Hi welcome to the Penn Academic Calendar 2026-2027 page. Here we have listed all of the activities conducted by the school for you. Each academic calendar specifies the dates when students can sign up for, drop, or withdraw from classes. However, your primary motivation for using an academic calendar will be scheduling your time and practicing time management.
According to PeopleSoft Campus Solutions, academic calendars “are systems that academic institutions use to define the landmark dates driving much of their day-to-day business.” Colleges and universities establish calendar dates for payments and financial aid applications. These dates encompass critical information such as the first and last day of classes, holidays, and graduation commencements.
An academic calendar serves as a reminder of important events for students, instructors, and staff throughout the academic year and semester. It also benefits parents, alumni, and potential students.
Each educational institution creates its own academic calendar with specific dates. For example, one college might commence classes on August 30, while another begins on September 6. Nevertheless, these organizations may also follow similar schedules, such as observing holidays like Thanksgiving
| 2025 Fall Term | |
|---|---|
| Move-in Information | More Information |
| New Student Orientation | August 20-25 |
| Second-Year Orientation | August 24-29 |
| Opening Exercises and Convocation | August 25 |
| First day of classes | August 26 |
| Labor Day (no classes) | September 1 |
| Course Selection Period ends | September 9 |
| Drop Period ends | October 6 |
| Fall Term Break | October 9-12 |
| Indigenous People’s Day (University open; Classes in session) | October 13 |
| Classes resume | October 13 |
| Grade Mode Change Deadline | October 24 |
| Family Weekend | October 24-26 |
| Advance Registration for Spring Term | October 27-November 10 |
| Last day to withdraw from a course | November 3 |
| Homecoming | November 8 (Cornell) |
| Thur-Fri class schedule on Tue-Wed | November 25-26 |
| Thanksgiving Break | November 27-30 |
| Classes resume | December 1 |
| Last day of classes | December 8 |
| Reading Days | December 9-10 |
| Final Examinations | December 11-18 |
| Fall Term ends | December 18 |
| 2026 Spring Term | |
| First day of classes | January 14 (Monday classes) |
| MLK, Jr. Day observed (no classes) | January 19 |
| Course Selection Period ends | January 27 |
| Drop Period ends | February 23 |
| Spring Term Break | March 7-15 |
| Classes resume | March 16 |
| Grade Mode Change Deadline | March 23 |
| Advance Registration for Fall Term | March 23-April 6 |
| Registration for Summer Session Begins | March 23 |
| Last day to withdraw from a course | March 30 |
| Last day of classes | April 29 |
| Reading Days | April 30-May 3 |
| Final Examinations | May 4-12 |
| Spring Term ends | May 12 |
| Baccalaureate | May 12 |
| Alumni Day | May 16 |
| Commencement | May 18 |
| 2026 Summer Term | |
| Memorial Day observed (no classes) | May 25 |
| 11-Week Session classes begin | May 26 |
| Session I classes begin | May 26 |
| Juneteenth (no classes) | June 19 |
| Session I classes end | July 1 |
| Session II classes begin | July 2 |
| Independence Day observed (no classes) | July 3 |
| Session II & 11-Week Session classes end | August 7 |
| 2026 Fall Term | |
| Move-In Information | More Information |
| New Student Orientation | August 19-24 |
| Second-Year Student Orientation | August 23-28 |
| Opening Exercises and Convocation | August 24 |
| First day of classes | August 25 |
| Labor Day (no classes) | September 7 |
| Course Selection Period ends | September 8 |
| Fall Term Break | October 1-4 |
| Classes resume | October 5 |
| Drop Period ends | October 5 |
| Indigenous People’s Day (University open; Classes in session) | October 12 |
| Grade Mode Change Deadline | October 23 |
| Family Weekend | October 23-25 (Yale) |
| Advance Registration for Spring Term | October 26-November 9 |
| Last day to withdraw from a course | November 2 |
| Homecoming | November 14 (Harvard) |
| Thur-Fri class schedule on Tue-Wed | November 24-25 |
| Thanksgiving Break | November 26-29 |
| Classes resume | November 30 |
| Last day of classes | December 7 |
| Reading Days | December 8-9 |
| Final Examinations | December 10-17 |
| Fall Term ends | December 17 |
| 2027 Spring Term | |
| MLK, Jr. Day observed (no classes) | January 18 |
| First day of classes | January 20 |
| Course Selection Period ends | February 2 |
| Drop Period ends | March 1 |
| Spring Term Break | March 6-14 |
| Classes resume | March 15 |
| Grade Mode Change Deadline | March 29 |
| Advance Registration for Fall Term | March 29-April 12 |
| Registration for Summer Session Begins | March 29 |
| Last day to withdraw from a course | April 5 |
| Last day of classes | May 4 |
| Reading Days | May 5-6 |
| Final Examinations | May 7-17 |
| Spring Term ends | May 17 |
| Baccalaureate | May 18 |
| Alumni Day | May 22 |
| Commencement | May 24 |
| 2027 Summer Term | |
| Memorial Day observed (no classes) | May 31 |
| 11-Week Session classes begin | June 1 |
| Session I classes begin | June 1 |
| Juneteenth observed (no classes) | June 18 |
| Independence Day observed (no classes) | July 5 |
| Session I classes end | July 8 |
| Session II classes begin | July 9 |
| Session II & 11-Week Session classes end | August 13 |