Philadelphia Colleges, Universities, Trade and Vocational Schools

Colleges in Philadelphia: Universities, Trade and Technical Schools

From climbing the 72 steps at the Philadelphia Museum of Art and getting a picture with the statue of Rocky to historical attractions such as the Liberty Bell or simply dining on a world-famous cheesesteak sandwich, Philadelphia — the City of Brotherly Love — offers many diversions for college students.

There are also dozens of vocational schools, colleges and universities in Philadelphia. The city is home to several of the nation's top postsecondary institutions, including Temple University, Drexel University, and the University of Pennsylvania.

Fun Facts about Trade and Technical Schools in Philadelphia

Many residents of Philadelphia get their careers started at Brightwood Career Institute. The school's most popular vocational programs include dental and medical assisting and electrician training. Other career-focused trade colleges in Philadelphia include Philadelphia Technician Training, PITC Institute for practical nursing, and Lincoln Technical Institute.

Community College of Philadelphia also offers a wide range of technical programs, such as automotive technology, biomedical equipment technician, and process technology for students interested in working as process operators for large Philly employers such as Philadelphia Gas Works or the Philadelphia Water Department.

Fun Facts about Philadelphia Colleges and Universities

There are many highly respected fine art and music universities in Philadelphia, including Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, University of the Arts, Curtis Institute of Music, and Hussian College School of Art.

The largest undergraduate enrollment at public colleges in Philadelphia is at Temple University. And the University of Pennsylvania, founded in 1740, is the oldest institution of higher education in the city. Drexel and Saint Joseph's University are the largest private universities in Pennsylvania. Drexel, founded in 1891, three campus locations in Philadelphia. Drexel in 1983 became the first college in America to require every incoming student to have a computer.

Graduate Schools in Philadelphia

Students who wish to advance their education past the baccalaureate level have many different options through Philadelphia colleges. While many students pursue master's degrees in art and music at one of the city's fine arts colleges, the majority of graduate students attend Temple, Drexel, or University of Pennsylvania. Finance and business were two of the most popular master's programs at the University of Pennsylvania, while nursing and library sciences were most the most widely pursued master's degrees at Drexel.

To learn more about higher education opportunities in the Keystone State, see our extensive listing of Pennsylvania colleges.

Sources:

• Programs, Brightwood Career Institute, College Navigator, https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?s=PA&zc=19102&zd=10&l=91&of=0&od=0&id=214254#programs, accessed September 2018
• About, University of Pennsylvania, https://www.upenn.edu/about, accessed September 2018
• About, Drexel University, https://drexel.edu/about/glance/, accessed September 2018
• Fast Facts, Drexel University, https://drexel.edu/about/glance/fast-facts/, accessed September 2018
• Programs, University of Pennsylvania, College Navigator, https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?s=PA&zc=19102&zd=10&of=3&l=94&id=215062#programs, accessed September 2018
• Programs, Drexel University, College Navigator, https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?s=PA&zc=19102&zd=10&of=3&l=94&id=212054#programs, accessed September 2018