Applied to through a school
Penn says you apply to one of four undergraduate schools or a coordinated dual-degree programme. Business Analytics sits in the Wharton School.
Undergraduate · Penn Wharton
Penn Business Analytics: a Wharton concentration for data-driven decisions
Penn says applicants apply to one of four undergraduate schools or a coordinated dual-degree programme. The catalogue lists Business Analytics, BS under the Wharton School as a joint concentration between two Wharton departments, so it sits inside Wharton's Bachelor of Science in Economics rather than being a separate admission. This guide sets out what the catalogue says and how it differs from Wharton's Statistics and Data Science programme.
Official information · read 1 November 2026, no entry-year label
What Penn says about Penn Business Analytics
Taken from Penn's University Catalog entry for Business Analytics, 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.
Three skills named
Collecting and describing data, forming inferences and predictions, and making optimal and robust decisions.
33 units and a capstone
Wharton BS requirements 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: Business Analytics, BScatalog.upenn.edu
- Penn Admissions: Testingadmissions.upenn.edu
Read on 1 November 2026 on Penn's University Catalog entry for Business Analytics, 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 the Business Analytics joint concentration is designed to build competency in implementing and overseeing data-driven business decisions: collecting, managing and describing datasets, forming inferences and predictions from data, and making optimal and robust decisions, with extensive use of statistical analysis across all functional areas. It suits careers broadly called data science and complements the functional areas of business. The entry sits under Wharton with Wharton BS requirements, a senior capstone and 33 course units. This guide does not list individual courses.
Is it the right route?
Business Analytics beside Statistics and Data Science and Behavioral Economics
Penn describes these as separate schools and programmes, so the choice is made at application. Avandy's comparison is general.
Business Analytics fits if
you want data skills aimed at business decisions, with optimisation as well as inference.
Statistics and Data Science fits if
you want the statistical discipline itself. Avandy's Penn Statistics and Data Science guide covers it.
Behavioral Economics fits if
you want decision psychology. Avandy's Penn Behavioral Economics 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. Business Analytics 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.
Are statistics and optimisation both appealing?
The concentration covers both.
Do you want a business-school 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 Business Analytics?
You apply to the Wharton School, one of four undergraduate schools. Penn says you do not technically apply to Penn itself.
Is Business Analytics a separate degree?
The catalogue lists it under Wharton as a joint concentration; Wharton grants the Bachelor of Science in Economics.
How many units?
The catalogue lists 33.
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 Business Analytics
Tell us about the student's curriculum, their mathematics and statistics, how they weigh business analytics against data science routes 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.