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Campus named to best in the Northeast list

17th year recognized by The Princeton Review

Students walking with masks on

For the 17th consecutive year, the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford was named one of the 224 best colleges in the Northeast by The Princeton Review.

“What makes this continued recognition significant is that it is based on our students’ experiences, the quality of their academics as well as their life on campus,” said Dr. Catherine Koverola, Pitt-Bradford’s president.

“This recognition continues to affirm what our students have said for years,” Koverola added. “They receive personalized attention from professors who are experts in their field, and they are part of a close-knit, caring, comfortable campus community.”

The Princeton Review, a nationally known education services company, recommends Pitt-Bradford as one of 224 northeastern colleges on its “2021 Best Colleges: Region by Region” website feature posted on PrincetonReview.com.

“We chose Pitt-Bradford and the other outstanding institutions on this list primarily for their academics,” said Robert Franek, The Princeton Review’s editor-in-chief. “We also consider what students enrolled at the schools reported to us on our student survey about their campus experiences.”

Those surveys asked students about their school’s academics, administration and campus community.

According to student surveys, Pitt-Bradford’s small classes “are a major strength.” Additionally, the size of the campus enables students and professors to work closely together.

“The professors at this university are extremely well versed in their specific fields of study,” one student said, and “are very easy to engage in for help.”

Another student said, “You never get lost, and you have a very good way to access your professors if needed.”

When addressing campus life, the students said Pitt-Bradford is a warm, friendly place where it’s easy to make friends and get to know each other.

“At Pitt-Bradford, you are a person with a name, a face, and people are going to know you; you’re not just a number,” one student said.

Another student said, “All students here need to do is say ‘hi’ to another student, and you can be instant friends.”

Students also addressed the number and wide range of clubs and activities on campus.

“There are clubs for most majors and for a vast majority of interests, from mixed martial arts to anime to Star Wars, from open mic night to a drag show,” one student said.

The Princeton Review also rates colleges and universities in six categories, from academics to green initiatives, on a scale from 60 to 99. The ratings are tallied primarily from institutional data though some ratings also factor in student survey data. Pitt-Bradford’s top marks were in financial aid, admissions selectivity and fire safety.

Pitt-Bradford received a score of 89 in financial aid, which measures how much financial aid is awarded and how satisfied students are with that aid. The average financial aid package for the 2020-21 academic year is $19,422 for in-state students and $24,497 for out-of-state students.

Pitt-Bradford received a score of 86 in admissions, which rates how competitive admissions are and is determined by many factors, including class rank, standardized test scores, and high school GPA for entering first-year students. Pitt-Bradford’s acceptance rate is 51%. Of its incoming first-year students, three-quarters of them had a high school GPA of at least 3.0, and  22% had a GPA greater than 3.75.

Pitt-Bradford received a score of 94 in fire safety, which measures how well prepared a school is to prevent and respond to campus fires.

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