University of Pennsylvania

This article is about the private Ivy League research university in Philadelphia. For the public research university with campuses across Pennsylvania, see Pennsylvania State University.
University of Pennsylvania
Arms of the University of Pennsylvania
Coat of arms
Latin: Universitas Pennsylvaniensis[1][2][3]
Former names
  • Academy and Charitable School in the Province of Pennsylvania (1751–1755)
  • College of Philadelphia (1755–1779, 1789–1791)[4]
  • University of the State of Pennsylvania (1779[note 1]–1791)
MottoLeges sine moribus vanae (Latin)
Motto in English
"Laws without morals are useless"
TypePrivate research university
EstablishedNovember 14, 1740; 284 years ago (1740-11-14)[note 2]
FounderBenjamin Franklin
AccreditationMSCHE
Academic affiliations
Endowment$21.0 billion (2023)[8]
Budget$4.4 billion (2024)[9]
PresidentJ. Larry Jameson (interim)
ProvostJohn L. Jackson Jr.
Academic staff
4,793 (2018)[10]
Total staff
39,859 (fall 2020; includes health system)[11]
Students23,374 (fall 2022)[12]
Undergraduates9,760 (fall 2022)[12]
Postgraduates13,614 (fall 2022)[12]
Location
Philadelphia
,
Pennsylvania
,
United States

39°57′N 75°11′W / 39.95°N 75.19°W / 39.95; -75.19
CampusLarge city,
NewspaperThe Daily Pennsylvanian
ColorsRed and blue[13]
   
NicknameQuakers
Sporting affiliations
MascotThe Quaker
Websiteupenn.edu Edit this at Wikidata

The University of Pennsylvania (commonly known as Penn[note 3] or UPenn[note 4]) is a private Ivy League research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. 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 since Franklin first convened the board of trustees in 1749, arguably making it the fifth-oldest.[note 2]

The university has four undergraduate schools and 12 graduate and professional schools. Schools enrolling undergraduates include the College of Arts and Sciences, the School of Engineering and Applied Science, the Wharton School, and the School of Nursing. Among its graduate schools are its law school, whose first professor James Wilson participated in writing the first draft of the U.S. Constitution, its medical school, which was the first medical school established in North America, and the Wharton School, the nation's first collegiate business school.

Penn's endowment is $21 billion, making it the sixth-wealthiest private academic institution in the nation as of 2023. In 2021, it ranked fourth among U.S. universities in research expenditures, according to the National Science Foundation.[16] The University of Pennsylvania's main campus is located in the University City neighborhood of West Philadelphia, and is centered around College Hall. Notable campus landmarks include Houston Hall, the first modern student union, and Franklin Field, the nation's first dual-level college football stadium and the nation's longest-standing NCAA Division I college football stadium in continuous operation.[17] The university's athletics program, the Penn Quakers, fields varsity teams in 33 sports as a member of NCAA Division I's Ivy League conference.

Penn alumni, trustees, and faculty include eight Founding Fathers of the United States who signed the Declaration of Independence,[18][19] seven who signed the United States Constitution,[19] 24 members of the Continental Congress, three presidents of the United States,[note 5] 38 Nobel laureates, nine foreign heads of state, three United States Supreme Court justices, at least four Supreme Court justices of foreign nations,[20] 32 U.S. senators, 163 members of the U.S. House of Representatives, 19 U.S. Cabinet Secretaries, 46 governors, 28 State Supreme Court justices, 36 living undergraduate billionaires (the largest number of any U.S. college or university),[21] and five Medal of Honor recipients.[22][23]

  1. ^ "Frequently Asked Questions | Office of the University Secretary".
  2. ^ Record of the Jubilee Celebrations of the University of Sydney. Sydney, New South Wales: William Brooks and Co. 1903. ISBN 9781112213304.
  3. ^ Actes du Jubilé de 1909 (in Swiss French). Geneva, Switzerland: Georg Keck & Cie. 1910. ISBN 9781360078335.
  4. ^ "Penn in the 18th Century". upenn.edu. Archived from the original on April 28, 2006. Retrieved July 20, 2021.
  5. ^ "Penn History Exhibits". University Archives and Records Center. Archived from the original on August 22, 2019. Retrieved January 31, 2019.
  6. ^ "A Penn Trivial Pursuit – Penn Current". June 3, 2011. Archived from the original on June 3, 2011.
  7. ^ "Seeley G. Mudd Library: FAQ Princeton vs. University of Pennsylvania: Which is the Older Institution?". March 19, 2003. Archived from the original on March 19, 2003.
  8. ^ As of June 30, 2023. About Us Penn Office of Investments (Report). Penn Office of Investments. June 30, 2023. Archived from the original on October 19, 2023. Retrieved October 17, 2023.
  9. ^ "Operating Budget". Office of Budget and Management Analysis, University of Pennsylvania. Archived from the original on October 9, 2023. Retrieved December 10, 2023.
  10. ^ "Penn: Penn Facts". University of Pennsylvania. Archived from the original on October 23, 2019. Retrieved January 18, 2020.
  11. ^ "Facts". University of Pennsylvania. Archived from the original on January 24, 2020. Retrieved February 1, 2020.
  12. ^ a b c "Common Data Set 2022–2023" (PDF). University of Pennsylvania. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 3, 2023. Retrieved September 12, 2023.
  13. ^ "Elements of the Penn Logo". Branding.Web-Resources.UPenn.edu. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
  14. ^
  15. ^ Yagoda, Ben (August 29, 2017). "Penn v. UPenn". The Pennsylvania Gazette. Archived November 4, 2021, at the Wayback Machine
  16. ^ "Universities Report Largest Growth in Federally Funded R&D Expenditures since FY 2011". ncses.nsf.gov. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
  17. ^ Cite error: The named reference 10 old was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  18. ^ "Search". University Archives and Records Center.
  19. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference upenn2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  20. ^ see list with citations in Notable People section
  21. ^ Cite error: The named reference quartz was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  22. ^ Ahern, Joseph-James; Hawley, Scott W. (January 2011). "Congressional Medals of Honor, Recipients from the Civil War". University Archives and Records Center. Penn Libraries, University of Pennsylvania. Archived from the original on January 23, 2019. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  23. ^ "Frederick C. Murphy, Our Facility's Namesake". archives.gov. National Archives at Boston. August 15, 2016. Retrieved October 14, 2023.


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