William Penn University is a liberal arts university affiliated with the Society of Friends. The university was founded by Quaker pioneers in 1873 to provide a quality education to all interested men and women regardless of race, creed, or socioeconomic status. One hundred and forty-nine years later, William Penn University remains devoted to this ideal. The university is firmly rooted in its Christian heritage, with certain characteristics distinctive to Quakers, but welcomes faculty, staff, and students from all faiths.
William Penn University is devoted to student learning, with a mission to provide a quality education in man disciplines. Traditional liberal arts with a leadership focus are the core of WPU’s educational program, for liberally educated women and men have the skills and confidence to face whatever the future holds. The academic program encourages intellectual inquiry and critical self-awareness but also serves the specific career interests of students in each area of study.
Students at William Penn University are expected to take an active role in their education. They should participate fully in the intellectual and social experience of higher education by learning to ask probing questions that deal with both substance and process.
William Penn University admits students of any race, gender, age, marital status, national or ethnic origin, religion, creed, sexual orientation, or disability, and does not discriminate in the administration of any university-administered programs. While every effort is made to provide accurate and current information:
The University Catalog serves as a resource for degree requirements, course information, policies, procedures, and information about William Penn University for the 2023-2024 Academic Year; information herein is subject to change. The university catalog attempts to represent information as accurately and completely as possible. William Penn University reserves the right to change any of the provisions, statements, policies, curricula, procedures, and regulations found in this catalog. The University Catalog is not a contract.