Off the field comparison of Pitt and that other school 75 miles away

While Pitt and West Virginia are separated by under 100 miles, the actual schools themselves vary greatly from each other. From academics to transportation, the schools’ differences go far beyond athletics. In his column, staff writer Ari Meyer puts the two colleges head-to-head based on everything but athletics.

Academics

In almost every statistic, Pitt leads over West Virginia academically. 

West Virginia’s acceptance rate of 77% is higher than Pitt’s, which accepted 49.7% of applicants to the class of 2028.

One statistic that is less often discussed is the student to teacher ratio. Oftentimes, students prefer a smaller ratio for their classes. At a ratio of 14:1, Pitt narrowly edges out West Virginia’s 17:1.

With a middle range of 29-33, Pitt’s ACT scores are well above those of WVU, whose middle 50% fall between 20-26.

Pitt takes this one resoundingly and goes up 1-0.

At the end of the day, what most people will end up caring about is the results on the field. If Pitt loses, people will not go on to say, “Well, at least our ACT scores are higher!” 

Affordability

One of West Virginia’s strong suits is its affordability. The cost of living is 11% higher in Pittsburgh than it is in Morgantown. With the average rent at $1,487 in Pittsburgh and $1,003 in Morgantown, students at Pitt are paying approximately 32.5% more for housing.

West Virginia ties it 1-1.

Experiences

Pittsburgh offers a plethora of nationally rated museums to their students for free, from the Heinz History Center to the Carnegie Museum of Art. Boasting over 30 museums across the city, as well as three professional sports teams, the Steel City constantly has things to do. 

With no professional sports teams and just three museums, Morgantown pales in comparison. If students wish to have experiences outside of their college campus, Pittsburgh is clearly superior.

Pitt pulling away 2-1. 

Transportation

Morgantown boasts a relatively robust transportation system. With 24 public bus routes and a people-mover system to transport students from their downtown campus to their Evansdale campus, students can get around with relative ease.

However, this is lacking in comparison to Pittsburgh. With over 700 buses, a light rail system that extends from downtown to the southern suburbs and an airport nearby, Pittsburgh has a large edge when it comes to getting around.

Pitt wins 3-1.

Pitt fans can take solace in the fact that the college they support seems to provide a more optimal experience for students and fans alike. Pitt takes the overall title here, but the real test will occur when Pitt football takes the field on Saturday at Acrisure Stadium.