PITTSBURGH TECHNICAL COLLEGE LISTED IN U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT BEST COLLEGES RANKINGS
PTC Ranked Among Best Regional Colleges for First Time in 75-Year History
PITTSBURGH—September 14, 2020 – Pittsburgh Technical College (PTC) has been listed as one of U.S. News & World Report’s Best Colleges in its 2021 rankings published today. In addition to being ranked among the best regional colleges in the north region for the first time in its 75-year history, PTC received recognition in the rankings as a top performer of social mobility, the least accumulated debt for bachelor’s degree graduates and one of the best colleges for veterans.
Now in its 36th year, the U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges rankings assess 1,452 U.S. bachelor’s degree- granting institutions on 17 measures of academic quality. Rankings are the product of years of research in addition to continued user feedback, discussions with schools and higher education experts, literature reviews, data trends and new data and much more. Schools are grouped into 10 ranking categories based on their academic missions, and within each category the sum of weighted, normalized values across 17 indicators of academic quality determine each school’s overall score and rank.
“At PTC, we strive to continually evolve and grow as a higher education college that is committed to excellence and accountability,” said PTC president Dr. Alicia B. Harvey-Smith. “To see that growth recognized by such a renowned organization like the U.S. News rankings is a testament to all of the great work being done by faculty, staff and students alike and we are all proud to be a part of PTC history.”
PTC comes in at No. 25 among the best northern regional colleges. The 366 regional colleges—including 170 public institutions, 185 private schools and 11 for-profits—focus on undergraduate education but grant less than 50 percent of their degrees in liberal arts disciplines. PTC was ranked No. 27 as one of the top northern regional college performers on social mobility. This category measures how well schools graduated students who received federal Pell Grants. Students receiving these grants typically come from households whose family incomes are less than $50,000 annually.
Additionally, PTC was ranked No. 16 for the least amount of accumulated debt for bachelor’s degree graduates and the No. 13 best college for veterans, each among northern regional colleges. The regional colleges category includes some institutions where only a small number of the degrees awarded are at the bachelor’s level.
PTC has maintained a consistent 95 percent in-field placement rate and is uniquely positioned to meet the ever- changing needs of students and employers thanks to close partnerships with business, industry and educational partners. At PTC, more than 300 prominent employers compose 17 advisory boards that help to shape the curricula for over 30 associate, bachelor’s and certificate programs to ensure that students are well-prepared to contribute to the workforce.
In the course of the last four years, Pittsburgh Technical College has undergone a radical metamorphosis, transitioning from a for-profit school (formerly known as Pittsburgh Technical Institute) to a nonprofit college. One year ago, Dr. Harvey-Smith assumed the presidency of the college. She has set a new strategic course for the college, focusing on key priorities of becoming an educator of choice, a primary pathway for filling middle skills jobs and fueling economic development to rebuild the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and serve as a model for other educational institutions.
“The needs of students and employers are ever changing,” Dr. Harvey-Smith explained, “and Pittsburgh Technical College will continue to work with business and industry to ensure our curricula reflect and anticipate the needs of our students and the workforce. Energized by the recognition by the U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges rankings, we will continue to combine applied and technical education with rigorous academic requirements as we embrace the transformational power of education.”