Penn has a proud tradition of translating knowledge into social-minded action that dates back to our founder, Benjamin Franklin. This tradition of active pragmatism, articulated in Franklin’s maxim “well-done is better than well-said,” lives today through the inclusive policies, innovative work, and impactful engagement of our faculty, students, and staff.

• 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 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, in effect substituting grants for loans.

Penn’s undergraduate financial aid budget has grown by 161% over the years, meeting the full financial need of students, even during one of the country’s most difficult economic periods. In 2015-16, we estimated the average grant for students receiving aid to be at $43,800.

• 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. Towards this end, the University established its Action Plan for Faculty Diversity and Excellence in 2011, leading to a 35 percent increase in minority faculty and a 16 percent increase in female faculty.

Nearly half of our undergraduates self-identify as students of color, more than half are women, 12 percent are among the first in their families to attend college, and 12 percent are international. The spectrum of valuable perspectives and ensuing dialogue are key contributors to educational excellence and an inclusive, dynamic campus environment.

Source: https://www.upenn.edu/about/welcome