About Bloomsburg University
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Bloomsburg University, a member of Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education, is a four-year coeducational public university founded in 1839. Through the stages of its development from a normal school to a teachers college to a multipurpose state college and finally to a university in 1983, the institution has retained its emphasis on liberal arts and career education.
Bloomsburg is recognized as one of the best 100 public universities in the United States, and excellence, ranging from its 19 national championships to its international reputation in a number of its academic programs, is an attitude found throughout the faculty and staff.
About 90 percent of Bloomsburg’s students come from throughout Pennsylvania, creating a diverse mix of cultures and ideas. It’s a place where friendships that last a lifetime begin. And it’s a busy place — with more than 160 student organizations and activities, NCAA Division II athletic programs and a popular recreation center.
The university’s Division of Continuing and Distance Education serves students through nondegree credit courses, noncredit minicourses, off-campus classes, credit for life experience and distance learning courses on public television.
The Town of Bloomsburg, located in the Susquehanna River Valley, has a population of about 12,000 people. The central business district is just three blocks southwest of campus, and includes more than 80 retail stores, restaurants and the Bloomsburg Fair in September. More stores, restaurants and theaters can be found along nearby Route 11 and at the Columbia Mall, northwest of town.
The university is within a one-hour drive from such cities as Hazleton, Williamsport, Wilkes-Barre and Scranton; 1.5 hours from Harrisburg; 2.5 hours from Philadelphia; 3 hours from New York City and Baltimore; and four hours from Pittsburgh and Washington, DC.
BLOOMSBURG FACTS
Enrollment— Total enrollment is over 9,500, with an average incoming SAT of 1070 and class rank in the upper 25 percent; Bloomsburg admits one in seven applicants and has a four-year retention rate significantly higher than the national average. About 60 percent are women and 10 percent are non-traditional. About 90 percent of Bloomsburg graduates are quickly placed in their chosen fields.
Faculty— With approximately 1,000 employees, Bloomsburg University has 383 full-time faculty, 70 percent of whom hold doctoral degrees and 72 percent of whom are tenured. The staff is organized into four divisions: Academic Affairs, Administration, Student Life and University Advancement. Governance is through the State System of Higher Education’s Board of Governors and through the university’s Council of Trustees.
Degrees— Bloomsburg University offers 63 baccalaureate degrees,18 master’s degrees and a joint doctoral degree in elementary education in cooperation with Indiana University of Pennsylvania.
Financial Aid— About 70 percent of all students receive some form of financial aid; average amount of aid is $10,026 per year.
Cost—About $5,358 per semester for Pennsylvania residents (not including fees, typical room and meal plans), $13,396 for non-residents.
School Colors, Mascot— The school colors, originally “lemon and garnet,” have been maroon and gold since the 1920s. In the early 1930s, the Husky became the school mascot when a dog owned by a faculty member accompanied Adm. Richard E. Byrd on an expedition to the South Pole.
