Education in Philadelphia

Education in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania has a rich and storied history. This history began with Benjamin Franklin's founding of the University of Pennsylvania as European styled school and America's first university. Today's Philadelphia region is home to nearly 300,000 college students, numerous private and parochial secondary schools, and the 8th largest school district in the country.

Public schools

Philadelphia is served by the School District of Philadelphia.

Private schools

*William Penn Charter School was founded by Penn in 1689, and claims to be the oldest Quaker school in the nation, although it is not affiliated with any Quaker meeting, is not a sectarian institution and is not a member of the Friends School League, the Greater Philadelphia area's association of Quaker preparatory schools. Philadelphia is home to the most extensive Catholic education system in the nation. Along with hundreds of parish-based elementary schools, there are also twelve Catholic high schools within the city ranging from Archdiocesan high schools to private Catholic high schools. All of the Catholic schools are affiliated with the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

*Girard College (actually a primary and secondary educational institution) was endowed by French-American merchant, mariner and banker, Stephen Girard, opening its doors to disadvantaged youth in 1848.

*Springside School, an all-girls' school

Higher education

Philadelphia is one of the largest college towns in the U.S., with over 120,000 college and university students enrolled within the city limits and nearly 300,000 in the metropolitan area.