Pitt-Bradford recognized by Washington Monthly

Washington Monthly’s annual college ranking has recognized the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford for a tenth year as a substantial value college and one that contributes to the public good.

Washington Monthly uses information from the U.S. Department of Education to base its national college rankings on access, affordability, outcomes and promoting public service.

Pitt-Bradford was the top public institution in Western Pennsylvania on the magazine’s list of Best Bang for the Buck schools in the Northeast. The regional lists rank schools according to how well they help non-wealthy students earn marketable degrees at affordable prices.

Additionally, Pitt-Bradford was the second-ranked Pennsylvania public college in a nationwide ranking of colleges and universities that focus on students earning bachelor’s -- as opposed to graduate -- degrees. On that list, Pitt-Bradford ranked fourth on earnings performance – a measure that compares actual earnings nine years after graduation to earnings predicted by student data.

Pitt-Bradford also performed well in the areas of “Pell performance” (36th), which measures successful outcomes for students who need financial aid, and access (39th), a measure of how well colleges provide access to non-wealthy students.

The U.S. government awards Pell grants to students who have exceptional financial need and have not earned a bachelor's degree. The University of Pittsburgh matches those grants. At Pitt-Bradford, more than 45% of students receive Pell Grants.

“This ranking, while less familiar to many, speaks to our mission,” said Rick Esch, president of Pitt-Bradford. “Generous financial aid and support services help ensure that students of all financial backgrounds can thrive here and beyond.”

The magazine, based in Washington, D.C., says that it “rates institutions of higher learning on the degree to which they recruit and graduate students of modest means, produce the scholarship and scholars that drive economic growth and human flourishing, and encourage students to be active citizens and serve their country.”

This is Pitt-Bradford’s most recent honor. Last month, it was named to the Princeton Review’s Best Regional Colleges and the Phi Theta Kappa Transfer Honor Roll for ease of transfer. Earlier this summer, it was named a College of Distinction in the areas of affordability, public colleges, Pennsylvania colleges, and programs in business, education, nursing and career development.

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