Philadelphia University was established in 1989 as a national higher educational institution. The university is located 20 km to the north of Amman, on the road to Jerash. Philadelphia University has eight faculties and a student body of more than six thousand students. Its academic staff consists of over 300 faculty members, who hold degrees from a wide range of distinguished universities. The name "Philadelphia" is derived from the cultural heritage of Jordan. It is the former name of Amman, given to it by Ptolemaeus Philadelphus in the year 285 B.C. This phase of the history of Jordan is captured in the Hellenistic columns in the university's logo.