Drexel University | Private university, research institution, STEM | Britannica (original) (raw)

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Drexel University, private, coeducational institution of higher learning in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. It consists of the colleges of Arts and Sciences, Business and Administration, Engineering, and Information Science and Technology, as well as the Nesbitt College of Design Arts. In addition to undergraduate studies, the university offers a range of master’s and doctoral degree programs. Drexel operates one of the largest mandatory cooperative education programs in the United States, involving more than 1,200 businesses, industries, and other institutions providing educational experience through paid employment. Total enrollment exceeds 9,000.

The university was founded by banker and philanthropist Anthony J. Drexel in 1891 as the Drexel Institute of Art, Science and Industry. In 1936 the name was changed to Drexel Institute of Technology and finally to Drexel University in 1969. Illustrator Maxfield Parrish studied art at Drexel.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Amy Tikkanen.