The University of Pennsylvania

A charming oasis nestled amid the busy urban streets of downtown Philadelphia, the University of Pennsylvania is steeped in tradition. Established by American statesman, inventor, and philosopher Benjamin Franklin, U Penn drew on its founder's innovative spirit in forming its institutional mindset. Its educational approach is both bold and practical, allowing the university to boast many firsts that have occurred within its borders. It was the first university to open a school of medicine, founded in 1765; the first to establish a teaching hospital, founded in 1874; and the first to open a business school – the Wharton School – founded in 1881. U Penn also housed the first large-scale general-purpose computer, built at the school in 1946.

In addition to its highly regarded undergraduate School of Arts and Sciences, the University of Pennsylvania today boasts a slew of top-ranked graduate schools, such as the Wharton School of Business, the School of Law, the School of Medicine, and the Annenberg School of Communications. It also offers excellent graduate programs in veterinary medicine, nursing, social work, engineering and applied sciences, and education. In addition, U Penn enjoys a reputation as a leader in multi-disciplinary and joint-degree programs, which are offered through initiatives such as the Institute for Medicine and Engineering and the Jerome Fisher Management and Technology Program.

U Penn's 260-acre campus in west Philadelphia sits across the Schuykill River from downtown Philly. Within its borders, students enjoy open green spaces among historic architecture, a welcome respite from the bustling city outside. But in close reach in the city are hundreds of quaint ethnic restaurants, markets, and historic attractions.

U Penn's single campus brings together its 10,000 undergrad students and 10,000 grad students. Housing all of its schools and programs on one campus creates a mixture of students, faculty, and researchers sharing the same space, and thus sharing ideas and energy. This fosters an environment of intellectual enthusiasm and diversity that distinguishes the community and education that U Penn provides.

U Penn Graduate Admissions at a Glance

The University of Pennsylvania is home to several of the top-ranked graduate and professional schools in the U.S.

U Penn Law School
Acceptance Rate	6.2%
'06 Undergrad GPA (Median)	3.7
'06 LSAT Score (Median)	170

Note: This page was last updated on September 18, 2006.

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