University

University of Pennsylvania

University
#18 / #12
Global Influence / U.S. Influence
#10
Most Desirable School
Private research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

University of Pennsylvania Featured Rankings

About University of Pennsylvania

By James Barham, PhD

The University of Pennsylvania (commonly known as “Penn”) is a leading private research university (note that nearly all US universities named after their state are public-supported—Penn is an exception to this rule).

The sixth-oldest institution of higher learning in the country, Penn was the brain child of American Founding Father Benjamin Franklin, who also served as its first president. Franklin’s educational ideas were highly innovative for the time, inclining more towards the teaching of practical skills and preparation for the learned professions, in contrast to the traditional curriculum based on the Classical languages, literature, and history, which aimed primarily to produce ministers and “gentlemen.”

Accordingly, the first medical school in the 13 colonies (now known as the Perelman School of Medicine) was founded at Penn in 1765. Also, thanks in large part to Franklin’s guiding principles, the first business school in the country (the Wharton School) opened there in 1881.

Penn has had a major impact on American politics and history: nine signers of the Declaration of Independence were either graduates of the university or members of its Board of Trustees. Hundreds of Penn graduates have served in the two houses of Congress, at the cabinet level of the executive branch, and as ambassadors in their country’s diplomatic service. Nearly 50 have served as governors of many different states. Finally, Penn can boast three US Supreme Court Justices (James Wilson, Owen J. Roberts, and William J. Brennan) and two presidents (William Henry Harrison attended the Penn medical school, but did not graduate, and Donald Trump received his bachelor’s degree from the Wharton School).

Located in racially and economically diverse West Philadelphia, Penn today has a student body that is “majority minority,” comprising numerous African American, Hispanic, and Native American students, as well as many international students (just under 500 in all) hailing from East Asia, South Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and elsewhere.

Among notable alumni we may mention:

  • Philosopher, Hilary Putnam
  • Famed linguist, Noam Chomsky
  • Investors, Warren Buffett & Eric Weinstein
  • Entrepreneurs, Elon Musk, Steve Wynn, & Sundar Pichai
  • Actors, Bruce Dern, Candice Bergen, Vanessa Bayer, & Elizabeth Banks
  • Broadway producer, Harold Prince
  • Stand-up comedian, Whitney Cummings
  • TV personalities, Andrea Mitchell & Marc Lamont Hill
  • Distinguished American poets, William Carlos Williams & Ezra Pound
  • Renowned architect, I.M. Pei
  • Blogger, Cenk Uygur
  • Kaw professor and political activist, Lawrence Lessig
  • African independence leader and first president of Ghana, Kwame Nkrumah
  • 45th President of the United States, Donald Trump

Altogether, some 28 Penn-connected persons have been recipients of the Nobel Prize, including:

  • Christian Anfinsen —chemistry
  • Stanley Prusiner and Gerald Edelman, —physiology or medicine
  • Edmund Phelps, Lawrence Klein, and Simon Kuznets, —economics
  • Martin Luther King, Jr., —peace

According to Wikipedia, The University of Pennsylvania is a private Ivy League research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is one of nine colonial colleges and was chartered prior to the U.S. Declaration of Independence when Benjamin Franklin, the university's founder and first president, advocated for an educational institution that trained leaders in academia, commerce, and public service. Penn identifies as the fourth oldest institution of higher education in the United States, though this representation is challenged by other universities, as Franklin first convened the Board of Trustees in 1749, arguably making it the fifth oldest institution of higher education in the U.S.

University of Pennsylvania's Online Degrees

University of Pennsylvania Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information

Annual ApplicationsAcceptanceGraduation RateMedian SAT ScoreMedian ACT Score
56,3326%96%151534

How Much Does University of Pennsylvania Cost To Attend?

Tuition (in-state)
$61,710
Price by Family Income
IncomeAverage Net Cost
0 - 30K$580
30K - 48K$1,938
48K - 75K$12,020
75K - 110K$20,957
110K+$43,447

Source: National Center for Education Statistics

How Much Do University of Pennsylvania Graduates Make?

If you graduate from University of Pennsylvania, then you can expect to earn an average of $131,600 per year. You also have a 90% chance of being employed after 10 years.

University of Pennsylvania's Demographics

Demographic data is for full-time, on-campus students.

Student BodyUnder-GradsGraduates
30,65913,05717,602

Where is University of Pennsylvania?

University of Pennsylvania is located at 34th & Spruce Street, Philadelphia PA 19104-6303

What Is University of Pennsylvania Known For?

University of Pennsylvania is known for it's academic work in the following disciplines:

University of Pennsylvania's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered

Business
#6
World Rank
#6
Historical Rank
#5
USA Rank
business Degrees
Social Work
#5
World Rank
#4
Historical Rank
#5
USA Rank
social-work Degrees
Nursing
#8
World Rank
#8
Historical Rank
#5
USA Rank
nursing Degrees
Medical
#10
World Rank
#10
Historical Rank
#6
USA Rank
medicine Degrees
Communications
#12
World Rank
#16
Historical Rank
#7
USA Rank
communications Degrees
Engineering
#11
World Rank
#13
Historical Rank
#7
USA Rank
engineering Degrees
Anthropology
#14
World Rank
#13
Historical Rank
#7
USA Rank
anthropology Degrees
Psychology
#10
World Rank
#11
Historical Rank
#8
USA Rank
psychology Degrees
Sociology
#18
World Rank
#21
Historical Rank
#8
USA Rank
sociology Degrees
Education
#13
World Rank
#15
Historical Rank
#9
USA Rank
education Degrees
Economics
#13
World Rank
#17
Historical Rank
#9
USA Rank
economics Degrees
History
#16
World Rank
#17
Historical Rank
#9
USA Rank
history Degrees
Biology
#21
World Rank
#30
Historical Rank
#10
USA Rank
biology Degrees
Computer Science
#15
World Rank
#14
Historical Rank
#11
USA Rank
computer-science Degrees
Literature
#23
World Rank
#30
Historical Rank
#11
USA Rank
literature Degrees
Law
#18
World Rank
#18
Historical Rank
#11
USA Rank
Chemistry
#39
World Rank
#56
Historical Rank
#11
USA Rank
chemistry Degrees
Philosophy
#31
World Rank
#46
Historical Rank
#12
USA Rank
philosophy Degrees
Political Science
#23
World Rank
#23
Historical Rank
#12
USA Rank
political-science Degrees
Religious Studies
#54
World Rank
#66
Historical Rank
#14
USA Rank
religious-studies-hub Degrees
Mathematics
#39
World Rank
#71
Historical Rank
#15
USA Rank
math Degrees
Physics
#69
World Rank
#88
Historical Rank
#21
USA Rank
physics Degrees
Earth Sciences
#83
World Rank
#61
Historical Rank
#22
USA Rank
earth-science Degrees

Who Are University of Pennsylvania's Most Influential Alumni?

University of Pennsylvania's most influential alumni include professors and professionals in the fields of Social Work, Criminal Justice, and Business. Here are some of University of Pennsylvania's most famous alumni:

Noam Chomsky
Noam Chomsky
An American linguist and activist .
Ezra Pound
Ezra Pound
An American poet and critic.
Hilary Putnam
Hilary Putnam
An American philosopher.
Martin Seligman
Martin Seligman
An American psychologist and writer.
James McKeen Cattell
James McKeen Cattell
An American psychologist.
John Backus
John Backus
An American computer scientist.
Lawrence Lessig
Lawrence Lessig
An American academic, political activist.
Eric S. Raymond
Eric S. Raymond
An American computer programmer, author, and advocate for the open source movement .
I. M. Pei
I. M. Pei
A Chinese-American architect .
Paul R. Ehrlich
Paul R. Ehrlich
An American biologist and environmentalist noted for his warning about population growth being unsustainable.
Asa Gray
Asa Gray
An American botanist .
J. Presper Eckert
J. Presper Eckert
An American electrical engineer and computer pioneer.

Who Are University of Pennsylvania's Most Influential Faculty?

University of Pennsylvania's most influential faculty include professors in the fields of Social Work, Criminal Justice, and Business. Here are some of University of Pennsylvania's most famous alumni:

Duncan J. Watts
Duncan J. Watts
An Australian physicist and sociologist.
Kristen Ghodsee
Kristen Ghodsee
An American ethnographer and professor.
Ben Zimmer
Ben Zimmer
An American linguist and lexicographer.
Justin Wolfers
Justin Wolfers
An Australian and American economist and public policy scholar.
Matthew D. Green
Matthew D. Green
An American cryptographer and researcher.
Jordan Ellenberg
Jordan Ellenberg
An American mathematician .
Bruce Kleiner
Bruce Kleiner
An American mathematician and academic.
Emily Wilson
Emily Wilson
A British classicist, professor.
Betsey Stevenson
Betsey Stevenson
An American economist.
Adam Grant
Adam Grant
An American writer and Psych prof in the Wharton School.
Angela Duckworth
Angela Duckworth
An American psychologist awarded MacArthur Fellowship.
Janice Eberly
Janice Eberly
An American economist.