20 Best Mfa Programs In Pittsburgh, PA (2022 Updated)

I have graduated with five degrees from four different universities in Pittsburgh ranging from Bachelor to Doctorate degrees. I can honestly state that Duquesne was my favorite school. I received a higher quality of education and benefitted more from the smaller classes which are not offered by other schools. Most of my educators actually cared about their students and were not at all condescending (ok, there were a couple). Duquesne costs a bit more, but it was worth it. The campus is great. The classrooms; halls; and grounds are clean, traditional, and safe. My child chose to go to another school, but I would sleep better knowing that was living on campus at Duquesne rather than an apartment in Oakland. The only criticism I have is Duquesne has become more noticeably politically liberal than other Catholic schools. I’m ok with limited expression of personal liberal or conservative views, but I am disappointed when those views become a driver for the facility and administration to influence students. Some of those views have reached national attention which lowers my annual donations to the school.Jerry

We went for a campus tour today and absolutely fell in love with the campus. We are from the Pittsburgh area and I never expected the campus to be as big and charming as it is. The tour guides were very knowledgeable and the student:teacher ratio (14:1) with an average class size of 28 was a major bonus. The dorms are 2 bed frames with a desk and closet for each roommate with 2 drawers under the bed as well. They're spacious and clean. They have an amazing 4 floor workout building with every piece of equipment you could ever need! It truly is a hidden gem right in the downtown area. Away from the hustle and bustle of the city but still close enough to enjoy downtown amenities. I don't see how any other college could top this!!Melanie Phillips

A well known midsized eastern university. Good mix of commuter students and full time students living on campus. Known for programs in pharmacy. education, and music. Good mix of students from all ethnic/economic backgrounds. Although a Catholic University religion is not overly stressed.Peter Halapatz

This is a terrible university–at least from the perspective of a recent graduate student. From student housing, administration, available student resources (including post-graduation career advising, etc.), to some professor(s) playing politics & exacerbating an already tumultuous time for students, this is far and away the most crooked university I've ever had the displeasure of attending. It should be said there are a few fantastic professors who really made the program worthwhile and indeed enjoyable, though they are unfortunately not valued appropriately by the university. The sustainability of Eden Hall campus is also, frankly, laughable. Prospective students are strongly advised to attend another university or, at the bare minimum, tour Chatham in person and ask hard questions bluntly (How does Eden Hall factor into the financials of Chatham University? What is the base pay rate for students who hold jobs on campus? How will faculty be held accountable for predatory/questionable behavior and treatment of students? What does diversity of professors and executive-level management look like to Chatham? Are professors on the cutting-edge of their field and in tune with current trends/issues/solutions? What is the housing situation and will the university honor leases it enters into with students? What resources are available for students along their graduation trajectory, concerning professional development and career skills? Are some students treated preferentially by executive-level professors and how do you rectify these situations? What is the job outlook for graduates who hold XYZ degrees? Does the dining hall offer meals using ingredients primarily sourced from the campus farm? Will my papers be graded in a timely fashion with appropriate comments and edits where necessary? Will students be caught in the crossfire of professor/administration feuds and treated with disrespect in the classroom? Do professors speak poorly of current students to other students? Are some students given preferential treatment regarding thesis timelines and professor access, how will they be held accountable? Will course expectations for success be explained clearly and the syllabus adhered to, and if not, what is the process for rectifying this issue?)Ryan

I attended Chatham for 1 1/2 years in the Food Studies graduate program before transferring to another university. While my time in Pittsburgh was great and I had many once-in-a-lifetime experiences because of my attendance at Chatham, I feel that the program was nothing like I was led to believe and I often wondered while I was there if things were being done the best possible way. Many great advancements have been happening there over the past couple of years, especially in the Falk School of Sustainability. But it always felt super rushed, like they wanted to be the first ones to do this and thus didn't quite get the input from students and community that they should have. For instance, when they transferred the entire school out to the farm, many of us students were left hanging, with decisions being made without our input that didn't benefit us and often made our lives more complicated. Also, many new classes would be offered that were exciting but felt poorly planned. Ideas for courses would be posed just months (weeks, for one of them!) before offering them. While those teachers were certainly qualified to deliver that course, there simply wasn't enough fore-thought and planning put into the curriculum. I had enrolled in one of those courses because it sounded amazing and perfect for what I want to do, but it was extremely disorganized and didn't even feel like it was graduate level information being offered. Chatham as an undergrad school is also somewhat lacking from what I could see. There are very few majors actually offered in comparison to other schools, and those that exist also have very limited course offerings. It is a great place to go for that small-school feel and to be able to have your voice easily (sometimes TOO easily, given some of the voices that were loudest when I was there) heard by staff, students, and community. It offers a very welcoming atmosphere for diversity and, because of its small size, more opportunity to take on leadership roles in student organizations and such. But there are other schools that aren't as flashy and high-profile that can offer the same programs and just as many unique opportunities at a better deal. Chatham is pricey!!Christine Noelle

chatham seems to have deleted the previous one lol 🤨 but yeah if i could take back ever coming here i absolutely would. they say they’re this super liberal and minority caring campus but it’s the total opposite. someone said that “unless you’re an athlete or bringing them in money they couldn’t care less about you.” and i would agree but even then i don’t think they care about anything but making themselves look good and profit. when i attended i reached out to their “mental health service line” about the challenges i was facing and they didn’t respond to me until i had dropped out of the school over a month later and even then it was only to get a survey of “how i liked chatham?” this place and it’s president are an entire joke and i strongly advise looking ANYWHERE else.Antón Muíño

Nice as can be until they get your $200 enrollment fee, then you won’t hear back from them! Dr Jekyll and MsHyde with personalities after getting your non refundable money!! School old and run down looking, staff very cold and unapproachable. Walked up to Sue Winstel at Orientation to ask a quick question during break, another lady was standing and talking to her about unrelated school topics. The lady looks at me and said, oh you can go ahead. Sue continues to talk and ignore me! Very awkward considering she was so nice prior to getting my $200 enrollment fee! No classes offered online( found this out AFTER they got the $200)! Additionally, busy road students have to cross to go back and forth to classes, no parking except for miles away from campus! No matter how nice they seem initially, it’s all about the money… not the student or family!Christy Tee

Attended graduate school, professors required us to find work in the field but would not assist, and if you couldn't find a job by the time assignments were due, you failed. Was in elementary education and no one would give me a break and at least let me volunteer at a school. The Dean basically said "it's weird that you can't get a job working with children", and I immediately dropped out over such a horrendous accusation. Disgusting people.Lauren M

I first looked at Carlow for their Autopsy program when I was a senior in high school. Four years later, I have found Carlow to be my home away from home where I have had the opportunities to work with some amazing teachers and people. I love the small class sizes here, the teachers know you by name, and the close knit community provides a welcoming environment while still having the feel of a school in the big city.Sammi Berton

(Translated by Google) Different from other art study consultants The service provided by st(Art) is the most professional and personalized content on the market. Whether it's an application, a portfolio, or information, it can help a lot. Jesha's understanding of the art ecology is definitely beyond your imagination! (Original) 不同於其他藝術留學顧問 st(Art)所提供的服務是市面上最專業、最個人化的內容 無論是申請、作品集或者資訊都能有極大幫助 Jesha本人對於藝術生態的了解絕對超乎你想像！蘇長慶（Chang-Ching Su）

School of Computer Science is the crown jewel of CMU. Even with 200 faculty members, it only enrolls 200 undergraduates each year. So the students are as good as those in Stanford, MIT, HPY. CMU is ranked number one in Computer Sciences by research papers. If your kids are determined to pursue CS major, this could be a better choice than most Ivy colleges. FYI, computer engineering major is not within SCS. The say it’s next to impossible to transfer into SCS from other six schools in CMU.JAMES H.

Carnegie Mellon has and always will be one of the preeminent science and research universities in the United States. Rivaling that of Caltech and MIT, CMU forges its own path with it's beautiful campus, luscious greens, and ornate architecture. Set aside from downtown Pittsburgh, a walk through campus speaks volumes to the prestige CMU currently holds.Max Banach

Fantastic University! One of the top ranked universities in the United States, especially in Computer science and Robotics. Also one of the most expensive universities! The campus is decent. The location is pretty good. It is very well connected to almost all the locations of the city due to its central location.Niraj Pande

I’m originally from Texas and kinda ended up here as a freshman on accident. All my dream schools rejected me or their financial aid was not pleasant. I have visited TONS of schools from Chicago, LA, NYC, ATL, TX + and all of them were “my dream place” it feels great now saying I go here because this place seriously is the best place in the world to me. I could NOT be happier here. An environment that cares about its students, throws challenges at you IF YOU WANT THEM and above all seriously a stunning and unique place. From the cathedral of learning, to its top notch education. Seriously this place is a hidden gem and I couldn’t be happier here. Don’t be fooled by its “public” status. Yes it is a public school but it gives other schools a run for their money at a seriously affordable price(assuming you get aid which is kinda on your part from academics). I can’t stress enough how perfect this place is to me. Even it’s imperfections like how it lacks grocery stores or sometimes lacks food or “cardiac Hill” all make really good stories and the school never stops improving. Is it prestigious? Not to the extent of other places. But will you have an awesome time AND a competent education that’s world class?? Yes! I sound like I’m advertising but I really feel that way and so do other students. BEST PLACE TO STUDY IN THE US. H2P!Antonio Ponce

I went to college here, and honestly best school ever! I have a BA in Communication, and I’m returning this year to get a Master of Health Administration. Everything is good, such as food, exercise facilities, professors, and social events. Pitt also helps you get an internship with their internship-guarantee program. If you go to Pitt you definitely need to do that! I did three internships and one research fellowships during college. The school is nationally ranked, always a top 100 university on US World News and Report (I think Pitt is #66 this year). School of Public Health (which I’m going to attend) is a top 20 public health school.MonaLisa Leung Beckford

This place is awful. Terrible learning environment, professors don’t give a damn, did not feel safe for even a second, noisy and obnoxious. After one year of attending this college and I already know I’ll never return even for a visit. Students and professors are disrespectful. Charging 35 grand a year for nothing but ridiculousness. If I could rate this 0/5 I would.Graham Hulse

I'm not normally one to leave bad reviews or complain, however my experience so far at Point Park has been so abysmal I feel the need to at the very least leave some sort of warning for anybody considering the university. I chose Point Park because it had a very reputable program for my major that not a lot of universities provide and it's only about 45 minutes from home for me- a good distance to go away and live at school without going too far. I give Point Park two stars only because as far as academics go, the school pretty much delivers. I learn a lot about my major from reputable professors, however a vast overtone of sorts in many of my classes that are major related seems to be that my professors just kind of assume a previous knowledge of most of the subjects we cover, which in most cases, at least for myself, is not the case. Pretty much everything else about this University has not been satisfactory for me. My dorming experience from my freshman year onward was consistently miserable. It's honestly criminal how much the university charges to live on campus when the dorm conditions are past sub-par. For a while I lived on the top floor of the main residential building that has no air conditioning and the rooms are all about the size of a matchbox, they barely even fit the furniture that the university provides. In the spring/summer/fall it's so hot I can barely even stand to sit in the room for more than an hour or two. I would consistently get about two hours of sleep a night because it was just too hot to even sleep. Not to mention the residence hall is just completely outdated as far as amenities and looks. My room and my bathroom were both very grimy. When I eventually could move into a suite with air conditioning, I was comfortable, however I quickly found my roommates were not a good match with me. They were loud and messy, and when I asked for a room change, the university literally told me that I was on my own and I could "ask around" the other suites to see if I could move into a spare space. That, as a customer of the university, is the wrong answer. What they should've said, is that they'd be happy to help and they'd get on it right away. Now, I have to consider moving back home and commuting and they're losing my business. Another major gripe I have with the university is the dining halls. The hours of the dining halls are so poorly scheduled, I scarcely I have time to go get food between my classes. Half the time I get up and I'm ready for breakfast, and they're late opening the dining hall, or the university's newly renovated cafe half of the counters are closed for no reason. In addition, the options are so limited compared to other universities I've been to. A lot of the time I pick up dirty bowls and silverware, or I don't even bother to eat half of the food I try because none of it tastes good. The icing on top of the cake is the dining hall staff is consistently rude. They've even scolded me for taking more than one item at the "all you can eat" dining hall. In my opinion, if I'm paying outrageous amounts for a meal plan, I should be able to take whatever I please. Not only the dining hall staff has been less than pleasant with me, but also some of the professors. I say some because I've had professors at this school that really do care about their students, but I've had professors who could really just care less. That seems to be the overarching theme for a good part of the university's staff is that they just simply don't care, if I have a problem or a question it seems like I have to go through five people just to get a semblance of an answer. Pretty much once they get your money, they could care less about you. Point Park also likes to boast its abundance of student activities when there really aren't any. For such a dance and performance heavy school, they have absolutely no extra curriculars or classes for non-majors. Basically it's like if it's not your major they won't be bothered with you. All in all this school just has made me feel like I've wasted my money, please be warned.Juliana Rossi

I attended Point Park from Fall 2006 until Spring 2009 and my academic experience there was, for the most part, mediocre at best. I was a psychology major, so choosing Point Park at all was honestly my first mistake. I was astounded by how few psychology courses were being offered at a time, and as early as my sophomore year I felt like I was being forced to take child psychology classes that I didn't actually need for any real reason because I'd already taken all the general psych being offered in a given semester and I was panicking about how I was going to get all of those credits in four years. After three years, however, I took a medical leave. This was supposed to grant me two years from that point to return without any fear of consequence, and I carefully followed all of the instructions in doing so, which I must have done well because they signed off on it and sent me confirmation. However, a mistake must have been made on their end because when I did inquire about returning to school, which I did before my two years was up, I was told I couldn't move forward because my loans had been sent to a collection agency. Yes, even though I'd followed all of their rules and should therefore never have had to worry about this, my loans had not only activated but had already been sent to the dreaded debt collectors. When I tried to stress that this must be a mistake because of what I've already said here, they simply told me it was out of their hands and there was nothing they could do. So, basically, unless you're going for something they strongly specialize in, you might want to consider another school. And if you do choose Point Park for whatever reason, you'd better make sure don't need to take a medical leave.Julianna Belle

I would have given Point Park University 5 stars but settled four as I hate the 2-3 times a year calling alumni to give. If I wanted to and could donate, I know where you are and these calls are a bit belittling. Enough said, I got my MBA from them in the Summer 2004 as the school provided me a way to work full time during the week and attend graduate classes on Saturdays. Other schools were not a flexible and/or required a residency option in the summer that I could not work out in my work schedule (personal reasons more than professional). The adjunct professors were great and offered that real-left experience than that you normally get from tenured professors who are book smart. Also, having other classmates that are adults and bring that other side of real life into the classroom added to the experience. A great school and graduate program that got bigger and added more options than I had 12 years ago.Jeffrey Smith

This is a great place for me to figure out what I love to do, and whom I want to be. I have graduated for a year, but I still miss this place and all ETC faculty. Words cannot express how much I love this place!Curious George

For circumstances beyond my control and understanding, within a span of 2 years, without trying, I got to attend 4 or 5 [depending on how you count] installations of 'Figaro': In arbitrary/non-chronological order: — Classic "Il Barbiere di Siviglia" by I Virtuosi dell'opera di Roma, — an unorthodox interpretation of "La folle journée, ou le Mariage de Figaro" by Vakhtangov Theater in Moscow, — Kremlin ballet "Figaro" (the two “The Barber of Seville” and “The Marriage of Figaro” for the price of one), — and finally, "Le nozze di Figaro" by CMU School of Music. In my book, the very charming and enjoyable CMU play rightfully completes this list. I consider myself really lucky to have attended it. Overall, performances by CFA Schools of Music and Drama are some of my favorite memories I’ve had of CMU.Constantine Domashnev

Nice performance areas. There is often student art displayed in the hallways. There is a cafe on the first floor that has great coffee and snacks. There is a computer cluster on the 3rd floor. You can often hear training professionals practicing instruments and voice. There is a lovely garden behind the building with a large sculpture you can sit on with numbers on it. There are architectural niches on the front side of the building that are a nice place to sit and listen or read. There are also busts and sculptures inside the first floor hallways as well as a ceiling mural.Emily Forney

Really not a prestigious school like you might think. I was shocked at how random it was, very unimpressive. Classes were just weird, not modernized or intellectually stimulating. Definitely would not recommend.Liz Alexander

Underestimated gem of Carnegie Mellon. Not as many bells and whistles as Gates, not as externally eye-catching as Hamburg or CFA or Wean, no high-quality coffee joint inside (rip subpar Baker basement cafe but also Baker basement at one point had cockroaches I saw them). But what is inside is quality, passionate teachers and advisers who will spare no effort at helping you succeed and follow your dreams. You can't code genuine care. Plus it kinda reminds me of Hogwarts inside. Be sure to rub Mr. Dietrich's nose on the way in. You know what they say: when one Baker closes, another Porter opens.V

(Translated by Google) I originally thought that CMU was only a school specializing in science and engineering, but I didn't expect the School of Drama to be so good. There are a lot of Tony and Emmy winners. (Original) 本來以爲CMU只是以理工科見長的學校，沒想到戲劇學院也這麼厲害。有好多托尼獎和艾美獎的獲得者。Carbo Kuo (BYVoid)