2 Pitt campuses were named to the first Best Colleges for Rural America list

The University of Pittsburgh’s Bradford and Johnstown campuses were named to the Best Colleges for Rural America list, a new ranking from Washington Monthly magazine.

The inaugural list specifically lists colleges and universities that are powering upward mobility in rural areas, based on percentage of federal Pell Grant recipients, degrees in in-demand rural fields and net price, to name a few considerations.

Pitt-Johnstown, ranked at No. 13, and Pitt-Bradford, ranked at No. 44, were the only two schools in Pennsylvania to rank in the list’s top 50.

One factor behind their placements: alumni earnings. The ranking predicts what graduates should earn four years out based on their demographics — $61,193 for Johnstown and $54,756 for Pitt-Bradford — then compares that to what they’re actually earning: $73,701. Johnstown and Bradford graduates are out-earning expectations by $12,500 or nearly $19,000 per year, respectively.

Washington Monthly said that the rural colleges listed “are load-bearing pillars of local tax bases, essential infrastructures for rural communities and anchors of civic life.”