Applied to through a school
Penn says you apply to one of four undergraduate schools or a coordinated dual-degree programme. Behavioral Economics sits in the Wharton School.
Undergraduate · Penn Wharton
Penn Behavioral Economics: a Wharton concentration on how people actually decide
Penn says applicants apply to one of four undergraduate schools or a coordinated dual-degree programme. The catalogue lists Behavioral Economics, BS under the Wharton School as a joint concentration between two Wharton departments, so it is a concentration inside Wharton's Bachelor of Science in Economics, not a separate admission. This guide sets out what the catalogue says.
Official information · read 1 November 2026, no entry-year label
What Penn says about Penn Behavioral Economics
Taken from Penn's University Catalog entry for Behavioral Economics, BS and Penn Admissions' Four Schools, Specialized Degree Programs, International Applicants and Testing pages, read on 1 November 2026. The pages carry no entry-year label, so for a 2028-entry application every statement below is evidence for the previous cycle and may change; check Penn's pages for the 2028-entry details.
A Wharton joint concentration
Two Wharton departments share it, within the Bachelor of Science in Economics.
How people actually decide
The catalogue contrasts real decisions with fully rational, selfish ones.
33 units and a capstone
Wharton BS requirements, a language requirement and a senior capstone apply.
The SAT or ACT is required
Penn says applicants must submit scores for the SAT or ACT, with a waiver for hardship.
Official sources
- Penn Admissions: The Four Schoolsadmissions.upenn.edu
- Penn University Catalog: Behavioral Economics, BScatalog.upenn.edu
- Penn Admissions: Testingadmissions.upenn.edu
Read on 1 November 2026 on Penn's University Catalog entry for Behavioral Economics, BS and Penn Admissions' Four Schools, Specialized Degree Programs, International Applicants and Testing pages, which describes 2027 entry. The pages carry no entry-year label. The department's own pages, the course descriptions, deadlines and financial aid were not read and are not stated.
The programme
What the catalogue says the programme is
Penn's catalogue says psychologists and economists have joined forces over the last 30 years to study how people process information and actually make decisions rather than how they would if fully rational and selfish, and that behavioural economics explains how decisions deviate from optimal choices and what that means for consumers, managers, firms and policy. The entry sits under Wharton with Wharton BS requirements, a language requirement, a senior capstone and 33 course units. This guide does not list individual courses.
Is it the right route?
Behavioral Economics in Wharton beside College and data routes
Penn describes these as separate schools and programmes, so the choice is made at application. Avandy's comparison is general.
This concentration fits if
you want psychology and economics joined to explain real decisions, inside a business-school degree.
Mathematical Economics fits if
you want economic theory in the College. Avandy's Penn Mathematical Economics guide covers it.
Statistics and Data Science fits if
you want a data focus. Avandy's Penn Statistics and Data Science guide covers it.
Admission and testing
The Wharton School, an SAT or ACT and predicted grades
Penn requires applicants to submit SAT or ACT scores, with a waiver for hardship. It has no explicit course requirements or minimum test score requirements, and it asks schools to provide predicted scores if final exams are not yet available. Behavioral Economics is not a separate application: the application is to the Wharton School. This guide states no score.
A decision framework
Three questions before you commit
This is Avandy's own framework, not Penn's.
Does the gap between rational and real decisions interest you?
It is the field's premise.
Do you want a Wharton degree?
The concentration sits in Wharton.
Can you plan the SAT or ACT with your A levels or IB?
Penn requires one of them from applicants.
Planning for 2028 entry
Planning for 2028 entry: what carries over and what is awaiting publication
Penn's pages carry no entry-year label, so nothing on them is confirmed for 2028 entry. Use them to understand the structure of the application, then check Penn's own pages for the 2028-entry details.
The curriculum on the Penn catalogue page read on 1 November 2026, which describes itself as a guide for students entering in Fall 2026 and later
These are the best guide to what to prepare. Penn has not confirmed them for 2028 entry.
Deadlines, fees, financial aid and any updated curriculum for the 2028 cohort: not stated
This guide has not read them. Check Penn for the values that apply to your application year.
What to do now
Read the catalogue entry and plan the SAT or ACT alongside your A levels or IB.
Support
Independent support with planning your own application
Avandy provides independent academic and admissions support. It is not affiliated with the University of Pennsylvania or any of its colleges or departments. Preparation sits within the Avandy Trinity Advisory Model: a Strategic Admissions Consultant, a PhD-level Academic Mentor and a Subject-specific Tutor, working to the actual requirements of each course. Support here is limited to understanding the requirements and planning the applicant's own work; Avandy does not write or edit essays, does not submit any materials and has no partnership with the University of Pennsylvania. No outcome is promised.
Questions
Questions applicants ask
Can I apply directly to Penn Behavioral Economics?
You apply to the Wharton School, one of four undergraduate schools. Penn says you do not technically apply to Penn itself.
Is Behavioral Economics a separate degree?
The catalogue lists it under Wharton as a joint concentration; Wharton grants the Bachelor of Science in Economics.
Is there a language requirement?
The catalogue lists two semesters at beginner level of a language other than English or equivalent proficiency.
Do I need the SAT or ACT?
Yes. Penn says applicants must submit scores for the SAT or ACT, with a waiver for hardship.
Does Penn name specific A levels or IB subjects?
Penn says it has no explicit course requirements for admittance.
Are these the rules for 2028 entry?
No. They are Penn's wording with no entry-year label. Check Penn's pages again when Penn publishes its 2028-entry requirements.
Students and families
Talk to us about Penn Behavioral Economics
Tell us about the student's curriculum, their mathematics and psychology interests, how they weigh a Wharton behavioural route against College economics and their SAT or ACT plan, the universities on the list, and the intended year of entry. A senior adviser will review the academic profile before recommending how to prepare.