UMBC is among the the nation’s best colleges for students seeking an exceptional education with great career preparation at an affordable price, according to an announcement today by Princeton Review.
In the 2016 edition of Colleges that Pay You Back, Princeton Review highlights the top 200 universities from across the U.S. that “give you the best bang for your tuition buck,” balancing superb academics, affordability, and “getting their graduates out the door to satisfying and rewarding careers.”
Princeton Review’s profile of UMBC notes:
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.”
The profile highlights a broad range of strong undergraduate programs at UMBC, from education and interdisciplinary studies to engineering, biology and chemistry. It also describes how:
Inside the classroom, students are greeted by “very knowledgeable professors” who typically devote “most of the class time to real world discussion[s].” And, perhaps most importantly, professors at UMBC push students to “learn as much as [they] can, work as hard as [they] can and really think outside the box.”
With a focus on value, “Colleges That Pay You Back” gives particular attention to career support for students and alumni. Princeton Review writes:
Thanks to UMBC’s amazing Career Center, undergrads here are able to enter the job market with confidence. Starting from freshman year, the office works to empower students and help them plot their career goals.
The publication goes on to highlight UMBC’s recruiting and networking events as opportunities to meet with representatives from top employers, interviewing workshops, and writing seminars for resumes and cover letters.
UMBC has appeared on this “best value” list several times in the past, including in 2008, 2009, 2011, 2013, and 2014. Four other Maryland universities are included this year: Johns Hopkins University, the U.S. Naval Academy, Loyola University of Maryland, and University of Maryland, College Park.
A few weeks ago, UMBC was also again named a Best Value College for 2016 by Kiplinger’s Personal Finance, appearing on both the Best Value Public University list and “top 300” national Best Value University list.
Images: UMBC library, by Marlayna Demond ’11 for UMBC, and “Colleges That Pay You Back” (2016 edition) cover, courtesy of Princeton Review.
