University of Pennsylvania

Inclusion

Scholarship and Learning: Academic life at Penn is unparalleled, with 100 countries and every U.S. state represented in one of the Ivy League’s most diverse student bodies. Consistently ranked among the top 10 universities in the country, Penn enrolls 10,000 undergraduate students and welcomes an additional 10,000-plus students to our world-renowned graduate and professional schools.

Penn’s award-winning educators and scholars encourage students to pursue inquiry and discovery, follow their passions, and address the world’s most challenging problems through an interdisciplinary approach.

Access and Affordability: Financial need is not a barrier to a Penn education. We admit undergraduate students without regard to need, and offer “all-grant” financial aid packages, substituting grants for loans.

Penn’s undergraduate financial aid budget has nearly tripled since 2005, meeting the full financial need of students, even during one of the country’s most difficult economic periods. The average grant for undergraduate students receiving aid in 2018-19 was $53,943.

Dynamic and Diverse Community: Penn is committed to creating a community of students, scholars, and staff that reflects the diversity of the world we live in. Toward this end, the University established its Action Plan for Faculty Diversity and Excellence in 2011, leading to a 46 percent increase in underrepresented faculty and a 22 percent increase in female faculty.

Nearly half of our undergraduates self-identify as students of color, more than half are women, 13 percent are among the first in their families to attend college, and 13 percent are international. The spectrum of valuable perspectives and ensuing dialogue are key contributors to educational excellence and an inclusive, dynamic campus environment.

Innovation

Integrated Knowledge: Solving today’s complex problems requires knowledge that crosses traditional boundaries. True to our roots, Penn encourages both intellectual and practical pursuits, and has attracted some of the most eminent interdisciplinary scholars and teachers working today through our Penn Integrates Knowledge program.

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Research budget

Research Discovery: Penn is one of the world’s most powerful research and teaching institutions, with a research budget of nearly $1 billion and more than 4,000 active faculty members. The scale and interdisciplinary character of research and teaching sets Penn apart, and our highly ranked Perelman School of Medicine is one of the top recipients of NIH funding in the country.

Impact

Beautiful Urban Campus: Expansive college greens and recreational spaces. Landmark architecture. Twelve schools connected on a single campus. Penn’s geographical unity is unique among Ivy League schools, fostering our integrated approach to education, scholarship, and research.

In the past 15 years, our campus has added 9 million square feet of new and renovated space and 30 acres of new open space, the latter most visibly represented by Penn Park, an expanse of playing fields and open land that connects campus to Center City Philadelphia and surrounding neighborhoods.

Community Engagement: At Penn, civic engagement is an integral part of campus life. Situated near the heart of Philadelphia, the first World Heritage City in the U.S., Penn is a national leader in academically-based community service through our Netter Center for Community Partnerships. Penn continues to deepen its longstanding commitment to the local community in numerous ways, with 13,000 University students, faculty, and staff participating in more than 300 volunteer and community service projects each year.

Thank you for visiting our home on the web. I invite you to explore the people and programs of Penn.