Bachelor Programme
Business Analytics and Information Systems
Smeal's BS in Business Analytics and Information Systems sits where business and technology meet, teaching students to collect, manage, analyse and present business data for fact-based decisions. After the business core, the major covers business analytics, business data management, systems analysis, applied AI and machine learning in business and enterprise information systems, with a choice of programming skills for business or IT and business strategy. Students learn to build dashboards and visual analytics, take business breadth electives and reach a 12-credit level in a world language.
University
Pennsylvania State University
Country
United States
Level
Bachelor
Field
Business Analytics
Duration
4 years full-time (120 credits)
Language
English
Campus
University Park
Degree
Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Business Analytics and Information Systems
Intake
Fall semester (classes start in late August); summer starts are also possible. Spring admission at University Park is limited and some programs do not admit in spring
Application Deadline
Fall 2027 entry, via MyPennState or the Common App (Penn State has no preference), with a US$75 international application fee. Penn State has no binding Early Decision. International first-year deadlines: Early Action, complete application by 1 November 2026 for a decision by 24 December 2026 (deferred applicants hear by the end of January); Priority Admission, complete application by 1 February 2027 for a decision by 1 April 2027. Admitted students have until 1 May 2027 to accept. After 1 November applications are reviewed on a rolling basis and University Park becomes more competitive; the final deadline for international applicants for fall is 15 June 2027. Penn State recommends that all applications be complete by 1 December. The Schreyer Honors College needs a separate application (1 November for an interview, final deadline 2 December 2026)
Tuition Information
2026-27 (fall 2026 and spring 2027): University Park non-Pennsylvania tuition, which international students pay, is US$44,574 a year (US$22,287 a semester) for first- and second-year students and US$52,656 a year (US$26,328 a semester) for Business and Engineering programs (US$54,762 in 2027-28) in the upper division (from 59.1 credits). Mandatory fees on top of tuition are the University Park Student Initiated Fee (US$320 a semester for 9+ credits in 2026-27) and, for new international undergraduates on temporary visas, the International Undergraduate Student Fee of US$750 a semester, so a first-year international student pays about US$46,714 in tuition and fees. Penn State's 2026-27 cost-of-attendance elements for University Park add, per semester on campus, US$3,290 for food, US$4,638 for housing, US$645 for books and supplies, US$1,122 for transportation and US$1,556 for miscellaneous costs (US$22,502 for fall and spring), for a first-year budget of roughly US$69,200 (our total of the official figures). The Board of Trustees has already approved 2027-28 rates, the year fall 2027 entrants start: US$46,356 a year for lower-division non-residents. Penn State Global says there is essentially no financial aid for international undergraduates, and health insurance is mandatory for international students (Penn State Global's estimate was US$3,400 for 2025-26)
Admission Requirements
- School and admission route: apply to the Smeal College of Business, which admits first-year students as business pre-majors. You enter the Business Analytics and Information Systems major by applying in the entrance-to-major period after 36-59 graded Penn State credits, with a C or better in English composition, calculus (MATH 110 or 140) and statistics, ECON 102 completed, and ACCTG 211, MGMT 301, MKTG 301 and FIN 301 taken at Penn State with a C or better. For students who entered in summer 2026-spring 2027, the minimum cumulative GPA is 3.10; pre-majors with a GPA of 2.60-3.09 are considered if space allows
- Testing: test-optional, so SAT or ACT scores are not required unless you use them to prove English proficiency. If you include them you can self-report scores in MyPennState; Penn State uses your highest combined score from a single test date and does not superscore. Self-reported scores must be in by 1 November to count for Early Action
- English proficiency (international students whose native language is not English): Duolingo English Test 120; TOEFL iBT 4.5 on the scale used from 21 January 2026 (80 for tests taken before then; MyBest scores are not accepted); IELTS Academic 6.5; SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing 570; ACT English 24; GCSE/GCE English language grade A-C; IB English A (Language and Literature) 5+; four years at a US high school; or Penn State IECP certification. TOEFL, IELTS and Duolingo scores must be under two years old and sent directly by the testing agency
- Application materials: the online application, the Self-reported Transcript and Academic Record System (STARS) record (students in the South Korean system send official records from their last three years instead) and proof of English proficiency. Official secondary school records, certified and with literal English translations, are needed once you accept an offer