Located at the confluence of the Allegheny, Monongahela, and Ohio rivers and highlighted by a beautiful skyline and countless bridges, Pittsburgh has earned its reputation as one of America's most-livable cities. Known for its history of steel, iron, and glass production, Pittsburgh is driven today by medicine, technology, education, finance, and tourism.
One of the safest American cities, downtown Pittsburgh is easily accessible on foot, bike, bus, or by the “T,” our underground rail system. Stunning views of the city can be taken in from atop Mt. Washington or the West End–Elliot Overlook.
Pittsburgh's strong, close-knit neighborhoods are as charming as they are ethnically diverse, offering a sampling of foods, traditions, festivals, and celebrations inspired and influenced by the city's rich history and cultural heritage. The region features hundreds of acres of public parks and recreational facilities, miles of bike lanes, and an ever-growing focus on active lifestyles.
Pittsburgh is also great place for students, many of whom come to Pittsburgh and decide to settle here because of the unique features that make the city and the region a great place to call home.
Pittsburgh: A Most Livable City
The University's Off-Campus Living Department provides students with the information and tools to successfully reside in off-campus accommodations. Explore the department's Renters’ Guide, apartment listings, roommate matching, and landlord services.
Dozens of hotels near the Pittsburgh campus offer lodging for visitors and for students before they settle into long-term housing.
The Steel City finished #34 behind Honolulu and Atlanta among cities in the nation >>
Oakland: At the Intersection of Excitement & Opportunity
Oakland is no ivory tower. It is an innovation hub, brimming with the creativity of students, researchers, inventors, and visitors from around the world. With most of its residents under age 30, the neighborhood pulses with intensity. Business incubators, health researchers, the RAND Corporation, Disney, and nearly 50,000 students share this intellectual hub.
UPMC, an international health care system, maintains four teaching hospitals on the Pitt campus and dozens throughout the region. It is closely affiliated with Pitt’s medical school and the McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, a world-class center for bioengineering. Experts in public health and public policy from all over the world mingle here, lecturing, and learning. Historians, novelists, and authors read their works in the popular Arts & Lectures series at the nearby Carnegie Music Hall, also a busy concert venue.
Pitt Law sits at the heart of the University campus, a few steps from the cafes and green space of Schenley Plaza. We share a border of the 456-acre Schenley Park with Carnegie Mellon University and two of the city’s four Carnegie museums. The Carnegie Museum of Art and Museum of Natural History are renowned for their magnificent collections, while local eateries feature global cuisine.
The University: Pitt Attracts the World's Best Minds
Since 1787, the University of Pittsburgh has welcomed the world’s most distinguished scholars.
Pitt ranks ninth among public institutions in the U.S. National Science Foundation’s ranking of federally funded research and fifth among U.S. universities in terms of the competitive grants awarded to members of its faculty by the National Institutes of Health. Pitt also ranks among the top five universities nationally in annual research support awarded by the National Institutes of Health. Our 15 libraries and collections house 76.4 million volumes. The Petersen Events Center hosts collegiate sporting events (Pitt is a member of the prestigious Atlantic Coast Conference), concerts, and more.
As a state-related university, Pitt receives public funding that defrays the cost of attendance for Pennsylvania residents. The combination of academic excellence and low in-state tuition creates an extraordinary cost-to-value ratio for Pitt Law students.