclusive by design. 95.7% of applicants who meet basic eligibility are accepted.
What to Expect
- Eligibility First: A high school diploma or GED typically clears the main bar.
- Plan Ahead for Placement: Placement tests can shape which courses you start in. They are worth preparing for.
Selectivity at a Glance
Inclusive
Selectivity scale: Inclusive — 95.7% acceptance rate
Most Selective (0%)Open Enrollment (100%)
Recommended Academic Profile
Candidate GPA Range
Admission Category
Strategic Requirement
3.49 – 4.00
Target Match
Maintain Rigor & High Testing
3.29 – 3.48
Competitive Reach
Focus on Score Compensation
Below 3.04
Secondary Reach
Requires Contextual Support
Source: IPEDS & College Scorecard (Nov 2025).
Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College Application Deadlines & Admission Dates 2026
Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College follows a Rolling Admissions policy, meaning applications are reviewed as they arrive and there is no single fixed deadline, though the priority deadline of November 1 is recommended for the best chances of admission and financial aid.
Key Admission Dates
⏳ 87 days left — Priority Freshman
Rolling Admissions — Apply Anytime
Behrend College reviews applications continuously throughout the year. Seats and scholarships are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis, so applying early gives you a significant advantage for both admission and financial aid.
Priority Freshman
November 1
Decision by: December 24
💡 The scholarship deadline (November 1, 2026) often falls before the regular admission deadline. Submit your application and FAFSA early to be considered for maximum aid.
Deadlines are verified from official institutional sources but may change each cycle. Always confirm final dates on the official website.
Behrend College GPA Requirement
The average GPA of admitted students at Behrend College is 3.49. That makes admissions here competitive, but not extremely selective. Most admitted students carry a mix of A's and B's.
In the 3.19–3.49 range, a high SAT or ACT score still carries real weight.
Note the scale: this figure reflects an unweighted 4.0 GPA. Add AP or IB coursework and the equivalent weighted GPA usually lands around 3.69–3.89.Behrend College GPA & Admission Outlook
Assessment: Selective, with solid academic performance as the expectation.
Recommended Strategy: A clear, defined strength in one activity or research area matters more than breadth.
This range is a rough map. Where you land determines what else needs to carry weight in your application.:
Candidate GPA Range
Admission Category
Strategic Requirement
3.49 – 4.00
Target/Match
Maintain Rigor & High Testing
3.29 – 3.48
Competitive Match
Focus on SAT/ACT Compensation
3.09 – 3.28
Secondary Reach
Personal Statement & Impact
Below 3.08
Institutional Reach
Requires Significant Contextual Factors
Evaluation Metrics That Matter Here
- Behrend offers 38 four-year degree programs (some unique to the entire Penn State system, like Plastics Engineering Technology), plus four master's and four associate degrees, alongside the 2+2 pathway into virtually any Penn State major.
- Several Penn State Commonwealth campuses are closing after Spring 2027 (DuBois, Fayette, New Kensington, Mont Alto, Shenango, Wilkes-Barre, York) as part of a system-wide restructuring - Behrend is not one of them, but this reflects a broader current change worth knowing about the Penn State campus network.
- Test-optional admission with a median SAT of 1220 and median ACT of 27 among those who do submit - scores can still matter for merit scholarship review even when not required for the admission decision itself.
- Behrend's 854-acre campus includes Knowledge Park, an on-campus research and development complex, and the James R. Meehl Innovation Commons makerspace - genuine hands-on infrastructure distinguishing it from a typical small branch campus.
- Rigor Over Raw Number: Course rigor is read alongside the number itself. A 3.8 with a demanding schedule can beat a 4.0 without one.
- Trajectory Matters: Grades that climb toward graduation tend to matter more than a flat average. The trajectory tells its own story.
Data verified via IPEDS, College Scorecard (Nov 2025) and the Common Data Set (CDS). Expert Review led by Sohaib Khan and Dr. Waseem.
Check Your Admission Chances at Behrend College
Admission Chance Predictor
Built from Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College's own verified admissions data — adjust the sliders below
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Calculating Profile...
Adjust the sliders to see how every decimal point affects your outcome.
Your SAT Score 1200
Your Unweighted GPA 3.00
✅ Verified Data: Institutional records for 2026.
Calculated via College Portal's Human-Intelligence (HI) Methodology & Editorial Standards. Verified by Sohaib Ahmad Khan.
Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College (Behrend College) Test Requirements
Scores aren't just a formality at Behrend College. Landing within or above the 2026 admitted class's middle 50% keeps you fully competitive, even where submission is optional.
Can I Get Into Behrend College Without SAT or ACT?
Behrend College considers scores when submitted, without requiring them. Prepare well and submit your best attempt. Most applicants test 2–3 times.
Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College Average SAT Score: 1213
Admitted students at Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College average a 1213 SAT (out of 1600).
SAT Competitiveness
SAT 1213 — Slightly Competitive
A 1213 average tracks near the middle of the national distribution.
Key Insight: Aim for the 75th percentile (1320 SAT or 28 ACT) to stand out. Below average? Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College allows Score Choice for the SAT, so a retake only helps — a low sitting never has to be sent.
Scored under 1110? A retake is worth it at Behrend College. Two or three sittings is standard for competitive applicants, and there's no cap on how many times you can test.
SAT Scores Breakdown by Sections
| Section | Average | 25th Percentile | 75th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| SAT Math | 605 | 550 | 660 |
| SAT Reading | 610 | 560 | 660 |
| SAT Composite | 1213 | 1110 | 1320 |
A score under 1110 puts you in the lower quarter of admits; 1320+ puts you ahead of three-quarters of the admitted class. (These percentiles mark where a given share of the admitted class scored at or below.)
View list of all colleges with average SAT score of 1200
Can I get into Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College (Behrend College) with a 1300 SAT?
At 1300, your SAT is squarely in Behrend College's favor. That said, admissions staff read the full file. GPA, activities, and essays still carry real weight even with a strong score in hand.
Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College (Behrend College) ACT Requirements
Behrend College's admitted students average an ACT of 26.
ACT Competitiveness
ACT 26 — Competitive
An average of 26 is a respectable, above-average national benchmark.
ACT Scores Breakdown by Sections
| Section | Average | 25th Percentile | 75th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| ACT Math | 26 | 23 | 28 |
| ACT English | 24 | 21 | 27 |
| ACT Composite | 26 | 23 | 28 |
Can I get into Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College with a 28 ACT?
At 28, you're in the top quarter of Behrend College's admitted class by ACT score. That's a real advantage, but admissions still reads GPA, essays, and activities alongside it.
The ACT's four sections, English, Math, Reading, and Science, are each scored independently on a 1–36 scale, and admissions staff do notice a lopsided breakdown. If one section trails the others significantly, that's worth addressing before you apply, particularly for STEM programs where Science carries extra weight.
Beyond the number itself, Behrend College weighs your transcript rigor, activities, recommendations, and essays just as heavily. The ACT opens the door, and the rest of your file decides what happens next.
Your 2026 Admissions Roadmap for Behrend College
Inclusive Strategy: Success & Transfer
Getting into Behrend College is the easy part. What matters next is using placement testing, advising, and available resources to set up a strong first year.
Consider Behrend's 2+2 pathway as a genuine strategic entry point into competitive Penn State majors, not a "lesser" branch-campus compromise
Behrend lets students begin nearly any of Penn State's 275+ majors at the Erie campus and finish at University Park or another campus, with students generally declaring their major and requesting Change of Campus near the end of their second year. If your target major is highly competitive at University Park directly, applying to start at Behrend and transferring in via the 2+2 pathway can be a genuinely different, less competitive entry route into the same eventual Penn State degree - research whether your intended major participates in this pathway before assuming University Park is your only option.
If you're drawn to plastics or polymer engineering, know Behrend offers something literally unavailable anywhere else in the Penn State system
Behrend's B.S. in Plastics Engineering Technology is the only plastics-specific undergraduate degree in the entire Penn State system and one of just six ABET-accredited programs in the United States, housed in the largest undergraduate plastics processing lab in the country. If materials science, polymer engineering, or manufacturing genuinely interests you, name this specific program in your application rather than a generic "engineering" interest - it's a structural rarity that admissions readers will recognize as a deliberate, informed choice rather than a fallback.
Don't assume test-optional status means test scores don't matter at all for scholarship consideration - submit them if they're strong
Behrend accepts applications without SAT/ACT scores (test-optional), but middle-50% data shows admitted students scoring 1110-1320 SAT or 25-31 ACT, suggesting scores can still meaningfully support merit scholarship consideration even when not required for admission itself. If your scores fall at or above the middle-50% range, submit them specifically for scholarship review even if you'd otherwise go test-optional for the base admission decision.
If you're interested in the Black School of Business, know Behrend's Financial Trading Lab with live Bloomberg Terminals is a genuine hands-on differentiator worth naming specifically
Behrend's business students train on Bloomberg Terminals in a dedicated Financial Trading Lab - real-time market-data access that's uncommon at a branch-campus scale. If finance or business analytics is your intended major, reference this specific facility in your application materials or admissions conversations to demonstrate you've researched Behrend's actual infrastructure rather than treating it as a generic "smaller Penn State campus."
Expert Insight:
Because Penn State Behrend has a very high overall acceptance rate (nearly 97%) and is broadly perceived as an easy "safety" entry point into the Penn State system, applicants sometimes treat their application with less care than they would for University Park directly - but Behrend's own students report that the admissions process evaluates them "as a real person, not just a set of numbers," suggesting personal statement quality and demonstrated fit still carry real weight even at high acceptance rates. Note also that several other Penn State Commonwealth campuses (DuBois, Fayette, New Kensington, Mont Alto, Shenango, Wilkes-Barre, York) are scheduled for closure after Spring 2027 - Behrend is not among them, but this system-wide restructuring is worth being aware of if comparing Penn State campus options.
Behrend College Profile
Full Name
Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College (Behrend College)
City
Erie
State
Pennsylvania
ZIP Code
16563-0001
Type
Public
Campus
Main Campus
Official Website
Accredited By
Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSACHE)
Is a Behrend College Degree Worth It?
Whether Behrend College is worth it depends less on its reputation and more on your program choice, financial aid package, and career goals. Here's the data to weigh it against.
Admitted students' families report a median household income around $63,400, and graduates see a 3.15% unemployment rate.
How much does a degree from Behrend College Cost?
Listed tuition runs $32,038/year at Behrend College. Factor in Pell and federal grant aid, and most students land closer to $22,951.
At Behrend College, 26.7% receive a Pell Grant and 56.7% carry federal loans. Filing FAFSA early and naming Behrend College on it improves your shot at both.
How much does a Behrend College Graduate earn?
Ten years out from enrollment, Behrend College graduates report a median income of $63,435, about 56% above the U.S. median graduate income.
Compare Similar Colleges
Less Competitive Schools
These schools have lower average SAT or ACT scores than Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College. If your SAT or ACT score is slightly lower, you'll be competitive for these schools.
| School | Location | SAT | ACT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Birmingham-Southern College | Birmingham, AL | 1197 | 24 |
| Samford University | Birmingham, AL | 1203 | 26 |
| University of Arkansas | Fayetteville, AR | 1174 | 25 |
| Harding University | Searcy, AR | 1187 | 25 |
| Dominican University of California | San Rafael, CA | 1194 | 26 |
| Eastern Connecticut State University | Willimantic, CT | 1200 | NA |
| University of New Haven | West Haven, CT | 1190 | NA |
| Nova Southeastern University | Fort Lauderdale, FL | 1182 | 25 |
| Savannah College of Art and Design | Savannah, GA | 1178 | 25 |
| Spelman College | Atlanta, GA | 1184 | 24 |
Equally Competitive Schools
These schools have the same range of average SAT or ACT scores as Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College. If your SAT or ACT score is competitive, you'll be competitive for these schools also.
| School | Location | SAT | ACT |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Mobile | Mobile, AL | 1220 | 24 |
| Samford University | Birmingham, AL | 1203 | 26 |
| John Brown University | Siloam Springs, AR | 1222 | 26 |
| Ouachita Baptist University | Arkadelphia, AR | 1212 | 25 |
| University of Hartford | West Hartford, CT | 1207 | 29 |
More Competitive Schools
These schools have higher average SAT or ACT scores than Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College. If you improve your SAT or ACT score, you'll be competitive for these schools.
| School | Location | SAT | ACT |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Alabama at Birmingham | Birmingham, AL | 1251 | 26 |
| The University of Alabama | Tuscaloosa, AL | 1287 | 28 |
| University of Arizona | Tucson, AZ | 1261 | 26 |
| Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Prescott | Prescott, AZ | 1256 | 27 |
| Biola University | La Mirada, CA | 1258 | 27 |
Degree Programs at Behrend College
Bachelor Degree Programs
Frequently Asked Questions About Behrend College Admissions
Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College graduates earn a moderate median salary of $63,435/year, with some variation by field.
Tuition at Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College is moderate, around $32,038/year; many students supplement with aid.
26.7% of Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College students get a Pell Grant. Your odds depend mostly on household income, and filing FAFSA early still helps maximize what you're offered.
Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College's acceptance rate is 95.7%, comparatively higher than most selective universities. Admission is more attainable here.
The average GPA of admitted Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College students is 3.49, reflecting a competitive applicant pool.
There's no strict cutoff, but a GPA at or above 3.19 puts you in the standard applicant pool at Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College. Below that, your essays and recommendations need to work harder to provide context.
A GPA of 3.09 or below makes admission tougher at Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College, but strong test scores, activities, and essays, plus AP/IB coursework, can still keep you in contention.
Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College weighs the SAT heavily. Scoring above 1213, and within the 1110–1320 range, keeps you competitive.
Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College's deadline is November 1, with decisions out by December 24. Rolling Admissions applies too, so earlier is always better.
Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College charges an application fee of 65; ask admissions about waiver eligibility if cost is a barrier.
For priority financial aid consideration, get your FAFSA in before November 1, 2026. That's Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College's scholarship priority date.
Transferring in is a well-trodden path here. Line up your transcripts, recommendations, and a strong personal statement before applying.
The biggest levers are academic performance, a clear extracurricular focus, and essays that stand out, plus a solid test score where the school considers one.
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