The University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing

What The University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing does

The University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing (Penn Nursing) is a private, nonprofit constituent school of the University of Pennsylvania, an Ivy League research university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1930 as one of the first university-based nursing schools in the United States, it is currently ranked the #1 nursing school in the country. Penn Nursing offers a comprehensive portfolio of degree programs spanning the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), Master of Professional Nursing (MPN), Master of Science in Nutrition Science (MSNS), Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP), and Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing (PhD), along with multiple certificate programs in nutrition, oncology, palliative care, and quality improvement. The school serves a national and international student body and operates with 501-1000 employees including faculty, researchers, and administrative staff.

Penn Nursing's academic infrastructure integrates evidence-based nursing education with clinical simulation technology, including augmented reality classrooms and state-of-the-art simulation labs where students practice clinical skills before patient contact. The school conducts substantial federally-funded research, directing the Pennsylvania Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities Research and Epidemiology (one of six CDC-funded SEED sites with 3,700+ enrolled families since 2006) and securing grants from NIH, PCORI, NHLBI, NIA, and other agencies across sleep science, autism, nutrition, addiction neuroscience, and health equity. Flagship clinical partnerships with Penn Medicine, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, and the Corporal Michael J. Crescenz VA Medical Center provide practicum sites and joint faculty appointments, while global health programs extend reach through the WHO Collaborating Centers network, Peace Corps, and the Vingroup-Penn Alliance.

The school's revenue model is multi-stream: tuition and fees from degree programs (on-campus, online, and hybrid formats), federal and private research grants, and philanthropic contributions including alumni giving and endowed chairs. Distribution is primarily through direct academic admissions supported by virtual information sessions, campus visits, and a community pipeline program with West Philadelphia High School. Graduate programs are delivered in person and online, with the MPN program receiving full five-year CCNE accreditation retroactive November 2025 through June 2031.

Name

The University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing

Legal name

University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing

Website

https://nursing.upenn.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1930

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Penn Nursing is the #1-ranked nursing school within the University of Pennsylvania, offering undergraduate through doctoral nursing degree programs, federally-funded clinical research, and global health partnerships for a national and international student body.

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 primary industry

Schools of Nursing (EDAHAGAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Online Healthcare & Nursing Universities (Allied Health, RN-to-BSN, etc.) (EDAHALAF), Medicine & Allied Health (Clinical) (EDAGABAG), STEM-Focused Research Universities (Engineering & Applied Sciences) (EDAHABAB)

Keywords

• Nursing education programs
• Nursing degree programs
• Graduate nursing education
• Nursing research initiatives
• Clinical simulation training

Headquarters

HQ city

Philadelphia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

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 Academic Programs: Revenue from undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral nursing programs including BSN, MSN, DNP, and PhD degrees
2. Research Grants and Funding: Federal and private research funding from NIH, PCORI, NHLBI, NIA, and other agencies supporting faculty research in sleep science, autism, nutrition, and clinical outcomes
3. Alumni Giving and Donations: Philanthropic contributions through Penn Nursing's giving programs, including endowed chairs and scholarship funds

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing is a private Ivy League nursing school that delivers undergraduate, master's, doctoral, and certificate nursing education programs, including BSN, MSN, MPN, MSNS, DNP, and PhD degrees along with multiple APRN specialty tracks. It supplements classroom instruction with clinical simulation labs and augmented reality learning environments and supports faculty-led research in biobehavioral health, sleep science, autism, nutrition, and health equity.

Product overview

Penn Nursing is a nursing school offering a comprehensive portfolio of educational programs. The undergraduate Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) serves as the entry point, with graduate offerings including the Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), Master of Professional Nursing (MPN), and Master of Science in Nutrition Science (MSNS). Doctoral education includes the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) and Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing (PhD). Advanced practice specialties include Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner, Neonatal Nurse Practitioner, Pediatric Acute Care Nurse Practitioner, Family Nurse Practitioner, Pediatric Primary Care Nurse Practitioner, Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, Women's Health/Gender-Related Nurse Practitioner, and Nurse-Midwifery. Additional offerings include certificate programs (Nutrition, Adult Oncology, Palliative Care, Quality Improvement), Nursing and Healthcare Leadership master's, and simulation-based learning through augmented reality classrooms and clinical simulations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) Four-year undergraduate nursing degree program preparing students for registered nursing licensure and careers in healthcare leadership.
• Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) Graduate-level nursing degree program offering multiple advanced practice tracks for registered nurses seeking specialized roles.
• Master of Professional Nursing (MPN) Accelerated graduate nursing program integrating structured workforce preparation and elite clinical partnerships with coursework.
• Master of Science in Nutrition Science (MSNS) Online graduate program building expertise in nutrition to address growing needs for healthier futures through nutrition.
• Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Practice-focused doctoral program preparing nurses for highest-level clinical leadership and evidence-based practice.
• Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing (PhD) Research-focused doctoral program developing nurse scientists for academic and research leadership roles.
• Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Advanced practice nursing specialty preparing nurse practitioners to care for acutely ill patients across the adult-older adult continuum.
• Neonatal Nurse Practitioner Specialty track preparing nurse practitioners to provide advanced care for neonates and infants in intensive care settings.
• Pediatric Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Program training nurse practitioners to manage complex, acute, and chronic pediatric patients.
• Family Nurse Practitioner Primary care specialty preparing nurse practitioners to provide comprehensive care across the lifespan.
• Pediatric Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Specialty preparing nurse practitioners to deliver primary care services to infants, children, and adolescents.
• Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Program preparing nurse practitioners to provide mental health services across the lifespan.
• Women's Health/Gender-Related Nurse Practitioner Specialty focusing on women's health and gender-related care across the reproductive continuum.
• Nurse-Midwifery Program preparing nurse midwives to provide comprehensive obstetric and gynecological care.
• Nursing and Healthcare Leadership Online master's program combining and enhancing Nursing and Healthcare Administration and Health Leadership curricula.
• Nutrition Certificate Certificate program for students with bachelor's degrees in any field seeking nutrition expertise.
• Adult Oncology Specialty Certificate Post-graduate specialty certificate in adult oncology nursing practice.
• Palliative Care Certificate Specialty certificate preparing nurses for palliative and end-of-life care practice.
• Quality Improvement and Safety Processes in Healthcare Certificate Certificate focused on quality improvement methodologies and patient safety processes in healthcare settings.

Quantifiable outcome

• Clinical nursing employment projected to grow over next decade with substantial financial return and structural insulation from AI automation
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 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

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• World Health Organization (WHO)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerPenn Nursing is part of the Global Network of WHO Collaborating Centers for Nursing and Midwifery Development, participating in longstanding international health policy and education initiatives
• Peace CorpscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal partnership providing international service opportunities for Penn Nursing students and alumni in healthcare and community development
• Vingroup-Penn AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational healthcare and education alliance between Penn Nursing and Vingroup (Vietnam), supporting global health partnerships and knowledge exchange
• Penn4C CollaborativecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative research initiative between Penn Nursing and Penn Engineering addressing climate change impacts on health through community-based interventions, including solar-powered heat shelters
• North10coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity-focused nonprofit serving Hunting Park-East Tioga neighborhood, partnering with Penn Nursing on climate change and heat island research interventions
• Penn Medicine and University of Pennsylvania Health SystemflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerElite clinical partnerships providing student practicum placements and research collaboration across Penn Medicine hospitals including HUP and clinical facilities
• Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor research and clinical education partnership including CDC-funded autism research center and pediatric clinical training placements
• Corporal Michael J. Crescenz VA Medical CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal healthcare partnership providing clinical education sites and research collaboration for veteran healthcare, with faculty jointly appointed
• Perelman School of MedicineflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerInterdisciplinary academic partnership for joint research, dual degree programs, and healthcare education across Penn's schools
• CDC-Funded Regional Research CentersflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerPenn Nursing leads the Pennsylvania Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities Research and Epidemiology as one of six CDC-funded regional centers for the Study to Explore Early Development (SEED)

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Johns Hopkins School of Nursing: Top-ranked research-intensive nursing school offering BSN, MSN, DNP, and PhD programs with significant NIH-funded research. Closest direct competitor to Penn Nursing in ranking, faculty research profile, and graduate specialty offerings.
• University of Maryland School of Nursing: Large research-intensive nursing school with comprehensive BSN, MSN, DNP, and PhD programs and significant NIH funding. Comparable peer particularly in research productivity and doctoral training.
• Columbia University School of Nursing: Ivy League peer with a direct-entry MSN model, doctoral programs, and a major New York-based clinical partnership network. Highly comparable in target student profile, program mix, and research footprint.
• University of Michigan School of Nursing: Top public research nursing school with the full BSN-through-PhD portfolio, large NIH-funded research portfolio, and Michigan Medicine clinical placements. Comparable peer in research intensity and program breadth.
• Emory Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing: Top-ranked private research nursing school with BSN, MSN, DNP, and PhD programs and the Emory Healthcare system for clinical training. Direct competitor in applicant pool and research rankings.
• NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing: Major private research nursing school in a top urban market with extensive graduate specialty programs and PhD/DNP offerings. Comparable in scale, range of advanced practice tracks, and research output.
• Duke University School of Nursing: Elite private research nursing school with comparable BSN, MSN, DNP, and PhD programs plus the Duke Health system for clinical placements. Competes head-to-head with Penn Nursing for faculty, applicants, and research funding.
• Vanderbilt School of Nursing: Premier private nursing school known for its direct-entry MSN and doctoral programs and Vanderbilt University Medical Center clinical partnerships. Closely comparable in program architecture and target student.
• Case Western Reserve University Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing: Highly ranked private research nursing school with a strong focus on advanced practice and research degrees. Comparable to Penn Nursing in program mix and research orientation.

Broad incumbents

• Rush University College of Nursing: Major private health-sciences university with a substantial nursing program integrated with Rush University Medical Center for clinical placements. Comparable in urban academic health-system model though broader in scope than Penn Nursing.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/PennNursing
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/PennNursingScience
• Facebookfacebook.com/PennNursing
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/university-of-pennsylvania-school-of-nursing
• Instagraminstagram.com/pennnursing

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles19 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about The University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing