Don't know much about Pittsburgh? Here are some quick facts:

• Pittsburgh was founded in 1705 and has a population of roughly 350,000.

• Pittsburgh has been ranked seventh in the nation as the home of Fortune 500 headquarters. (United States Steel, Alcoa, Heinz, and PPG are among those located here.)

• There are 29 colleges and universities in the region, including Carnegie Mellon, the University of Pittsburgh, and Duquesne University.

• Entrepreneur magazine ranked Pittsburgh as the ninth best place in the country for small businesses.

• The David L. Lawrence Convention Center in downtown Pittsburgh is the first certified green convention center in the United States and the largest certified green building in the world.

• Pittsburgh is within 500 miles of more than half the U.S. population, and the city is less than 90 minutes flying time from 20 states and Canada.

• The Pittsburgh Airport has been ranked # 1in the nation by JD Powers & Associates and at Travelocity for the shortest wait in security lines.

A Top 10 Place to Live and Work
For working and living, Pittsburgh is top of the list. The city has ranked in the top 10 as the best place to raise a family, to own a home-based business, to start as a young professional, for working mothers, for relocation of families and businesses, and to grow personal wealth.

As compared to locations for other top 10 graduate engineering colleges, the cost of living in Pittsburgh is substantially less expensive than others, such as Boston, New York, or Southern California. This can make a big difference in the total investment in a graduate education. Compared with other cities of similar sizes, housing costs in the City of Pittsburgh are the lowest. The price of a three-bedroom house in the Pittsburgh area is nearly 30% below the national average.


Great Sports and Culture
The city is well-known as host to the famous, five- time Super Bowl Champions, the Pittsburgh Steelers, as well as the Pittsburgh Pirates baseball team and the Pittsburgh Penguins hockey team. But the Pittsburgh region is also one of America’s most vital cultural centers and was named among the Top 25 Arts Destinations in the country by American Arts magazine. The cultural center in downtown Pittsburgh is home to the fifth oldest opera company in the U.S., as well as the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre and the Pittsburgh Public Theatre. And it’s a free bus ride to get there when you show your Carnegie Mellon student ID.

Andrew Carnegie’s legacy also shaped the city’s appreciation for the arts by sponsoring the Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh: the Carnegie Museum of Art, the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, the Carnegie Science Center, and the Andy Warhol Museum. The Carnegie Museum of Art and Carnegie Museum of Natural History are located a few blocks from Carnegie Mellon’s campus. Best of all, admission is free to Carnegie Mellon students.


A Place of Growth and Innovation
Pittsburgh is in growth mode—it is place where entrepreneurs, start-up companies, and fresh thinkers will thrive. Here's a quick summary:

• A culture of innovation and entrepreneurship, both in the university and business communities.

• A global prospective with over 220 international companies in residence, nearly half of which choose Pittsburgh for their U.S. headquarters.

• A reasonable cost of living in a city with all the theatres, restaurants, museums, sports and events of larger and much more expensive environments.

If you are looking for a city that is all about new ideas, challenging work, and great quality of life, Pittsburgh is the place for you.