About University of Pennsylvania
Given its status as one of the nine original Colonial Colleges – institutions established before the US became a sovereign nation after the American Revolution – and a founding member of the Association of American Universities, it is no surprise the University of Pennsylvania (Penn) claims to be the first fully fledged (multi-faculty) “university” in the USA.
Though Penn’s origins date back to 1740, it was until 1749 when Benjamin Franklin published his famous essay, Proposals Relating to the Education of Youth, circulated it among Philadelphia’s prominent citizens, and organized 24 trustees to form an institution of higher education based on his proposals. It was 30 years later when Penn was granted university status. Since then, Penn has expanded into a sprawling 302-acre campus with 200 buildings. It boasts many notable “first” landmarks on campus including the country’s first student union, double-decker college football stadium, and the world’s first collegiate business school – The Wharton School.
Penn’s prowess is not restricted to just infrastructure. The university has an exhaustive list of notable alumni from all walks of life. Penn has affiliations with over 25 Nobel Laureates including physicist Raymond Davis Jr and economist Lawrence Klein, and has accounted for numerous heads of state. Ninth president of the USA, William Henry Harrison, trod the boards at Penn in 1791, while Nnamdi Azikiwe – former president of Nigeria – and Kwame Nkrumah – former prime minister and president of Ghana – both gained multiple degrees from the institution. Noted modernist poets and friends Ezra Pound and William Carlos Williams are among the literary luminaries from the institution.
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Key statistics
- 22,539Number of FTE Students(1)
- 25%Proportion of ISR Publications(1)
- 6.8No. of students per staff(1)
- 55 : 45Student Ratio of Females to Males(1)
- 24%Percentage of International Students(1)
- $57,770Out-of-state Tuition and Fees(2)
- $16,190On-campus Room and Board(2)
- $82,667Salary after 10 years(2)
Subjects taught at University of Pennsylvania
Business & economics
- Business & Management
- Economics & Econometrics
- Accounting & Finance
Clinical, pre-clinical & health
- Other Health
- Medicine & Dentistry
Arts & humanities
- Languages, Literature & Linguistics
- Archaeology
- History, Philosophy & Theology
- Art, Performing Arts & Design
- Architecture
Psychology
- Psychology
Engineering & technology
- Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering
- General Engineering
- Electrical & Electronic Engineering
- Chemical Engineering
Education
- Education
Physical sciences
- Mathematics & Statistics
- Geology, Environmental, Earth & Marine Sciences
- Chemistry
- Physics & Astronomy
Social sciences
- Communication & Media Studies
- Politics & International Studies (incl Development Studies)
- Sociology
- Geography
Computer science
- Computer Science
Life sciences
- Biological Sciences
- Veterinary Science
Law
- Law