Nitin Seshadri

Penn dropped to No. 10 in the 2024-2025 U.S. News & World Report's annual Best National University rankings, aligning with The Daily Pennsylvanian's earlier reporting of a preliminary rankings copy. Penn's current rank — which was officially announced on Sept. 24 — is four spots lower than last year, and the lowest spot it has held since 1997. Penn's average cost of attendance increased from last year, the most notable change from the 2023-2024 rankings.

Williams Cafe opened Sept. 3 after delays caused it to miss its scheduled opening of Aug. 27. Williams Cafe, colloquially known by students as WilCaf, is a student-run cafe located in Williams Hall. The cafe, which is operated by Penn Student Agencies and staffed by the University's students, offers food and drinks independent of the University's dining plan — including coffee, cold brew, bagels, and pastries.

Falk Dining Commons in Steinhardt Hall will remain open on weekends this year and is eliminating the $2.75 dining surcharge. Falk Dining Hall — which previously charged a meal swipe and an additional $2.75 in Dining Dollars — will now be on par with the cost of other dining halls at Penn. Falk Dining Hall will also now serve Saturday lunch in addition to continuing its Sunday dinner service from last year.