Tags
Features & Articles

Pitt Rises in U.S. News & World Report Rankings

 

GIF with animated text in blue and gold touting Pitt's rise in national rankings of best colleges

 

The University of Pittsburgh is ranked among the nation’s top 20 public colleges and universities in the 2020 U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges rankings.

Pitt is ranked 18th with Florida State, Penn State and Purdue universities after being No. 26 in the magazine’s previous ranking. Additionally, Pitt is 57th out of 318 ranked National Universities, rising from No. 70 in the previous survey, for its highest ranking since 2010.

“This year’s ranking positions the University of Pittsburgh as a top-20 public school,” says Chancellor Patrick Gallagher. “It’s a powerful testament to our students, faculty and staff and a clear signal that our trajectory as a world leader in learning, teaching and research is still—undeniably—on the rise.”  

The U.S. News & World Report rankings are based six main indicators and weightings for college and university data: Outcomes (35%), Faculty Resources (20%), Expert Opinion (20%), Financial Resources (10%), Student Excellence (10%) and Alumni Giving (5%).

Some factors that supported Pitt’s rise in the rankings included student graduation and retention rates and class sizes.

Other notable recognitions for the Pitt community include:

  • Top College (Public) in Pennsylvania: This designation was announced Sept. 5 as part of the Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education college rankings for 2020.
  • Eighth Rhodes Scholar: Lia Petrose (A&S ’17), who earned degrees in neuroscience and economics at Pitt, was named a 2019 Rhodes Scholarship winner. She is Pitt’s eighth recipient of the prestigious scholarship.
  • Center for World University Rankings: Pitt rose from 73rd to 63rd internationally and from 43rd to 39th nationally in the center’s World University Rankings for 2019-2020. The rise internationally puts Pitt in the top 0.4% of universities worldwide.
  • Top Fulbright Producer: For the eighth time in nine years, Pitt was named one of the nation’s top institutions for producing Fulbright students for the 2018–19 academic year, according to the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Eleven students from Pitt earned the U.S. Student Program award this year.