Colleges in Philadelphia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, colloquially known as Philly, is the most populous city in the state of Pennsylvania and has more than 80 postsecondary institutions within the region. With its integral role in the American Revolution, Philly features 67 National Landmarks, is the first city in the US to become a member of the Organization of World Heritage Cities, and claims many “firsts” for the nation, including the first library, first hospital, and first zoo, as well as testifies to having the oldest university in the nation, the University of Pennsylvania.
While Penn, Harvard University, and the College of William and Mary duke out who came first, the University of Pennsylvania is most certainly an Ivy League and undoubtedly one of the founding members of the Association of American Universities, a collective of 62 leading research universities. The two largest schools in the city by number of students are Temple University and Drexel University, which are also major research institutions. Within the region, Philly also has five schools of medicine, including Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, the oldest medical school in the nation, and Thomas Jefferson University.
The city also hosts an array of artistic institutions, including the Art Institute of Philadelphia, Hussain School of Art, Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, Moore College of Art and Design, and the University of Arts, the last of which is one of the oldest performing arts institutes in the US. Philly has more public art than any other American City and is home to the Avenue of the Arts in Center City, where theatre and cuisine meet.
Philadelphia is considered a very walkable city and offers buses, trains, elevated trains, subways, trackless trolleys, and more, with a direct line to Philadelphia International Airport, one of the busiest in the world. Its economy is largely driven by financial services and health, but has recently become a hub for biotechnology, as well.
