Annual Report
Fiscal Year 2024–2025
Letter from the Dean
Letter from the Dean
D
ear Alumni, Friends, and Supporters,
At Penn GSE, we believe education is the most powerful force for societal change, and this past year has shown what is possible when our community rallies around that mission. In this annual report, I’m proud to share highlights from fiscal year 2025: progress only possible with your support. Thank you for your continued partnership.
With your support, we delivered record levels of financial aid, ensuring a Penn GSE education remains within reach for exceptional aspiring educators. We also grew the Penn GSE Fund to a record level, providing flexible, unrestricted support for the School’s priorities. And through expanded partnerships in Philadelphia and across 60 countries, we extended our impact on teaching, learning, and leadership worldwide.
Looking ahead, our strategic vision, Together for Good, will continue to guide our programs, research, and partnerships. It advances four vital priorities: strengthening the educator workforce, advancing opportunity through partnerships, driving innovation by bridging theory and practice, and bolstering education’s role in democratic society and discourse. Your investment this year accelerated our progress on each of these fronts and fuels our ambitions for the work ahead.
On behalf of our students, faculty, and staff, thank you for your support. Your generosity is shaping not only the future of Penn GSE, but also the future of education itself. I look forward to all we will accomplish together in the year ahead and hope you will continue to be part of this essential work.
All best,
Katharine O. Strunk
Dean, Penn Graduate School of Education
George and Diane Weiss Professor of Education
Dean, Penn Graduate School of Education
George and Diane Weiss Professor of Education
Year in Review A Year in Review at Penn GSE
Each year, Penn GSE is shaped by the passions and lived experiences of its students. Below is a glimpse into the 2024-2025 student body—an inspiring community committed to learning, service, and transforming education.
Number of countries and states students come from
63 countries represented; 40 U.S. states
Total awarded in scholarship to students
$7.8 million for incoming masters students
% of students receiving scholarship
74.6% of incoming master’s students received a scholarship
Total number of students enrolled in Fall 2024-Spring 2025
Total Students: 1669
Students by program format
Breakdown of students enrolled by program format:
Age range of students
Penn GSE GivesPenn GSE Giving Societies
No matter what fund or program you support, behind every gift made to Penn GSE, is the belief that education has the power to change lives. Giving Societies at Penn and at Penn GSE allow us the opportunity to celebrate and recognize those who continue to support our work and mission.
-
Nearly 900 gifts made from Penn alumni -
$6,829,000
Total commitments -
956
Total donors to GSE
The Penn GSE Fund
The Penn GSE Fund fuels the flexibility and momentum our School needs to pursue the goals of Together for Good. Gifts made to the Penn GSE Fund are a critical source of unrestricted funding that allows the School to direct resources to the areas of greatest need. It allows us to move forward the initiatives in Together for Good while maintaining the flexibility to respond to new and exciting opportunities.
-
In a record-breaking year, the Penn GSE Fund raised nearly $400,000. -
749
Total number of donors to the Penn GSE Fund -
$399,200
Total gifts to the Penn GSE Fund
The Benjamin Franklin Society (BFS) is Penn’s prestigious leadership giving society. Donors who are BFS members give $2,500 or more to annual giving funds across the University in a given fiscal year. Penn GSE alumni who graduated within the past 14 years can join the BFS as an associate at a reduced members level.
-
108
Total number of BFS members
The Penn GSE Benchmark Society celebrates and recognizes the most loyal annual fund donors at Penn GSE. Donors who have given to the Penn GSE annual fund for three or more consecutive years are Benchmark Society members.
-
378
Total number of Benchmark members
The Penn GSE Castetter Legacy Circle recognizes the generosity and foresight of our alumni and friends who have included the Graduate School of Education in their estate plans.
-
45
Total number of Castetter Legacy Circle members
Student ImpactStudent Impact
Donors to the Penn GSE Fund and scholarship funds make life-changing opportunities possible for students of all ages, backgrounds, and experiences.
Receiving a scholarship at Penn GSE has allowed me to focus fully on achieving my dream of attending law school and becoming an advocate for education and children’s mental health in the Philadelphia community. This support has not only lifted a significant financial burden but has also made it possible for me to continue my education and open doors to new opportunities I never imagined. I’m incredibly grateful to the donors whose generosity makes this journey possible. It truly means the world.”
Madison McTier, M.S.Ed ’27
School and Mental Health Counseling
School and Mental Health Counseling
The Power of Possibility scholarship pivotal in making Penn GSE possible for me. It has done more than alleviate financial constraints—it has affirmed my commitment to centering the experiences of traumatized and vulnerable children within international education. Knowing that this scholarship supports students working with communities in need has strengthened my resolve to focus on healing-centered knowledge possibilities. I am truly grateful for this opportunity.”
Princess Adeyinka, M.S.Ed ’26
International Educational Development
International Educational Development
Reflecting on my journey, I’ve shaped a core belief that education must be the most equitable ladder to success, transcending background and circumstance. Growing up in a rural area in South Korea with limited access to academic resources, I faced educational disparities firsthand. Yet, thanks to the public education system, I overcame those barriers and later became a public school teacher, serving both privileged and underserved districts in Seoul. Today, Penn GSE has opened yet another ladder for me, this time, to grow as a scholar and become a vehicle for structural change, advocating for the academic success of marginalized students. I carry the lessons I’ve learned and a deep responsibility to uplift others, paying forward the support I once received. I am deeply grateful to the donors whose generosity has made this journey possible. Your investment empowers students like me to realize our potential and sets a flywheel of opportunity that uplifts future generations. Thank you for believing in what’s possible and helping us build ladders where none existed before.”
Sujeong Heo, M.S.Ed ’26
Statistics, Measurement, Assessment, and Research Technology
Statistics, Measurement, Assessment, and Research Technology
Board of AdvisorsBoard of Advisors