Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania, commonly referred to as Bloomsburg, BU or Bloom, is a comprehensive public university located in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, United States. It is one of the 14 state universities of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE). Bloomsburg University is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, as well as by AACSB, NCATE, ABET, and by many other specialized accrediting agencies.
History
It was established as Bloomsburg Academy in 1839. In 1856 it was renamed Bloomsburg Literary Institute. The name became Bloomsburg Literary Institute and State Normal School in 1869. In 1916 the state of Pennsylvania took control and named it Bloomsburg State Normal School. The name was changed to Bloomsburg State Teachers College in 1927. In 1960 the name was changed to Bloomsburg State College. The name was changed to the current Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania on July 1, 1983.
Programs and clubs
Bloomsburg University offers 54 undergraduate majors, 44 undergraduate minors and 20 graduate programs. The school has more than 250 student clubs and organizations.
Faculty
The University currently employs approximately 555 faculty. The student-to-faculty ratio is roughly 21 to 1 with 95% of its faculty holding terminal degrees in their field.
Rankings
- According to US News and World Report, Bloomsburg comes in at 95 in their list of top northeast universities. Nursing, Business, and Speech-Pathology were also ranked highly in their respective categories.
- BU was featured on Washington Monthly’s 2013 Best Bang for the Buck Rankings, a national list of schools that help non-wealthy students attain marketable degrees at affordable prices. BU ranked 113th out of 1,572 schools in Washington Monthly’s broader rankings.
- Online College Database, which uses data from the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Census Bureau, ranked BU third on its list of top PA Colleges for Future Service members, which includes non-profit, four-year colleges that offer at least two ROTC programs on campus and charge less than $20,000 yearly tuition.
- Affordable Colleges Online ranked BU 36th out of 81 Pennsylvania schools on its list of Top Colleges for Return on Investment, which takes into account low net costs and high lifetime earnings.
Admission
In 2012/2013 Bloomsburg University received 10,379 applications and accepted 7,015 (68%) of these applicants making Bloomsburg selective in its admission standards. The entering class had an average GPA of 3.39 and an average combined SAT score of 1040.
Athletics
Bloomsburg teams participate as a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)'s Division II and Division I for wrestling. The Huskies are a member of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC). Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, football, soccer, swimming, tennis, track & field and wrestling; while women's sports include basketball, cross country, field hockey, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis and track & field.
Campus
Bloomsburg University overlooks the town of Bloomsburg, and is situated a few hundred yards from the community's business district. Geisinger-Bloomsburg Hospital is across the street from a cluster of residence halls. The lower campus consists of seven residence halls, a student services center, campus dining, instructional buildings, library and recreational and social facilities. Upper campus is about a half-mile away, and is connected by shuttle service. It contains athletic facilities, three university-owned student apartment complexes, and a dining and conference facility. It is home to Huskies athletics, including the Nelson Field House; Redman Stadium; fields for soccer, lacrosse and field hockey, baseball and softball; and a tennis center.
Alumni
- Dennis Bermudez, professional MMA fighter in the UFC
- Jackie "Jack Jack" Eddy, professional MMA fighter in the UFC
- Mark S. Schweiker, former Governor of Pennsylvania
- Jimmi Simpson, actor
References
External links
- Official website
- Bloomsburg University Athletics website