Wharton School
The Wharton School is the business school of the University of PennsylvaniaUniversity of PennsylvaniaThe University of Pennsylvania, commonly called Penn, is a private research university and Ivy League member in Philadelphia. It traces its origins to a 1740 charity-school project; Benjamin Franklin proposed his academy in 1749, classes began in 1751, and a 1791 merger established the institution under its present name. Penn has 12 schools, with undergraduate education concentrated in arts and sciences, engineering, nursing and Wharton. Enrollment totaled 29,384 in fall 2025, and the fiscal 2025 endowment was $24.81 billion. As of October 2026, J. Larry Jameson was president, with his term scheduled to end on June 30, 2027.Open the full entry. Established through Joseph Wharton’s gift in 1881, it offers undergraduate, MBA, doctoral and executive education.
Contents5 sections
Key facts
1881establishment
Joseph Wharton donated $100,000 to the University of Pennsylvania to establish a School of Finance and Economy. It aimed to prepare students for business and public affairs, with an early curriculum strongly rooted in the social sciences.[1]
1921–1954research, the MBA and women’s admission
Wharton established its Industrial Research Unit and enrolled its first MBA class in 1921. Alma Katherine Ledig became its first woman MBA graduate in 1931, and the first 15 women entered its undergraduate program in 1954.[2]
Topics: programs and university relationship
Wharton is part of Penn. Its education spans undergraduate study, MBA and executive MBA programs, doctoral research and executive education, drawing on disciplines across the university.[3]
Related Organizations, Websites, and Public Accounts
Business school of the University of Pennsylvania. Official website: https://www.wharton.upenn.edu/ (opens in a new window).[4]
University of Pennsylvania: parent university; website: https://www.upenn.edu/ (opens in a new window).[4]