For 40 years, the Philadelphia Education Fund has worked alongside colleges and universities across our region to help Philadelphia students explore their options, access higher education, and succeed on their paths to college and career.
Today, we’re excited to build on that history by formally introducing our Preferred Higher Education Partners, a network of institutions committed to strengthening pathways to postsecondary education for Philadelphia students.
Through these partnerships, we’re working to create more meaningful connections between students and higher education institutions, expand opportunities for college exploration and engagement, and help students navigate the transition from high school to postsecondary education.
Each institution brings unique strengths, programs, and opportunities to this work, and together, we’re helping more Philadelphia students discover the possibilities available to them and take meaningful steps toward thriving futures.
We’re delighted to introduce our Preferred Higher Education Partners!
Founded in 1853, Arcadia University is a top-ranked private University in Greater Philadelphia that provides a values-based education rooted in authenticity and belonging, with expert faculty, career-focused academic programs, and unique study abroad opportunities to prepare students to be work-ready, world-ready, and future-ready. The Institute of International Education consistently ranks Arcadia first in the nation for study abroad, and the Princeton Review has ranked Arcadia among the “Best in the Mid-Atlantic” for 12 consecutive years. Learn more at www.arcadia.edu.
College Together is Philadelphia’s new and trusted college destination. With our “fusion college” model in partnership with Southern New Hampshire University, youth are offered a completely new way to go to college: full-time enrollment in an innovative, digital, and project-based degree program at Southern New Hampshire University paired with daily in-person support right here at home in Philadelphia with College Together. Learn more at www.collegetogether.org.
Community College of Philadelphia is the largest public institution of higher education in the City of Philadelphia. With an open admissions policy, the College serves all who may benefit – regardless of age, income, or ability. For more than 60 years, the College has lived up to its mission and goals by providing educational access for 800,000 Philadelphians, setting families, businesses and neighborhoods on the path of shared prosperity and opportunity. For information visit www.ccp.edu.
Holy Family University is a private institution in the Catholic tradition with campus locations in Philadelphia and Newtown, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1954, the University is informed by its values-driven mission, ensuring a welcoming and accessible learning community for all. The University comprises four distinct schools: Arts & Sciences, Business & Technology, Education, and Nursing. Our campuses are just minutes from the excitement of Center City Philadelphia. Holy Family University is a sponsored ministry of the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth. Learn more at www.holyfamily.edu.
Founded in 1854, Lincoln University is the nation’s first degree-granting HBCU. Guided by its motto, “Learn. Liberate. Lead.,” Lincoln offers more than 35 undergraduate and four graduate programs, supportive faculty, and a close-knit campus community that prepares a diverse, international student body of more than 1,600 to make an impact in their communities and the world. Lincoln is consistently recognized as one of the nation’s best HBCUs and ranks among the top 50 schools nationwide for social mobility, and Money Magazine has named it a “Best College.” Learn more at www.lincoln.edu.
Manor College is a small, Catholic and Ukrainian Catholic-affiliated institution in Jenkintown, Pennsylvania, offering high-return associate and baccalaureate degrees, as well as non-degree pathways, across healthcare, business, veterinary technology, education, and the liberal arts and humanities. Serving a student population with a significant percentage of first-generation and diverse learners, Manor is grounded in a tradition of service, hospitality, and academic dedication, captured in the college’s guiding belief: You Belong Here. Learn more at www.manor.edu.
Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology is an acclaimed residential two-year college accepting students from Pennsylvania, as well as veterans, members of the armed forces, and their families. As an accredited technical college with five locations in Lancaster, PA, Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology is dedicated to preparing students for high-demand careers with family-thriving wages. Offering two-year associate degrees in 23 programs, as well as five, nine-month certificate programs to more than 1,400 students, Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology has been advancing equity for more than 100 years. Learn more at www.stevenscollege.edu.
We’re grateful to each of these institutions for their partnership and shared commitment to Philadelphia students. We look forward to building on these relationships and creating even more opportunities for students to explore, pursue, and succeed along their chosen pathways.
If you are interested in becoming a Preferred Higher Ed partner, please contact Ellen Ridyard, Director of Collaborations and Partnerships at eridyard@philaedfund.org.
