The station serves the area around the University of Pennsylvania, and is located at South Street and Convention Avenue.

The station instead opened with the regionally descriptive name of University City on April 24, 1995.

The station is also served by SEPTA bus route 40 which runs along South Street, and bus routes 30, 42, 49, and the LUCY Green Loop from the nearby corner of Convention Avenue and Health Sciences Drive.

The station made a brief appearance in the movie Unbreakable as Elijah (Samuel L. Jackson) falls down the stairs to the platform.

The Convention Avenue entrance has regular height turnstiles and ADA gates.