Pitt Maintains Elite Ranking in U. S. News & World Report Listings

In the 2008 edition of U.S. News & World Report’s annual “America’s Best Colleges” listings, out on newsstands this week, Pitt has maintained its top 20 ranking among the elite U.S. public national universities while posting solid numbers in other categories.

The Great Schools, Great Prices ranking determines which colleges and universities offer the best value, relating a school’s academic quality as rated by U.S. News, “to the net cost of attendance for a student who receives the average level of need-based financial aid.” In this ranking, Pitt placed 6th among public universities, 37th among universities overall. Also, in a newly named Best Baccalaureate Colleges category, Pitt’s Johnstown and Bradford campuses were ranked 6th and 7th, respectively, among public institutions in the northern region, and 26th and 30th, respectively, among all institutions in the northern region.

The 2008 guidebook version of “America’s Best Colleges” features a two-page photo spread of Pitt School of Arts and Sciences senior Matthew Shaffer in the Cathedral of Learning’s Commons Room; the photo serves as the introductory illustration for Chapter 3 of the guidebook, “How to Get In: 5 Keys to an Awesome Application.” Shaffer, above, posed in the same location earlier this week for CIDDE photographer Jim Burke.