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Pittsburgh, the second-largest city in the US state of Pennsylvania (after Philadelphia), offers a strong quality of living, diverse student population, and a chance to study at a world-renowned university. Two universities in Pittsburgh are featured within the QS World University Rankings, including the well-known Carnegie Mellon University.
Located to the west of the state, just east of the Ohio border, Pittsburgh is located on the confluence of the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers which merge to form the Ohio River. The city’s large-scale waterways are not only points of beauty for the city, but also a point of pride – one of Pittsburgh’s nicknames is “the City of Bridges”, as there are a total of 446 bridges within its borders.
Other nicknames awarded to Pittsburgh include “the Steel City”, thanks to its thriving steel industry and “the City of Champions”, due to a long history of sporting victories. Pittsburgh has been voted one of the nation’s top cities for baseball, but other sports such as American football, ice hockey and basketball are also competitively played, giving the city a brilliant celebratory atmosphere on match days. It’s not all about sports, however; Pittsburgh also boasts modern architecture, quirky neighborhoods, trendy bars and fine museums.
Laura is a former staff writer for TopUniversities.com, providing advice and guidance for students on a range of topics helping them to choose where to study, get admitted and find funding and scholarships. A graduate of Queen Mary University of London, Laura also blogs about student life.
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Study in Pittsburgh
Laura Tucker
Updated Jul 23, 2025Save
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Pittsburgh, the second-largest city in the US state of Pennsylvania (after Philadelphia), offers a strong quality of living, diverse student population, and a chance to study at a world-renowned university. Two universities in Pittsburgh are featured within the QS World University Rankings, including the well-known Carnegie Mellon University.
Located to the west of the state, just east of the Ohio border, Pittsburgh is located on the confluence of the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers which merge to form the Ohio River. The city’s large-scale waterways are not only points of beauty for the city, but also a point of pride – one of Pittsburgh’s nicknames is “the City of Bridges”, as there are a total of 446 bridges within its borders.
Other nicknames awarded to Pittsburgh include “the Steel City”, thanks to its thriving steel industry and “the City of Champions”, due to a long history of sporting victories. Pittsburgh has been voted one of the nation’s top cities for baseball, but other sports such as American football, ice hockey and basketball are also competitively played, giving the city a brilliant celebratory atmosphere on match days. It’s not all about sports, however; Pittsburgh also boasts modern architecture, quirky neighborhoods, trendy bars and fine museums.
Top universities in Pittsburgh
QS World University Rank
QS World University Rank
Pittsburgh's QS Best Student Cities performance
Testimonials
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Laura is a former staff writer for TopUniversities.com, providing advice and guidance for students on a range of topics helping them to choose where to study, get admitted and find funding and scholarships. A graduate of Queen Mary University of London, Laura also blogs about student life.
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