University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing

What University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing does

The University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing (Penn Nursing) is a constituent school of the University of Pennsylvania, a private Ivy League research university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1886, it serves undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students pursuing nursing credentials spanning the BSN, MSN, Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP), and PhD, and it has been consistently ranked among the top nursing schools in the United States and globally. Its core service audience is therefore twofold: degree-seeking nursing students and the broader clinical, research, and policy community that consumes its scholarship and trained workforce.

Penn Nursing operates across four functional pillars: education, research, clinical practice, and innovation. Its research portfolio covers maternal and child health, oncology, mental health, gerontology, global health, and health equity, supported by federal funding (notably a $3.2M NINR grant awarded in October 2024) and philanthropic gifts (including a $1M endowment from the Beatrice Renfield Foundation). Clinical training is anchored by a placement network that includes Penn Medicine, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Jefferson Health, Virtua Health, Tower Health, and the Corporal Michael J. Crescenz VA Medical Center. Innovation activity is concentrated in the Gershoff and Martin Simulation Lab, a Director of Innovation role, and the Vital Technologies for Nurses digital series.

The school's business model combines tuition and fees from degree programs, sponsored research funding, endowment income and philanthropy, continuing-education revenue via Coursera (Integrative Nursing; Introduction to Integrative Therapies and Healing Practices), and emerging licensing/collaboration revenue from digital health platforms such as Camo Care (launched April 2025, targeting trauma care providers) and Cuidándome (launching June 2026, serving Spanish-speaking caregivers). Global revenue and positioning are reinforced by a renewed WHO Collaborating Centre designation for 2022-2026, partnerships including the Vingroup alliance in Vietnam (2018), and research engagement in Guatemala, China, Latin America, Italy, Colombia, and Sub-Saharan Africa.

Name

University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing

Legal name

University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing

Website

https://nursing.upenn.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1943

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

The University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing is a top-ranked private nursing school within the University of Pennsylvania, offering BSN-through-PhD programs and conducting research across maternal health, global health, and health equity, supported by an extensive Philadelphia-area clinical placement network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nursing Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAHAGAC

Schools of Nursing

Education/Higher Education (Colleges & Universities)/Medical & Health Sciences Universities

SECONDARYEDAHALAF

Online Healthcare & Nursing Universities (Allied Health, RN-to-BSN, etc.)

Education/Higher Education (Colleges & Universities)/Distance & Online Universities

SECONDARYEDAGABAF

Health Sciences & Nursing

Education/Educational Publishing & Learning Content/Higher Education Textbooks & Courseware

Keywords

• Nursing education programs
• Graduate nursing degrees
• Doctoral nursing programs
• Global health nursing
• Nursing research and innovation

Headquarters

HQ city

Philadelphia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Educational Fees: Revenue from undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral nursing programs including BSN, MSN, MPN, DNP, and PhD programs
2. Research Grants: Federal and foundation funding for nursing research, including NIH grants, National Institute on Aging grants (e.g., $5.8 million Roybal Center grant), and NINR funding
3. Endowments and Donations: Gifts from alumni, foundations (Beatrice Renfield Foundation $1 million endowment for Global Nursing Fellowship), and donors supporting scholarships, fellowships, and programs

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing delivers nursing education programs ranging from the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) through doctoral-level PhD and DNP degrees, including accelerated, master's, and certificate options. The school combines Ivy League classroom instruction with augmented reality and clinical simulation labs, global health placements, and research training. It also develops digital health tools and continuing-education content for clinical and community audiences.

Product overview

Penn Nursing is the #1-ranked nursing school offering a comprehensive portfolio of educational programs from undergraduate (BSN) through doctoral (PhD, DNP) levels, including accelerated, master's, and certificate programs. The school provides specialized nurse practitioner tracks (Family, Pediatric, Women's Health, Adult-Gerontology), midwifery education, and global health initiatives. Beyond traditional degree programs, Penn Nursing has developed digital health products including the Cuidándome mental health platform for Latinas and the Camo Care resource website for military personnel. The school also offers online educational content through Coursera and WHO Collaborating Center programs for global nursing capacity building.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) Four-year undergraduate nursing degree program preparing students to become registered nurses, including clinical rotations at top facilities and global health opportunities.
• Master of Professional Nursing (MPN) Accelerated graduate program designed for students who have previously earned a Bachelor's degree in a field other than nursing, enabling career entry into nursing.
• Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) Advanced practice nursing degree with multiple specializations including Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner, Family Nurse Practitioner, Nurse-Midwifery, Pediatric Primary Care Nurse Practitioner, and Women's Health/Gender Related Nurse Practitioner.
• Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Clinical doctorate preparing nurses for leadership roles in healthcare, including an Executive Leadership track and other specializations.
• Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing (PhD) Research-focused doctoral program preparing nurse scientists for academic and research careers.
• Vital Signs: Understanding What the Body Is Telling Us Six-part Coursera online course exploring vital signs (heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature, respiration rate, and pain) and what they communicate about physiological status, taught by Connie B. Scanga, PhD.
• Nursing & Quality of Care Video Series Spanish/English bilingual video series on nursing quality of care theory and research methodology, taught by Eileen T. Lake, PhD, RN, FAAN.
• Cuidándome 10-week online group mental health program for Latinas, conducted in Spanish by trained facilitators, designed to help users learn strategies to manage anxiety and depression symptoms.
• Camo Care (camocare.org) Standalone website helping military personnel access abortion resources, navigate DoD policies, ensure rights protection, and identify financial resources.
• WHO Collaborating Center (WHOCC) Programs Collaborative programs through the World Health Organization Collaborating Center for Nursing and Midwifery Leadership, focusing on maternal health, nursing education capacity building, and nursing research in Latin American and Caribbean regions.
• Penn Global Nursing Fellowship Program Program providing financial and faculty mentoring support enabling Penn Nursing graduates to engage in meaningful global health projects with organizations serving vulnerable populations, with fellowships of 3-12 months supported by the Beatrice Renfield Foundation.

Quantifiable outcome

• 96% NCLEX-RN pass rate in 2023
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered minor, major and core.

• Ukrainian Federation of America (UFA)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Humanitarian partnership supporting Ukrainian civilians through medical kit assembly and delivery. Penn Nursing community assembled 4,375 civilian medical kits sent to Ukraine. Faculty member Michael Stawnychy serves on UFA Board since 2024.
• Vingroup/VinUniversitymajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Formal alliance with Vietnam's largest private company Vingroup, focused on building nursing education capacity in Vietnam. Vingroup established VinUniversity in Hanoi with a mission to be the first world-class, internationally accredited university in Vietnam.
• Penn in Latin America & the Caribbean (PLAC)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Cross-campus initiative launched in 2014 under Dean Villarruel to coordinate Latin American engagement. Grown from 8 Penn schools to 11 schools by 2019, with annual events showcasing institutional engagement in the region.
• World Health Organization (WHO)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1988Penn Nursing has been a designated WHO Collaborating Center (WHOCC) for Nursing and Midwifery Leadership since 1988. The school actively supports WHO and PAHO in the Latin American and Caribbean region through three Terms of Reference focusing on maternal health, nursing education capacity building, and nursing research strengthening.
• Pan American Health Organization (PAHO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerActive collaboration with PAHO/WHO on Latin American and Caribbean health initiatives including webinar series, maternal health training programs, and BSN education curricular standards development.
• Peace CorpscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership offering Paul D. Coverdell Fellowships and RPCV Awards for Returned Peace Corps Volunteers to pursue nursing degrees at Penn. Programs include Master of Professional Nursing (MPN) and MSN programs with awards covering 25% of tuition for Fellows and up to $8,000 for RPCV Awardees.
• Partners In HealthmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration through Penn Global Nursing Fellowship Program providing skilled nursing graduates and faculty for meaningful global health projects serving vulnerable populations. The collaboration was documented during COVID-19 pandemic adaptation.
• Penn MedicinecoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAcademic-practice partnership providing clinical training sites and research collaboration. Penn Medicine is a participant in virtual nursing programs being studied by Penn Nursing researchers.
• Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerMajor clinical placement partner and host of LEND (Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities) program. Many Penn Nursing alumni are employed at CHOP.
• Netter Center for Community PartnershipsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership through Educational Pipeline Program bringing West Philadelphia High School students to nursing simulation lab for hands-on activities and healthcare career education.
• Jefferson HealthminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerHealth system participant in Penn Nursing research study on virtual nursing programs, along with Penn Medicine and Virtua Health.
• Virtua HealthminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerHealth system participant in Penn Nursing research study on virtual nursing programs, along with Penn Medicine and Jefferson Health.
• Penn Guatemala Health InitiativeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint initiative with Penn Medicine supporting Maya Indigenous Nursing School in Western Highlands of Guatemala and career pathway presentations.
• University of HaifaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational academic partnership with University of Haifa for nursing program collaboration and informational meetings.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Johns Hopkins School of Nursing: Top-ranked research-focused nursing school at another elite private research university; competes for the same high-aptitude BSN, MSN, DNP, and PhD applicants and operates with a similar research-and-clinical placement model.
• Columbia University School of Nursing: Ivy League peer offering BSN (including accelerated ETP), MSN, DNP, and PhD programs in New York City with a similar entry-into-practice and direct funding model that competes for the same applicant pool.
• Duke University School of Nursing: Top-ranked private research nursing school with comparable ABSN, MSN, DNP, and PhD programs and strong clinical partnerships with the Duke University Health System.
• Emory University Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing: Highly-ranked private nursing school with BSN, MSN, DNP, and PhD programs and deep clinical integration with Emory Healthcare, competing for graduate nursing talent in the same tier.
• University of Michigan School of Nursing: Top public research university nursing school with extensive research funding, BSN/MSN/DNP/PhD programs, and a research portfolio comparable in scale to Penn Nursing.
• University of California San Francisco School of Nursing: Leading public nursing school with MS, DNP, and PhD programs, strong NIH-funded research output, and deep integration with a major academic health system comparable to Penn Nursing's Penn Medicine ties.
• Vanderbilt University School of Nursing: Top-ranked private research nursing school offering MSN (including direct-entry), DNP, and PhD programs with strong specialty NP tracks and clinical research output.
• University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Nursing: Top public research nursing school with BSN, MSN, DNP, and PhD programs and a substantial NIH-funded research portfolio that competes for graduate nursing applicants and faculty.
• New York University Rory Meyers College of Nursing: Large private research nursing school with comprehensive BSN, MSN, DNP, and PhD programs and a substantial urban clinical placement footprint similar in scope to Penn Nursing's Philadelphia-based model.

Others

• Coursera: Online learning platform partner that hosts Penn Nursing's 'Vital Signs' course; serves as distribution infrastructure for Penn Nursing's digital education footprint and is broadly comparable as a channel for nursing and health continuing education.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights8 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/PennNursing
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/PennNursingScience
• Facebookfacebook.com/PennNursing
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/edu/school?id=150036
• Instagraminstagram.com/pennnursing

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing