University of Pennsylvania

Founded 1740. Ben Franklin's university, first US medical school and first collegiate business school.

Overview

Penn grew from a charity school Benjamin Franklin championed into a practical-minded Ivy. Its medical school, opened 1765, was the first in the American colonies, and Wharton, founded 1881, was the first university-level business school. The campus in West Philadelphia blends collegiate gothic with a grid of modern labs, and the university powers much of the city's biotech economy. Notable alumni include nine foreign heads of state and a long line of tech founders. Penn also pioneered the modern hospital teaching model that spread nationwide.