University of Pennsylvania

About University of Pennsylvania

The University of Pennsylvania (colloquially known as Penn or UPenn) is an elite private Ivy League research university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1740 by Benjamin Franklin and fellow civic visionaries, Penn was conceived on a pragmatic educational philosophy designed to balance classical liberal arts scholarship with practical knowledge in commerce, governance, medicine, science, and public service. Classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very High Research Activity," Penn is an intellectual and technological powerhouse with over $1.4 billion in annual sponsored research expenditures. Spanning a lush 299-acre contiguous urban campus in West Philadelphia's vibrant University City, Penn is distinctive among the Ivy League for its high degree of physical and academic integration under the renowned "One University" model. This policy empowers students to seamlessly enroll in courses and conduct interdisciplinary research across all 12 of its prestigious academic schools, which encompass its four undergraduate colleges: The Wharton School (the world's first collegiate business school, est. 1881), the College of Arts and Sciences, the School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS, historic home of the 1946 ENIAC computer), and the School of Nursing (consistently ranked #1 globally). Penn is equally celebrated for its world-class graduate and professional divisions. The Perelman School of Medicine, founded in 1765 as North America's first medical school, was the birthplace of mRNA vaccine technology pioneered by Nobel laureates Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman. The university is also home to Penn Carey Law School, Weitzman School of Design, Annenberg School for Communication, Penn Dental Medicine, and Penn Vet—the only veterinary medicine institution in the United States co-located on a major urban academic medical center.