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University of Pittsburgh
Academics

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How strong are the academics at University of Pittsburgh?

Let's cover class sizes, graduation rates, and outcomes.

13:1
Student to faculty ratio
71%
4-year grad rate

Class Sizes

Class sizes likely stayed the same for you through high school. You'll find that college is much different. Some of the largest universities have classes that can seat hundreds of students in giant lecture halls. Conversely, as they progress and their focus narrows, higher-level courses can sometimes have just a handful of students.

Pitt has an average student-to-faculty ratio of 13:1. The typical school is 14:1. While this ratio is important, what’s more important is how big a typical class is.

Honors Programs

University of Pittsburgh has an honors program and/or honors college. Specifics of these programs vary, but benefits of being in an Honors Program might include priority registration, being part of a tight-knit community, and accessing unique learning opportunities.

Learn more about honors options on Pitt's website.

Outcomes

It’s critical to understand a school’s outcomes to understand if your four (or more) years at the school will be worth it. Here are some key statistics about the outcomes of students who enroll at University of Pittsburgh:

92%
First-year retention rate
71%
4-year grad rate
84%
6-year grad rate

The average base annual salary of students who were employed within six months of graduation is $62,133. This is higher than the national average of $48,300.

$62,133
$48,300 (National Average)

Majors

Many students choose a school largely based on the what they want to study. The are University of Pittsburgh's most popular majors, ranked by how many people graduated with the concentration in the most recent year:

Research and Experimental Psychology, Other
Biology/Biological Sciences, General
Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse
Computer Science
Finance, General
129.2
192.56
255.92
319.28
382.64
446

The Full List

Major Graduates
Architecture And Related Services
  • Architecture 17
Area
  • Women's Studies 11
  • African-American/Black Studies 8
  • Area Studies, Other 3
  • German Studies 0
  • Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies, Other 0
Biological And Biomedical Sciences
  • Biology/Biological Sciences, General 308
  • Neuroscience 169
  • Molecular Biology 49
  • Microbiology, General 48
  • Computational Biology 29
  • Ecology and Evolutionary Biology 26
Business
  • Finance, General 182
  • Marketing/Marketing Management, General 165
  • Accounting 77
  • Human Resources Management and Services, Other 26
  • Logistics, Materials, and Supply Chain Management 23
  • Business/Commerce, General 10
  • International Business/Trade/Commerce 6
  • Management Information Systems and Services, Other 0
Communication
  • Mass Communication/Media Studies 40
Computer And Information Sciences And Support Services
  • Computer Science 195
  • Information Technology Project Management 111
  • Information Science/Studies 68
  • Computer Software and Media Applications, Other 31
  • Informatics 22
Education
  • Physical Education Teaching and Coaching 0
Engineering
  • Mechanical Engineering 146
  • Computer Engineering, General 76
  • Industrial Engineering 74
  • Chemical Engineering 73
  • Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering 66
  • Civil Engineering, General 51
  • Electrical and Electronics Engineering 47
  • Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering 27
  • Materials Engineering 22
  • Engineering Science 2
English Language And Literature/Letters
  • Rhetoric and Composition 86
  • Creative Writing 72
  • English Literature (British and Commonwealth) 39
  • Professional, Technical, Business, and Scientific Writing 12
Foreign Languages
  • Linguistics 15
  • French Language and Literature 12
  • Spanish Language and Literature 12
  • German Language and Literature 8
  • Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics 8
  • Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General 8
  • Chinese Language and Literature 6
  • Italian Language and Literature 4
  • Japanese Language and Literature 1
  • Russian Language and Literature 1
  • Polish Language and Literature 0
Health Professions And Related Programs
  • Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse 308
  • Rehabilitation Science 144
  • Pharmaceutical Sciences 89
  • Audiology/Audiologist and Speech-Language Pathology/Pathologist 41
  • Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other 26
  • Dental Hygiene/Hygienist 9
  • Health Information/Medical Records Administration/Administrator 0
  • Dietetics/Dietitian 0
History
  • History, General 77
  • History and Philosophy of Science and Technology 12
Homeland Security
  • Corrections 36
  • Criminal Justice/Safety Studies 15
Legal Professions And Studies
  • LEGAL PROFESSIONS AND STUDIES 15
  • Non-Professional Legal Studies 15
  • Legal Studies 15
Liberal Arts And Sciences
  • Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies 21
  • Humanities/Humanistic Studies 2
Mathematics And Statistics
  • Applied Mathematics, General 32
  • Mathematics, General 22
  • Statistics, General 20
  • Mathematics and Statistics, Other 16
  • Mathematical Biology 2
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
  • Biological and Physical Sciences 81
  • Nutrition Sciences 14
  • Museology/Museum Studies 2
  • Data Science, General 1
  • Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other 1
Parks
  • Exercise Science and Kinesiology 35
Philosophy And Religious Studies
  • Philosophy 32
  • Religion/Religious Studies 3
Physical Sciences
  • Chemistry, General 57
  • Geology/Earth Science, General 51
  • Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences, Other 31
  • Physical Sciences, General 9
  • Physics, General 8
  • Astronomy 1
Psychology
  • Research and Experimental Psychology, Other 446
  • Educational Psychology 23
Public Administration And Social Service Professions
  • Social Work 28
  • Public Administration 3
Social Sciences
  • Econometrics and Quantitative Economics 146
  • Political Science and Government, General 103
  • Anthropology, General 42
  • Sociology, General 21
  • Economics, General 11
  • Social Sciences, Other 9
  • Urban Studies/Affairs 8
  • Social Sciences, General 4
  • Research Methodology and Quantitative Methods 1
Visual And Performing Arts
  • Film/Cinema/Media Studies 29
  • Art History, Criticism and Conservation 25
  • Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General 11
  • Fine/Studio Arts, General 11
  • Music, General 6

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CollegeIQ relies on data from government and private resources. Always confer with the individual college or university for the most recent data. Learn more about our data and methodology.

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