University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus College Portrait
University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus4200 Fifth Avenue Pittsburgh, PA 15260
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University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus
The University of Pittsburgh is among the oldest American institutions of higher learning, evolving from a frontier cabin established in 1787 into an internationally recognized institution. The University system of 16 Pittsburgh Campus schools and four regional campuses offers 440 degree programs, a world-renowned medical center, and over 250 research centers, institutes, laboratories and clinics. The Pittsburgh campus in the Oakland neighborhood of one of the nation's most livable cities is only three miles from the city center and offers access to arts, music, culture, sports and much more. Just beyond lies a region with endless opportunities for outdoor activities.
Living in the Panther Community
The University of Pittsburgh is among the top public research universities in the nation. Offered at the Pittsburgh Campus alone are more than 100 undergraduate-level degree programs with more than 2,200 courses per term. At Pitt you will have the opportunity to work side-by-side with faculty on major research projects; study abroad by choosing from among 880 Panther Programs, exchange programs, and Pitt-recognized programs in 71 countries; choose from among 460 undergraduate student organizations; gain practical experience through internships; and get connected to Pittsburgh’s vibrant arts scene through Pitt Arts.
The Big Picture: How many students were on campus in Fall 2010?
More Information
| Total Students | 28,823 | |
|---|---|---|
Undergraduate Snapshot
| Total Undergraduate Students | 18,371 | |
|---|---|---|
| Gender | ||
| Women | 9,311 | 51% |
| Men | 9,060 | 49% |
| Race/Ethnicity | ||
| American Indian / Alaskan Native | 9 | <1% |
| Asian | 1,000 | 5% |
| African American / Black | 1,300 | 7% |
| Hispanic | 336 | 2% |
| Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander | 11 | <1% |
| White | 14,457 | 79% |
| Two or More Races | 248 | 1% |
| International | 367 | 2% |
| Race/Ethnicity Not Reported | 643 | 4% |
| Where do PITT undergraduates call home? | |
|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | 76% |
| Other US States & Territories | 22% |
| Other Countries | 2% |
| Residency Unknown | <1% |
| How old are PITT undergraduates? | |
| Average Age | 21 |
| Percent of Undergraduates Age 25 or Older | 9% |
New Student Applications (Fall 2010)
New Freshmen High School Background and Test Scores
Test(s) Required for Admission: SAT or ACT recommended
| Test Scores of Enrolled New Freshmen | ACT | SAT |
|---|---|---|
| Composite | 25 - 30 | |
| Math | 25 - 31 | 600 - 690 |
| English | 25 - 32 | |
| Critical Reading | 570 - 680 |
50% of admitted students have test scores within the ranges listed, 25% have scores above, and 25% have scores below.
| High School Background of Enrolled New Freshmen | ||
|---|---|---|
| Percent in top 25% of High School Graduating Class | 85% | |
| Percent in top 50% of High School Graduating Class | 99% | |
| Percent of New Freshmen who submitted HS GPA | 64% | |
| Average High School GPA (4-point scale) | 3.91 | |
| Percent who submitted High School GPA | 100% | |
Sticker Price: How much does it cost on average?
Typical Undergraduate Costs for 2010-11 without Financial Aid (Full-Time, In-State Students)
Total Typical Cost of Attendance: $28,212
Updated tuition rates are usually released in July.Out-of-State & Other Costs
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The cost to attend University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus varies based on the individual circumstances of students and may be reduced through grants and scholarships.
How much would I pay?
Financial Aid: How much help is there to pay?
Scholarships & Grants
- 39% of 2010-11 full-time undergraduates received need-based grants or scholarships; the average award for the year was $8,281. Scholarships and grants are financial aid that does not need to be repaid and is sometimes referred to as gift aid.
Annual Need-Based Loans
- 45% of 2010-11 full-time undergraduates received need-based work-study and/or loans (not including parent loans); the average loan for the year was $5,309. Loans need to be repaid. Typically, repayment starts once you are no longer enrolled full-time. Please refer to page 12 of the Funding Education Beyond High School guide on the US Department of Education's Federal Student Aid website for more information about Financial Need.
Percent of 2009-2010 Full-time Beginning Students Receiving Each Type of Financial Aid
NOTE: Students may receive aid from more than one source.
PITT Classes & Instructors
| Classroom Environment | |
|---|---|
| Students per Faculty | 14 to 1 |
| Undergraduate classes with fewer than 30 students | 62% |
| Undergraduate classes with fewer than 50 students | 82% |
| Total Full-Time Instructional Faculty | 1,670 |
| % of Full-Time Instructional Faculty Who Are Female | 41% |
| % of Full-Time Instructional Faculty Who Are Persons of Color | 16% |
| % of Full-Time Instructional Faculty Who Have the Highest Academic Degree Offered in Their Field of Study | 93% |
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Campus-based Housing
97% of new freshmen live in campus-based housing or residence halls.
45% of all undergraduates live on campus
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Campus Safety
The University of Pittsburgh is committed to maintaining a safe and secure campus while offering the intellectual, cultural, and social advantages of a vibrant urban environment. Measures such as safety lights around campus buildings and walkways, a 21 hour a day shuttle system, after dark point-to-point service, more than 500 emergency phones, and an Emergency Notification Service capable of communicating messages through email, voice, and text create a safer, more accessible, and more secure campus in which to live, work, and learn.
Campus Crime Statistics
Carnegie Classification of Institutional Characteristics
The Carnegie Classification's were created "to reference the great diversity of colleges and universities in the United States, and ... enable [people] to identify groups of roughly comparable institutions." For information on the Carnegie Classifications system, please visit their website: http://classifications.carnegiefoundation.org/
- Basic Type
- Research Universities (very high research activity)
- Size and Setting
- Large four-year, primarily residential
- Enrollment Profile
- Majority undergraduate
- Undergraduate Profile
- Full-time four-year, more selective, lower transfer-in
- Undergraduate Instructional Program
- Arts & sciences plus professions, high graduate coexistence
- Graduate Instructional Program
- Comprehensive doctoral with medical/veterinary
NOTE: Institutional classifications based on the Carnegie 2005 edition.
Student Activities and Involvement at PITT
The University of Pittsburgh offers students a wide variety of educational opportunities both inside and outside the classroom to become engaged with new ideas, people, and experiences. The University of Pittsburgh measures the effectiveness of these opportunities by utilizing a variety of survey methods to better understand what types of activities and programs students find the most helpful. The University of Pittsburgh annually participates in The Student Experience in The Research University (SERU) survey. Information about this survey is available at: http://cshe.berkeley.edu/research/seru/. Given the manner in which these SERU survey data are collected, that is, they are based on student responses - with each question's response based only on those students who chose to respond to that particular survey question - these SERU results may differ from other official University-published data.
Institutions participating in the VSA program measure student involvement on campus using one of four national surveys. Results from the one survey are reported for a common set of questions selected as part of VSA. Following are the selected results from the University of California Undergraduate Experience Survey (UCUES). The questions have been grouped together in categories that are known to contribute to student learning and development. The results reported below are based on the responses of seniors who participated in the survey.
Group Learning Experiences
- 54% of seniors worked outside of class on class projects or studied with classmates
- 21% of seniors spent at least 6 hours per week participating in student organizations or clubs
- 9% of seniors reported serving as an officer or leader in a campus organization or club
- 48% of seniors helped a classmate better understand course material
Active Learning Experiences
- 53% of seniors reported making class presentations
- 86% of seniors spent at least 6 hours per week studying and other academic activities outside of class
- 13% of seniors enrolled in at least one service learning course
- 30% of seniors participated in a study abroad program
- 60% of seniors participated in an internship
- 28% of seniors assisted faculty with research
Institutional Commitment to Student Learning and Success
- 83% of seniors were at least somewhat satisfied with advising by faculty on academic matters
- 79% of seniors were at least somewhat satisfied with advising by college staff on academic matters
- 84% of seniors were at least somewhat satisfied with the availability of courses needed for graduation
- 53% of seniors reported raising their standards for acceptable effort due to the high standards of a faculty member
Student Interaction with Campus Faculty and Staff
- 33% of seniors sought academic help from an instructor or tutor
- 36% of seniors talked with an instructor outside of class about course material
- 20% of seniors worked with a faculty member on a campus activity other than coursework
Experiences with Diverse Groups of People and Ideas
- 96% of seniors rated their ability to appreciate, tolerate, or understand racial and ethnic diversity as good or better
- 94% of seniors rated their ability to appreciate cultural and global diversity as good or better
- 44% of seniors gained a deeper understanding of other perspectives through conversations with students of a different nationality
- 50% of seniors gained a deeper understanding of other perspectives through conversations with students of a different race or ethnicity
Student Satisfaction
- 81% of seniors were at least somewhat satisfied with the value of their education for the price they paid
- 90% of seniors were at least somewhat satisfied with their overall academic experience
- 88% of seniors would choose to attend this institution again
- 93% of seniors reported that their campus had a strong commitment to undergraduate education
Evaluation of Experiences
Survey Administration Process
Survey Information
Majors and Degrees
| Degrees awarded at University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus in 2009-10 | |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 3,794 |
| Master's | 2,240 |
| Doctoral | 944 |
| Total | 6,978 |
| Areas of Study with the largest number of bachelor's degrees awarded in 2009-10 | |
|---|---|
| PSYCHOLOGY | 8% |
| Speech and Rhetorical Studies | 6% |
| Marketing/Marketing Management, General | 5% |
| Finance, General | 5% |
| Biology/Biological Sciences, General | 4% |
| Links to degree programs at University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus |
|---|
Bachelor'sMaster'sDoctoral |
Future Plans of 2009-10 Bachelor's Degree Recipients
Survey Administration Process
Student Success & Progress Rate
A 95% four-year success and progress rate means that 95% of students starting in Fall 2004 either graduated or are still enrolled at a higher education institution four years later.
Counts for the Fall 2004 entering class shown in the graph above.
- 2,975 First-Time, Full-Time Students
- 749 Full-Time Transfer Students
Success & Progress Rate Table
Retention of Freshman Class
First-time students in Fall 2009 that returned for their second year: 92%
Student Learning at University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus
All colleges and universities use multiple approaches to measure student learning. Many of these are specific to particular disciplines, many are coordinated with accrediting agencies, and many are based on outcomes after students have graduated.
The University of Pittsburgh has a commitment to excellence in instruction as evidenced by our culture of assessment through which we continually evaluate the success of our educational programs and feed the results of those assessments back into our academic planning processes. Each school’s and campus’ student learning outcomes are consistent with the University’s goals for all of our graduates, namely that our students will be able to think critically and analytically, gather and evaluate information effectively and appropriately, understand and be able to apply basic, scientific and quantitative reasoning, communicate clearly and effectively, use information technology appropriate to their discipline, exhibit mastery of their discipline, understand and appreciate diverse cultures (both locally and internationally), work effectively with others, have a sense of self and responsibility to others.
Learning Assessment Examples
Pilot Project to Measure Core Learning Outcomes
Colleges and universities participating in the College Portrait measure the typical improvement in students' abilities to think, reason, and write using one of three tests. This is part of a pilot project to better understand and compare what students learn between their freshman and senior years at different colleges and universities.
This university is in the process of collecting and analyzing learning outcomes test results.