Our Mission: Penn GSE partners with schools, universities, and communities to expand educational access – especially for those underserved by society. Through rigorous research and innovative programs, we develop new knowledge, and transformational teachers and leaders in pursuit of educational opportunity.

What began with the appointment of one professor in 1894 evolved into a top-ranked professional school of education. We have a 100-year legacy of producing education leaders through innovative ideas, passionate people, and a commitment to making a difference.  With 40 tenured and tenure-track faculty and just over 1,600 students, Penn GSE is a small school with remarkable scholarly productivity and influence. 

Philadelphia Independence Hall

Philadelphia Impact

Penn GSE is passionate about its work in the city of Philadelphia. Our students, faculty, and staff are deeply involved in high-impact research and practice throughout the city. 

Philadelphia Impact
Young students pose for a photo.

Global Initiatives

From renowned international degree programs to a stellar international student body, Penn GSE is expanding its engagement with global education.

Global Initiatives
GSE Masters Capstone Conference

Diversity & Inclusion

Penn GSE is committed to fostering a diverse community of students, faculty, and staff—and to preparing students to work and lead in a diverse, interconnected world. Our students, faculty, and staff come from diverse backgrounds, and the diversity of the school is intentionally fostered by Penn GSE’s policies and practices.

Diversity & Inclusion

Building on a History of Innovation: Catalyst @ Penn GSE

Participants in the Milken-Penn GSE Education Business Plan Competition

For more than a century, the University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education has been a leader in innovative research and educational initiatives. With the establishment of Catalyst @ Penn GSE in 2017, the school continues to build on its legacy of pioneering innovation and entrepreneurship in education. 

Catalyst @ Penn GSE

Penn GSE's Leadership

Katharine Strunk

Katharine O. Strunk joined the University of Pennsylvania as the Dean of the Graduate School of Education and the George and Diane Weiss Professor of Education in July 2023. She is nationally renowned for her partner-driven research and leadership, which has brought multimethod, collaborative scholarship to bear on pressing questions facing education and educators.

Penn GSE Leadership

Penn GSE Environmental Justice Statement

Responding to the climate emergency and the looming biodiversity crisis requires immediate action on and sustained commitment to environmental justice issues. It is imperative that climate action and stewardship of nature is integrated into all disciplines and current and future generations are empowered with the knowledge necessary to inform choices and solutions.

Penn GSE Environmental Justice Statement

Contact Us

Penn Graduate School of Education
University of Pennsylvania
3700 Walnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104-6216
Phone: (877) Penn-GSE
Fax: (215) 746-6884