Advantages & Disadvantages of Studying in Philadelphia

You think about studying in Philadelphia but want to get additional information about student life and the city in general before making your final decision in this regard?

Great! Stick with me since I will show you the pros and cons of studying in Philadelphia in the following chapters.

Studying in Philadelphia – Overview

Advantages of Studying in Philadelphia

1. Decent student life in Philadelphia
2. Many extracurricular activities you can choose from
3. Decent nightlife for students in Philadelphia
4. Many opportunities to socialize and make new friends
5. Living costs are not as high as in other major cities
6. Rents in Philadelphia are still affordable for many students
7. Relatively easy to find a decent place to stay
8. Many colleges and universities in the Philadelphia region
9. You can specialize in rather exotic majors
10. Graduates from University of Pennsylvania have decent career options
11. You can build a strong network of people in Philadelphia
12. Many student jobs in Philadelphia
13. Many opportunities to work as an intern in Philadelphia
14. You can meet many students from all over the world
15. Philadelphia is a multicultural city
16. Studying in Philadelphia helps you grow in character
17. Studying in Philadelphia can make sense for athletes
18. Philadelphia has great public infrastructure
19. Easy to get around in Philadelphia
20. You will find everything you need as a student in Philadelphia
21. Many libraries and other quiet places to study in Philadelphia

Decent student life in Philadelphia

One advantage of studying in Philadelphia is that student life is pretty great in this city.

In fact, there are many student unions and other student organizations you can join and can also have a pretty good time with other like-minded people of your age.

Many extracurricular activities you can choose from

There are also many extracurricular activities you can participate during your leisure and aside from studying, you will have more than enough things to do with your leisure and chances are that you will never get bored as a student in Philadelphia.

Decent nightlife for students in Philadelphia

Another upside to studying in Philadelphia is that the city has really great nightlife.

In fact, there are more than enough interesting bars and clubs where you can hang out and party until the early morning.

Many opportunities to socialize and make new friends

In general, since there are so many things to do in Philadelphia, you will also have more than enough opportunities to socialize as a student in Philadelphia and can have a great time with your fellow students and some of those students will become really good friends of yours in the long run.

Living costs are not as high as in other major cities

While living costs in Philadelphia are still above national average, you should know that people studying in Philadelphia still have to spend far less money on things of daily life compared to people studying in Los Angeles or other more popular and expensive places.

Rents in Philadelphia are still affordable for many students

Not only living costs are lower in Philadelphia compared to many other big metropolitan regions, but also rents are still affordable for many students compared to students in the Bay Area who often really struggle to rent an apartment for a reasonable price.

Relatively easy to find a decent place to stay

While students in NYC often have a hard time finding a decent place to stay and have to search for many weeks or even months in this regard, you will have a much easier time finding a place to stay in Philadelphia since competition in the housing market is far lower in general.

Many colleges and universities in the Philadelphia region

Studying in Philadelphia can also be great since you will have a big selection of colleges and universities to choose from and don’t just have to rely on a single university as is often the case in smaller towns.

You can specialize in rather exotic majors

Since you will have a solid variety of universities to choose from, you can also choose among many rather exotic majors which you might not find in other smaller college towns and can therefore become a real expert in your field.

Graduates from University of Pennsylvania have decent career options

Since University of Pennsylvania has a pretty decent reputation, graduating from this university may also enable you to get many decent career opportunities and you may even have a job before you graduate while many other people out there may have a much harder time in this regard.

You can build a strong network of people in Philadelphia

Since there are many students and also professionals staying in the Philadelphia region, you can also connect to many influential people and people who may become important in the future and can therefore build a strong network of people which can help you climb the corporate ladder soon since the more people you know, the easier it is to get into fancy positions in the corporate world.

Many student jobs in Philadelphia

Another benefit of studying in Philadelphia is that you will find many student jobs where you can make some money on the side to finance your degree to a certain extent so you might be able to avoid taking on huge amounts of student loan debt and can stay out of financial trouble.

Many opportunities to work as an intern in Philadelphia

There are also some big corporations in Philadelphia and you will therefore be able to work as an intern and by making many important contacts in the corporate world, you can already get a foot in the door and once you graduate, it may only be a matter of time until you find a decent job.

You can meet many students from all over the world

Since Philadelphia is well-known all over the US and even the world, you can also meet many interesting people from many exciting places of our planet and by talking to those people, you can learn quite a lot about the world and may also be able to experience different ways of life.

Philadelphia is a multicultural city

Philadelphia is also influenced by many different cultural streams and this can not only be quite interesting, but it can also have practical benefits since you will be able to try many tasty foods and also get in touch with many interesting people in general.

Studying in Philadelphia helps you grow in character

Since many people in Philadelphia live below the poverty line, you will also get in touch with adversity pretty early in your life.

However, while this might not be great at first glance, it can still help you grow in character since you will become stronger from the inside and will also get lots of motivation to study hard since you want to have a better life than many other people who have to live under pretty poor circumstances.

Studying in Philadelphia can make sense for athletes

Since student sports are a big part of student life in Philadelphia, studying in Philadelphia can also make quite a lot of sense for you in case you are an athlete and want to play at the highest level and also aspire to getting a scholarship to finance your degree.

Philadelphia has great public infrastructure

In general, Philadelphia also has a pretty good public infrastructure and supply of material goods is decent so you will find most things of daily life within walking distance and can use your time in a pretty efficient manner.

Easy to get around in Philadelphia

Since Philadelphia has pretty decent public transport, you also don’t necessarily need a car as long as you live close enough to the city center and can save lots of time and money in this regard.

You will find everything you need as a student in Philadelphia

Thanks to decent public infrastructure, you will hardly miss a thing in Philadelphia as a student and can just get everything you need while students in smaller towns may have a much harder time in this regard.

Many libraries and other quiet places to study in Philadelphia

Studying in Philadelphia can also make sense since there are many libraries and other quiet places where you can prepare for your exams in an efficient manner so you can get the best grades possible and can get a decent job later on.

Now that you know the reasons for studying in Philadelphia, we also have to talk about the drawbacks of studying in Philadelphia so you can better decide whether you still want to study in Philadelphia or rather want to go for a different location instead.

Disadvantages of Studying in Philadelphia

1. Many students don’t feel safe in Philadelphia
2. Philadelphia doesn’t have many really good universities
3. Tuition in Philadelphia is often pretty expensive
4. You may have to take on student loans to finance your degree
5. Many students have to live in rather dodgy neighborhoods in Philadelphia
6. Philadelphia is a pretty crowded city
7. Philadelphia is too cold for many students
8. Students are often less ambitious compared to other major cities
9. You may not be able to compete with the best of the best
10. Philadelphia is not the most popular city
11. Unemployment is a big problem in Philadelphia
12. Your loved ones may worry about your well-being

Many students don’t feel safe in Philadelphia

One downside to studying in Philadelphia is that the city has a pretty high crime rate and many students just no longer feel safe in the Philadelphia region which may not only lower overall quality of life but may also make it much harder to focus on your studies.

Philadelphia doesn’t have many really good universities

While there are some decent colleges in Philadelphia, you will still have a much harder time finding really good education compared to people studying in New York City or other fancier places where you will have much better universities on average.

Tuition in Philadelphia is often pretty expensive

Another problem with studying in Philadelphia is that tuition is often pretty high and many students therefore have to make a huge financial commitment which they may regret later on in their lives.

You may have to take on student loans to finance your degree

If you don’t get financial support from your parents, you may have to use student loans to finance your degree and this may financially constrain you for many years after graduation since you might have to pay back huge amounts of money.

Many students have to live in rather dodgy neighborhoods in Philadelphia

Since many students struggle to make a living in Philadelphia just from their student jobs, many of them also have to live in rather dodgy neighborhoods and may not feel welcome and may even be afraid to leave their homes during nighttime.

Philadelphia is a pretty crowded city

While many students love big city life and everything that comes along with it, you may be different and if you don’t love the hectic atmosphere and the many things going on around you, you may be better off moving to Long Beach or another smaller and more relaxed place.

Philadelphia is too cold for many students

Another disadvantage of studying in Philadelphia is that it can get pretty cold in winter and you may just not get happy with studying in this place if you are the type of person who really loves the heat.

In such a case, you might be far better off studying in Houston or other warmer places instead.

Students are often less ambitious compared to other major cities

While there are some ambitious and motivated students, many students in Philadelphia are still not as ambitious as people in Boston or other places where education plays a much bigger role and you may therefore have a hard time finding really good learning groups.

You may not be able to compete with the best of the best

Since many people in Philadelphia are just not as motivated as in other more competitive regions, you may also have a hard time competing with the best of the best and if this is your goal, studying in Philadelphia may just not be the best option for you.

Philadelphia is not the most popular city

While Philadelphia is a pretty big city and well-known all over the US, the city still doesn’t have a great reputation due to high crime rates and other social problems and many of your friends may just not understand why you want to study in Philadelphia.

Unemployment is a big problem in Philadelphia

You should also know that unemployment rates in Philadelphia are pretty high which may make it hard for you to find a decent job in this region after you graduate.

Your loved ones may worry about your well-being

Since crime is a big problem in Philadelphia, your loved ones may also worry about your well-being quite a lot and you may therefore impose an emotional burden on your family and friends by studying in Philadelphia.

Top 10 Studying in Philadelphia Pros & Cons – Summary List

Is Philadelphia A Great City For Students?

Studying in Philadelphia can make quite a lot of sense since you will have many colleges and countless majors you can enroll in while rents and living costs are still affordable and student life is great. However, you should also know that crime is a big problem in Philadelphia and many students also live in rather dodgy neighborhoods where they just don’t feel safe.

Alternative Student Cities

If you don’t want to study in Philadelphia anymore, you should also have a look at the advantages and disadvantages of studying in Chicago.

Sources

https://www.phila.gov/

Own research.

About the author

This site is about living, moving and traveling to various parts of our fascinating planet.

My name is Andreas and when I was younger, I traveled the world and learned a lot about different cultures and countries.

Thus, I want to share my experiences with you so that you can benefit from them and avoid common mistakes in this regard.

In my articles, you will find everything you need to find the best location for a happy and successful life.