I want to apply to the University of Pittsburgh but I was looking into the satellite schools just in case. I read on some website that the Bradford campus is just as good as the main campus, but I doubt it for some reason. Can someone help me out on this? Also, will the fact that I went to a satellite school show up on my diploma?
Will you be commuting to Bradford? Otherwise there isn’t much to do in the town. And no, the academics at any branch campus is not as good as at a main campus.
I would encourage you to check out this page on our website, if you have not already: https://oafa.pitt.edu/apply/admissions-process/regional-campuses/
The FAQ in particular has a lot of information about the admissions process and our campuses. If you have any questions about ranking campuses, or which campus is right for you – feel free to reach out to the admissions offices and/or schedule a tour at the campuses that interest you.
Best,
A Pitt Admissions Staffer
A lot of people I know went to Johnstown, and we are not close enough to commute. I think they like it but not as much as they would at main.
All of the campuses have their unique environments and academic niches, but a quick comparison of average incoming SAT scores will give you an idea of the academic differences. The main campus in Pittsburgh is easily the best regarded and attracts the better credentialed students, and is also the site of nearly all of Pitt’s research (and most well regarded) faculty. That said, for their size and missions, the regional campuses are well regarded compared to their peers, and except for two-year Titusville, they are really set up to be self-contained, 4-year residential colleges. They regionals are more like their own colleges than what some would consider to be typical of branch campus of many other universities. They aren’t really set up to filter students to the main campus like other schools’ branches, although obviously some students do transfer to main, especially for some specific academic programs.
The regionals all provide a smaller, teaching-focused, rural setting compared to the larger, urban, research-oriented campus at Pitt main. Some of them have academic programs that only exist on those particular campuses, but they all draw on resources from the university at large (like the library system).
[url=<a href=“http://upj.pitt.edu/%5DJohnstown%5B/url”>http://upj.pitt.edu/]Johnstown[/url] is the largest (and probably best regarded) of the regionals. Its campus is composed of fieldstone buildings sprinkled in a wooded setting that reminds me of a ski resort. It is has a full fledged, four-year engineering and nursing program (set up by Pitt’s School of Nursing), as well as well regarded business programs. It also has fairly substantial NCAA Division II athletics that compete in one of the nations most competitive DII athletic conferences. UPJ also seems to be growing the fastest, both their physical plant and academic offerings.
[url=<a href=“http://www.greensburg.pitt.edu/%5DGreensburg%5B/url”>http://www.greensburg.pitt.edu/]Greensburg[/url] is the closest regional to the main Pittsburgh campus and has the most programs (including pre-professional) set up by or linked to the corresponding programs/schools at the main campus. Its student residences are notable for being set up as academic villages organized around academic themes. Its campus is on the former estate of a local wealthy executive and is highlighted by a Tudor mansion and a stream that runs through the grounds. It is a very pretty campus. It has NCAA Division III athletics.
[url=<a href=“http://www.upb.pitt.edu/%5DBradford%5B/url”>http://www.upb.pitt.edu/]Bradford[/url] is the farthest away from Pittsburgh and is essentially on the New York border, and therefore also draws students from New York. It is really nestled into the hills and adjacent to nature trails and streams, etc. It also gets a lot of snow in the winter. It has some unique things, like its own CSI house to train criminal justice majors. Its campus is fairly homogeneous assortment of newer one to two story buildings. Pitt-Bradford also has NCAA Division III athletics.
[url=<a href=“http://www.upt.pitt.edu/%5DTitusville%5B/url”>http://www.upt.pitt.edu/]Titusville[/url] is tiny…very tiny…only a couple blocks and buildings in size physically but also small in student number. It is also only a 2 year school offering associates degrees. It essentially serves as a junior college for Pitt and Pitt-Bradford. It sits on the former estate/mansion of local who made their money in the early oil industry, so it is a nice little campus, but it would be my last choice of the four regionals given the option of any of the others.
It also depends on stats of student and what a family can afford. A student who would be in the lower stats range at Pitt main might be able to get a merit scholarship at Pitt Bradford, reducing the already lower cost compared to main campus.