Established in 1740 by founder Benjamin Franklin, the University of Pennsylvania (commonly called Penn) is one of eight Ivy League schools and the first American university to offer both undergraduate and graduate programs. The campus borders Drexel University near Philadelphia's Center City. As of Fall 2010, Penn's student population totaled 25,007 with 4,199 standing and associated faculty. Students are given the opportunity to participate in 17 intercollegiate sports (nicknamed the Quakers) and 11 intramural sports. As of 2011, the aggregate undergraduate graduation rate stands at 95 percent.
Temple University is the largest public university in Philadelphia with a total student population of over 37,000 students (undergraduate and graduate). The Owls athletic teams are members of the Atlantic-10 conference of the National Collegiate Association of Athletics with the exception of the football program, which is a part of the Mid-American Conference. Temple offers over 300 academic degree programs from its 17 colleges around the world. Notable graduate programs include the Fox School of Business and the Beasley School of Law.
Villanova University is a private, traditional Catholic institution with a main campus located 12 miles from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Established in 1842, the university has a total student enrollment of 9,500 students and 545 academic staff members. As of Fall 2010, the student population was made up of 51 percent female students (undergraduate and graduate) with attendees from 48 states and 55 countries. The Wildcats compete in 24 intercollegiate sports primarily in the Big East Conference of the NCAA.
Drexel University, located just north of Philadelphia's Center City and founded in 1891, is a private research university offering 70 undergraduate programs to more than 22,000 undergraduate and graduate students as of 2011. Among the notable graduate schools are the College of Information Science and Technology and the College of Arts and Sciences. Drexel has the only mandatory cooperative education program in Pennsylvania, allowing undergraduate students the experience of paid employment with any one of the 1,300 affiliated corporate and non-profit organizations and companies. The Drexel Dragons are member of the NCAA's Colonial Athletic Association.