Penn State Office of the University Registrar

Semester Classification

An undergraduate degree candidate's semester classification is used for establishing the following:

  • how early a student may register
  • assigning classes with a prerequisite semester classification
  • change of campus assignment
  • tuition calculation
  • eligibility for parking on campus

This classification is based on the following table of credits earned (policy 37-70):

Academic Classification by Semester

Table of the number of semester classification and status of a student based on total credits earned.
Total Credits Earned Semester Classification Status
14.0 or fewer 1 First-Year Student
14.1 to 29 2 First-Year Student
29.1 to 44 3 Sophomore
44.1 to 59 4 Sophomore
59.1 to 74 5 Junior
74.1 to 89 6 Junior
89.1 to 104 7 Senior
104.1 to 119 8 Senior
119.1 to 134 9 Senior
134.1 to 149 10 Senior
149.1 or more 11 Senior