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Get the most interesting and important stories from the University of Pittsburgh.According to Money magazine, the University of Pittsburgh is a sure bet for your bottom dollar.
The publication’s Best Colleges list, released in June, awarded Pitt a three-and-a-half star rating based on 25 metrics, including awarded merit grants, financial aid and graduation rates.
It’s no wonder Pitt was named to the 2026 list: More than 80% of Pitt students receive need-based grants through the Office of Financial Aid. The University also rocks an 82% graduation rate (compared to a national average of 59%) and the average merit-based award is $8,943.
Behind those stellar numbers are Pitt’s affordability initiatives, which help make a college education and career opportunities possible for students of any income. This fall, the University is launching the Pitt Regional Campus Tuition Pledge — through which eligible Pennsylvania residents will pay zero in tuition at Pitt’s Bradford, Greensburg and Johnstown campuses, along with the Titusville nursing program — bringing even more students into the Pitt family without incurring student debt.
[Here’s how one Pitt grant helps students cross the graduation finish line.]
Pitt’s more than 50 hybrid and online programs, found at Pitt Online, make earning a degree or certificate affordable and accessible for working professionals. Students can gain a Pitt education from anywhere in the world without shouldering the cost of relocating to Pittsburgh, and the flexibility of online learning makes it easier to juggle a job while pursuing higher education, too.
Through the University’s Pitt Success Pell Match Grant Program, undergraduate students who qualify for Federal Pell Grants receive matching funds from Pitt, lessening the overall cost of tuition. Pitt also recently renewed its commitment to the American Talent Initiative, a national alliance of colleges and universities working to expand access for talented students from lower-income backgrounds. The University has made steady progress since joining the effort in 2021: Roughly 4,300 full-time students on the Pittsburgh campus in fall 2025 were Pell-eligible, about 1,400 more than a decade ago, and more than 1,500 of those students were incoming transfer and first-time students.
Expanding access to higher education
If you have academic promise, you belong here, regardless of your financial situation. At the University of Pittsburgh, you’ll find support from initiatives like the Kessler Scholars Program, Pitt Finish Line Grants, Panthers Forward, Pittsburgh Public Scholars, the Pittsburgh Admissions Collaboration, Pitt Fund$Me and the Coalition for College.
Photography by Aimee Obidzinski