All posts by: Dinah Winnick

Princeton Review has again selected UMBC as one of the nation’s top universities for undergraduate education, featured in its flagship guide, The Best 381 Colleges.

“UMBC’s outstanding academics are the chief reason we chose it for this book and we strongly recommend it to applicants,” says Robert Franek, Princeton Review’s senior VP-publisher. The 2017 guide includes the top 15% of U.S. colleges and universities, judged through administrator and student surveys across eight categories.

Princeton Review’s UMBC profile highlights the strength of a UMBC education and the university’s commitment to student success. “UMBC wants to see every student succeed—they provide you with the tools, people, and resources to make sure you get where you want to go in life,” one student shared. Others remarked that UMBC has “extremely intelligent professors that have a knack for inspiring the students” and “this is a university where teaching comes first.”

UMBC’s proximity to Baltimore and Washington DC earned high marks, with one student noting, “The location of UMBC is true brilliance.”

The university community itself was recognized as a welcoming environment that values inclusive excellence. “UMBC is a place where it is cool to be smart, and everything about the campus, including the students, exudes ‘nerd-chic,'” said one student. “The school has a strong reputation for diversity,” the profile notes, quoting one student’s comment that students feel diversity “enriches our school.”

At UMBC, the Princeton Review writes, the student experience is about finding your passion and exploring issues that matter, in the classroom and the community. “People fit in by being intellectually creative and finding a community with which to discuss important issues,” one student says. Another shares that in addition to a commitment to doing well academically, “almost every student at UMBC is involved with at least a couple of extracurricular activities, which connect them to the campus.”

The Princeton Review’s final verdict: At UMBC “students are happy,” “career services are great,” and “the school is well run.”

Earlier this year, UMBC was also featured in Princeton Review’s 2016 edition of Colleges That Pay You Back, among the nation’s best colleges for students seeking an exceptional education with great career preparation at an affordable price. That publication’s profile of UMBC noted:

Arguably the “best public college in Maryland,” UMBC is an “extremely diverse school” that manages to maintain a “small community feel.” And from the moment you set foot on campus it’s evident that the university is focused on “providing exceptional education and research opportunities for students.”

For more information, see UMBC’s page on the Princeton Review website.

Header image: UMBC library. Photo by Marlayna Demond ’11 for UMBC.

Less than a week after FORBES named UMBC one of the nation’s top 100 public universities, MONEY magazine has confirmed it, describing UMBC as an academic powerhouse and a solid value for students and their families.

“University of Maryland-Baltimore County is a young school, but it has built an impressive record since its founding in 1966,” the MONEY College Planner notes.

In addition to recognizing UMBC as one of the top 100 public universities in the United States, the new MONEY list ranks UMBC among the top three public universities in Maryland (also including University of Maryland, College Park, and St. Mary’s College of Maryland).

MONEY highlights the wide variety of academic offerings available at UMBC. Beyond popular programs in biology, computer science, psychology, and other social sciences, the publication notes Asian studies, aging services, game development, and medieval and early modern studies as intriguing UMBC programs not found at many other universities. MONEY also notes UMBC’s graduate programs in human-centered computing, atmospheric physics, and language, literacy, and culture.

One student describes academics as an area “where this school shines,” telling MONEY, “The professors are absolutely great…friendly, approachable, and helpful. The variety of courses here is unbelievable.”

Another student told MONEY:

Professors at UMBC are truly passionate about what they teach and make it a point to help the students understand each and every topic. They take questions from students even in big crowded lecture halls because they care about the individual’s problems and make it a priority to help them. The quality of courses is excellent…”

A third UMBC student shared:

This university is very academically focused, however it can also be a lot of fun. The brightest students in the area come to this school, which is great because you can have meaningful dialogue with people here. The professors are fantastic and very eager to help students succeed, overall.

MONEY’s college ranking measures educational quality, affordability, and career success. This year the publication judged colleges on 24 factors, such as graduation rates, borrowing, and alumni income. Also included in each college’s profile is a sense of campus life and student experience. On this point, MONEY notes:

UMBC prides itself on its diverse campus and student body, and student housing includes 10 living-learning communities centered on themes such as women in technology, visual and performing arts, and humanities. Even the school’s mascot is a bit of a standout: It’s a Chesapeake Bay retriever, who shows up to cheer on UMBC athletic teams—the Retrievers.

More UMBC rankings are available through UMBC News.

Image: True Grit retriever statue in the Administration Plaza, spring 2016. Photo by Marlayna Demond ’11 for UMBC.

The 9th annual FORBES Top Colleges list recognizes UMBC as one of the nation’s top 100 public colleges and universities.

UMBC ranks #6 among mid-sized public colleges in the northeast, a list led by the U.S. Military Academy and U.S. Naval Academy, and #126 of all leading northeast colleges, including both public and private institutions. FORBES has also named UMBC #134 on its list of top research universities nationwide.

The Top Colleges ranking “is our answer to the debate over whether higher education is worth it,” writes Caroline Howard for FORBES. She says, “For these outstanding institutions, we give a resounding yes.”

This ranking includes 660 top U.S. colleges and universities, and focuses specifically on what students are getting out of college. It includes measures of post-graduate success, student debt, student satisfaction, graduation rate, and academic success.

Several prominent rankings have featured UMBC in 2016, including Time Higher Education naming UMBC one of the world’s top universities for the fifth time in April 2016.

UMBC has also been featured this year in Princeton Review’s 2016 “Colleges that Pay You Back” and the 2017 Fiske Guide to Colleges. Describing what makes UMBC distinctive, the Fiske Guide notes: “Students here are given access to academic and social resources usually reserved for those attending mammoth public institutions or pricey private colleges.”

Image: View of UMBC campus by Marlayna Demond ’11 for UMBC.

What’s the essence of UMBC? According to one UMBC junior, in the latest edition of the Fiske Guide to Colleges, “We’re focused on doing big things and being influential people.”

“At the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, you can be king or queen of your academic world,” notes the 2017 Fiske Guide to Colleges, in UMBC’s chess-filled university profile. “Students here are given access to academic and social resources usually reserved for those attending mammoth public institutions or pricey private colleges.”

The Fiske Guide to Colleges is one of the most well-regarded resources for college-bound students seeking an inside look at top colleges and universities in the United States, Canada, and Great Britain. The annual guide profiles each selected university in detail, examining academic offerings, cost, social climate and extracurricular opportunities.

What do insiders says about UMBC? It’s all about community.

“UMBC encourages exploration and expects students to support one another and the community at large,” writes Fiske. One English major shares, “The academic climate is more collaborative than competitive, but intense.”

The Fiske Guide highlights numerous UMBC academic departments and programs, including biology, information systems, visual arts, psychology, engineering, interdisciplinary studies, Asian studies, Africana studies, and global studies. It also notes the strengths of UMBC’s Alex. Brown Center for Entrepreneurship, Shriver Center, Career Center, study abroad opportunities and support for undergraduate research and creative achievement.

“Students here tend to be on the nerdy end of the spectrum,” writes one senior, “but we embrace it.”