About the University of Pittsburgh

The University of Pittsburgh is one of the oldest institutions of higher learning in America. It is a state-related research university, founded as the Pittsburgh Academy in 1787, the same year as the signing of the US Constitution. From that historic moment more than 250 years ago, the University has built a legacy of first-class education and discovery. 

Pitt boasts the inventor of CPR and the Pentium Pro chip as well as alumni who have won an Oscar and the Nobel Peace Prize.  Read about members of the University of Pittsburgh community who have made a lasting impact on the world.

As a world-renowned public university with a high academic reputation, the University of Pittsburgh is a member of the Association of American Universities (AAU). With 60 universities in the United States (both public and private) and two universities in Canada, the AAU is devoted to maintaining a strong system of academic research and education.

The University of Pittsburgh is also a member of the Universities Research Association (URA), a consortium of 88 leading research-oriented universities, including Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Yale University, Stanford University, University of California-Berkeley, and Princeton University, as well as institutions in the United Kingdom, Canada, Japan and Italy.

Rankings

The University of Pittsburgh is a leader among American universities.  Pitt is ranked 61st in the world by Shanghai Jiaotong ARWU (2013), and fifth in the US for funding for biomedical research from the US National Institutes of Health.  

Pitt's Global Vision

By 2020, the University of Pittsburgh will be a community of faculty, students, and staff living globally.  The living globally commitment will influence all aspects of our research, teaching, and service mission and will serve to enhance the University’s reputation as a leader in global education.  We will:

  • Pursue research and scholarship that increase global understanding
  • Develop our students into global citizens and leaders, and
  • Improve people’s lives by studying and solving the worlds most critical problems.

China Office

The China office of the University of Pittsburgh is based in Shanghai's Tomorrow Square.  The staff are ready to answer your questions about an academic career at Pitt.

About Us

  • 18,615

  • Undergraduates
  • 10,034

  • Graduate Students
  • 4,134

  • Faculty full time
  • 740

  • Faculty part time
  • 14:1

  • Student/Faculty Ratio
  • 303,000+

  • Alumni
  • 6,268

  • Full time Staff
  • 351

  • Part time Staff

University Leadership

Provost and Senior Vice Chancellor