Now a private research institution, Thomas Jefferson University dates back to 1824, when it was founded as Jefferson Medical College. Then in 2017, the university merged with Philadelphia University to form simply “Jefferson,” as it's commonly referred to now.
Students enrolled today can expect an interdisciplinary, team-based and experiential learning approach through what the university calls “Nexus Learning.”
Nursing is a particularly popular major, but Jefferson offers majors grouped into areas of interest in which the university specializes: architecture, business, design, engineering, fashion and textiles, health, science and social sciences.
Most first-year students study at the university’s East Falls Campus, a 100-acre, tree-lined oasis that’s just 10 minutes outside of Philadelphia. The City Center campus, meanwhile, offers classes in the health and sciences. A university survey of recent graduates found 93% were either employed or in graduate programs within a year of leaving, with the remaining students either taking a gap year or still seeking employment.
Students go on to earn median early-career salaries of roughly $72,000, with 3 in 4 students graduating within six years.
