University of Pennsylvania

university-of-pennsylvania

University of Pennsylvania Degree Programs

The University of Pennsylvania appears in our ranking of 50 Great College Gymnasiums and Recreation Centers.

There are 12 schools run by the University of Pennsylvania. Four of these schools provide students with both undergraduate and graduate programs of study. The other eight schools selectively run only graduate levels of study. The academic calendar for all of Penn’s programs follows the semester-based system.

The following schools offer both undergraduate and graduate degree programs:

  •  School of Nursing
  •  The Wharton School
  •  The College at Penn (School of Arts and Sciences)
  •  School of Engineering and Applied Science

Based on the student population, the College at Penn is the largest of all this institution’s schools. In 2018, 99 different majors were being studied by undergraduate students. In particular, Penn is known for the Wharton School of Business. A popular undergraduate degree offered by this school is the prestigious Bachelor of Arts called the Huntsman Program in International Studies and Business. This cross-cutting, four-year undergraduate degree is considered an advanced liberal arts education focused on business.

Some famous alumni of the Wharton School are Elon Musk, Ronald Perelman, and Ivanka Trump. Notably, Warren Buffet dropped out of a Wharton School undergraduate degree in 1949.

There are more than 120 graduate majors and professional programs offered by Penn. Graduate and professional degrees are the only programs of study offered by the following schools:

  •  Annenberg School for Communication
  •  Graduate School of Education
  •  School of Design
  •  Law School
  •  School of Social Policy & Practice
  •  School of Dental Medicine
  •  Perelman School of Medicine
  •  School of Veterinary Medicine

The Department of Anthropology offers a Master of Arts program to students who qualify. These students will be certified to teach General Anthropology at the undergraduate level once they have completed their studies. Candidates for this degree program are expected to be well-rounded in each of the subfields of Anthropology: Archeology, Biological/Physical Anthropology, Cultural Anthropology, and Linguistic Anthropology.

The Fall 2019 semester is the first that Penn offers students the option to do a complete online Bachelor of Applied Arts and Science. Penn is currently reconfiguring its online study programs and growing the number of online study opportunities students can partake in. This is currently a common trend among Ivy League schools.

Penn’s undergraduates have a 96 percent graduation rate, but for underrepresented minority students, the graduation rate is only 92 percent. Almost 500 international students received admission to undergraduate programs in Fall 2018. Yearly, almost 3,000 students study abroad through the programs offered by Penn. 2311 students went to over 85 countries in 2016-2017 via Penn’s study abroad program. According to the Institute of International Education in 2018, Penn was 14th in facilitating the most study abroad participation with research and doctoral institutions.

About the University of Pennsylvania

In 1740, the Penn was founded as a private institution by Benjamin Franklin. Franklin is one of the United States’ Founding Fathers and is widely regarded as an influential thinker of the American Enlightenment. Whereas there are over 10,000 undergraduate students enrolled at Penn, there are more than 11,000 graduate or professional students. More than 4,722 faculty members are employed by Penn. The main 299-acre campus is located in an urban area of Philadelphia. Excluding hospitals, Penn’s main campus has 218 buildings. The West Philadelphia area is benefitted by various Penn based advocacy groups and student-run charity groups. More than two dozen of the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division sports programs from Penn participate at the Ivy League. Two of Penn’s most noteworthy sports groups are the lacrosse and basketball teams.

There is a large amount of Greek life participation by Penn students; more than a fourth of students are actively involved in fraternities and sororities. Penn dubs its sports teams the Quakers. A Penn alumnus of interest is John Legend, who is a well-known pop music singer and songwriter. Another notable alumnus is President Donald Trump, who is the 45th president of the United States of America and a famous American businessman.

U.S. News and World Report currently ranks Penn as No. 6 on the “National Universities” list. Additionally, this university is ranked No. 15 for “Best Value Schools” and No. 61 for “Best Undergraduate Teaching.”

University of Pennsylvania Accreditation Details

The Middle States Commission on Higher Education reaffirmed Penn’s accreditation in 2014 with an official Statement of Accreditation Status. The next scheduled review takes place in 2023-24.

University of Pennsylvania Application Requirements

In Fall 2018, only 8.4 percent of undergraduate applicants were admitted to study at Penn. The average high school GPA of successful undergraduate applicants was between 3.9 and 4.0. Nearly all of these admitted students were academically in their high school’s top 10 percent. Successful undergraduate applicants had median SAT scores as follows:

  •  SAT Math component: 780
  •  SAT Reading component: 740

Admission to the graduate programs of this institution varies greatly between departments and programs. Applicants are required to apply to their programs of interest directly through the desired degree’s parent department. Generally, Penn expects graduate applicants to have a wide range of knowledge that bridges disciplines. The Graduate Record Examination, GED, is a required admission test for most Ph.D. programs.

Tuition and Financial Aid

Undergraduate students pay approximately $51,156 in tuition and $6,614 in fees at Penn. Alternatively, tuition for graduate studies at Penn varies between programs. The costs attached to each graduate degree is based on the specific requirements of the program. While graduate studies tuition for the Law School is approximately $63,610, tuition for the School of Nursing is closer to $44,376.

For undergraduate students coming from the U.S., travel allowances may be awarded. These travel allowances are amounted by region, and are as follows:

  •  Eastern/Central: $1,336
  •  Mountain/Pacific: $1,438
  •  Alaska/Hawaii: $2,474.

Penn has many grant-based financial aid programs for undergraduates, which can help make it possible for some students to graduate debt-free. The individual graduate and professional schools provide financial aid that is program-specific. If students experience difficulty with their federal or private loans, Penn offers free financial counseling to both graduate and undergraduate students. Application forms and individual-specific requirements for financial aid can be found on Penn’s Financial Services webpages. University of Pennsylvania is a high ranking and well-rounded Ivy League university.