Over two-thirds of Penn undergraduates regularly engage in sexual activity, according to a Daily Pennsylvanian survey of students' sexual preferences.

The survey of 1,008 undergraduates — around 10% of the student population — found that 68.2% said they are sexually active and 77.3% said they have had penetrative sex. 410 men, 562 women, and 156 nonbinary, genderqueer, genderfluid, or agender students responded to the survey. The sample included 682 students in the College of Arts and Sciences, 168 students in the School of Engineering and Applied Science, 165 students in the Wharton School, and 59 students in the School of Nursing. 

The anonymous survey — conducted from Feb. 2 to Feb. 10 and promoted on the DP's newsletter and social media — was created in collaboration with Quake Magazine, Penn's sex and sexuality publication. 

Engineering students have the most sex at Penn

The most sexually active school among Penn undergraduates is the Engineering School, with 75.6% of Engineering students reporting being sexually active. The Nursing School is the least sexually active, with only 57.6% of students reporting regular sexual activity. 

Overall, Penn falls in between Georgetown University, where 72% of survey respondents reported being sexually active, and the University of Michigan, where 62% of their survey respondents were sexually active.

“[Young people are] at an age when they are trying to understand their own sexuality," Penn anthropology professor Theodore Schurr, who teaches ANTH 1040, "Sex and Human Nature," said.

The percentage of students who reported having penetrative sex follows a similar pattern: 83% of Engineering students, 77% of Wharton students, 76% of students in the College, and 73% of Nursing students have had penetrative sex. 

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92% of seniors have had penetrative sex compared to 60% of first years

When looking at virginity rates by year, 40% of first years said they have never had penetrative sex. This number almost halves among sophomores — of whom just 28% said they are virgins. Among seniors, only 8% of the class reported that they have never had penetrative sex. 

First years are less sexually active than any other year at Penn

Just under half of the Class of 2026 reported being sexually active, contradicting a past stereotype of first-year promiscuity at Penn. The Class of 2024 is the most sexually active year, with 75.6% of the class reporting themselves as sexually active.

Students who live off campus are the most sexually active

Among undergraduates, students who live off campus are the most sexually active. Fisher-Hassenfeld College House is the least sexually active college house, with 52.4% of residents saying they are sexually active. 

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Two in three undergraduates reported satisfaction with their sex lives

Among the schools, undergraduates in the Engineering School are the most sexually satisfied, with 69.6% of engineering students reporting sexual satisfaction. 62.7% of undergraduates in the Nursing School feel similarly, making them the least sexually satisfied school.

Among dorms, 80.6% of students who live in Gregory College House report the highest rates of sexual satisfaction, making them the most sexually satisfied college house. By contrast, less than a majority — 45.6% — of Ware College House students said they are sexually satisfied. 

Men, women, and students who are nonbinary, genderqueer, genderfluid, or agender, are around equally satisfied. While 67.5% of straight students report sexual satisfaction, 58.1% of lesbian and gay students feel the same way. 

When asked about their perceptions of Penn’s sex culture, one survey respondent wrote, “Especially because of gay hookup culture, it’s hard to find meaningful relationships.” 

According to Graduate School of Education professor Jonathan Zimmerman, these feelings could be a result of the cultural stereotype of gay male promiscuity. 

In contrast, another respondent wrote, “For lesbians, [Penn’s sex scene is] majorly lacking,” alleging a lack of diversity in Penn’s culture. 

Two other respondents alleged dissatisfaction when engaging in sexual activity with men. Data from the survey show that 51.1% of undergraduates who are women report that they have faked an orgasm, compared to 22.0% of men saying they have faked an orgasm. The gendered orgasm disparity is termed the “orgasm gap" and is an inequity that Zimmerman said people do not talk about enough.

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At the 'party Ivy,' a majority of undergraduates have had one to five sexual partners

In contrast, just under 5% of students said they have had sex with more than 21 people. 

Around two in three Penn students reported using or having used a dating app, with Tinder, Bumble, Hinge, and Grindr being the most popular. However, just 25.1% said they meet their partners there. In contrast, 36.4% of students said they meet their sexual partners at bars, clubs, and parties.

When asked about their most exciting sex story, respondents described having sex in places such as Kelly Writers House, under The Button, outside of Huntsman Hall, the Hill College House fifth floor balcony, and a Butcher shower in Ware College House.

A slight majority of Penn students always use male condoms, among other birth control methods

Among sexually active students who can use male condoms or have partners who can use male condoms, 51.4% said that they always use them, while around two in ten students reported that they did not use them. The data also shows that 35.2% of hormonal birth control-eligible students use hormonal birth control methods such as the pill or the patch and 14.6% of eligible students reported using IUDs. 

Schurr said the safest way to have sex is to not have it at all. But for those who are having sex, Schurr said that it’s important to be attentive to your body, your behavior, and your partner, and to also use contraception every time you have sex. 

In the last year, 41.1% of sexually active students said they got tested for sexually transmitted infections. Compared to a study in 2020 finding that 8% of college men and 20% of college women got tested for STIs, the survey indicates that Penn students are getting tested at higher rates.

LGBTQ students reported that they tend to get tested at higher rates than students who identify as straight, with 47.6% of straight students, 57.0% of bisexual students, and 68.3% of gay or lesbian students saying that they get tested. 

Approximately one in ten undergraduates surveyed reported testing positive for STIs.

Barriers to sex at Penn

31% of respondents said that they were “too busy” to have sex, including majorities of Engineering students and College students. Besides being busy, 30.5% of respondents said they felt that it was too difficult to find a sexual partner on campus. Other students said that their religion or a long-distance relationship held them back from having sex.

One complaint among respondents was Penn’s perceived hookup culture. For instance, one respondent wrote that "everyone is about the hookup culture" and that "not enough people are kind."

This sentiment was echoed multiple times, with many respondents disliking that a majority of Penn students prioritize sex over sustained romantic connections. 

“[Hookup culture] creates a new set of rules, not about sex, but about talking about sex, such as the prizing of sexual conquests and the celebration of who's hooked up with the hottest person," Zimmerman said.

Respondents also alleged a prevalence of sexual violence and assault on campus. 

“Men on Penn's campus constantly impose themselves upon girls at parties, often drunkenly expecting to take them home that night. I've had multiple bad experiences with guys grabbing me, isolating me from my friends, and getting physical with me while I have no desire to be sexual,” one respondent wrote.

The 2019 Campus Climate Survey on Sexual Assault and Sexual Misconduct reported that 25.9% of undergraduate women, 7.3% of undergraduate men, and 21.5% of transgender, genderqueer, or nonbinary undergraduate students reported unwanted sexual contact since entering Penn. 

College senior and former Every Voice Coalition state director Justin Acheampong said that Penn can do more to support survivors of sexual violence, including those who have reported it and those who have not.

University resources for sexual violence include Penn Violence Prevention, Special Services, the Title IX Office, the Penn Women’s Center, the LGBT Center, the Wellness team, and student groups such as Abuse and Sexual Assault Prevention. Acheampong said that in addition to these outlets, that the University should prioritize the voices of survivors and involve students more in school policymaking.

“Universities need to … bring survivors into the room so that we can advocate for what we need,” Acheampong said. “I think from there it is when you get policies that are survivor-centered and actually very meaningful in how they're helping students.”