Peirce College, private college in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Peirce College is a private, not-for-profit college in downtown Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, offering programs from certificates up to master's degrees. Courses are available both in person and fully online, targeting working adults who study alongside their jobs.
The college was founded in 1865 to teach business skills to Civil War veterans. Over time, it grew from a trade school into a broader academic institution, adding associate degrees in 1964 and bachelor's programs in 1997.
The college takes its name from Charles Sanders Peirce, a 19th-century American philosopher and logician. Despite its location in a high-rise, the place feels more like a small community center, where students and instructors work closely together in small groups.
The campus sits on Walnut Street in downtown Philadelphia, easy to reach by public transit. Prospective students who plan to study fully online never need to visit in person, but those attending classes can walk from the city center without difficulty.
In 2022, the college moved to the 19th floor of a downtown high-rise, making it one of the few campuses in the country situated inside a skyscraper. Students attend class with a wide view over Philadelphia just outside the windows, which is part of daily life there.
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