Points of Pride

The Institution

• Founded in 1845, BW was one of the first colleges to admit students without regard to race or gender — a spirit of inclusiveness which continues today.
• For 27 straight years, U.S. News & World Report has ranked BW among the Midwest's Best Universities.
• BW is highly ranked by Washington Monthly, Forbes, Kiplinger, The Economist and Money magazine.
• BW continues to earn high marks for affordable excellence in rankings designed to help families find the right college fit.
• The BW Riemenschneider Bach Institute — which celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2019-20 — is one of only five institutions in North and South America containing manuscripts written in Bach's own hand.
• The University's commitment to sustainability was rewarded in 2019 with the prestigious STARS Silver rating from the international Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE). Campus sustainability efforts include a wind turbine, recycling and composting program, LEED certified buildings, solar power and five geothermal fields — including the first for a residence hall in Ohio — to heat and cool campus buildings. Sustainability majors annually produce recommendations for additional green initiatives as part of their senior capstone project.
• BW is among the top, Gold-rated "2021-2022 Military Friendly® Schools" nationwide. The Gold award designation, published by Military Friendly® online and in GI Jobs magazine, reflects "leading practices, outcomes, and effective programs" for active military and veteran students.
• BW received the Collegiate Purple Star Award for its ongoing efforts to support students with military backgrounds. Universities with the Collegiate Purple Star Award designation provide service members, veterans and military-connected students the necessary support system and guidance to pursue higher education.
• A distinctive collection of programs, spearheaded by the BW Center for Innovation & Growth, fosters entrepreneurship skills to prepare students for innovation and career agility.
• BW is ranked among the "Top Workplaces in Northeast Ohio," a distinction that recognizes "area employers who are doing it right" as determined by their own employees.

The Students

• 90% of our graduates find employment or enter the graduate school of their choice within six months of graduation.
• 47% of alumni report earning a graduate degree during their lifetime.
• Each year, BW students contribute more than 5,000 hours of service to the Greater Cleveland area through BW's community engagement programs. Additionally, BW students contribute more than 5,000 hours outside the region on BW-sponsored Alternative Break trips.
• 68% of our graduates choose to remain in Ohio, providing an educated workforce, community leaders and volunteers.
• The Yellow Jacket athletic teams have demonstrated a long-standing tradition of excellence in the classroom and in athletic competition.
  • Since 1969-70, BW has 124 all-time CoSIDA Academic All-Americans — most in Ohio and 11th nationally among NCAA Division III colleges.
  • Women's Cross Country: 2019 NCAA Division III Great Lakes Regional champions.
  • Men's Wrestling: Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) champions in five of the past six seasons.
  • Women's Basketball: 30 consecutive winning seasons and four "Elite 8" appearances.
  • Women's Track & Field: 2016 NCAA Division III Women's Indoor Track & Field national champions and 2016 NCAA Division III Women's Outdoor Track & Field runner-up.
  • Football: 52 winning seasons in the last 57 years. 

The Programs

• Music Theatre: An acclaimed pipeline to Broadway with BW grads in more than 40 productions over the past decade. The music theatre program tops the list of Onstage's Top College Musical Theatre Programs for 2019-20. Onstage also ranked BW as the top-ranked program in the nation in their 2018-19 rankings for Best Bachelor of Music (B.M.) Music Theatre Programs.
• Music Business School: BW was featured in Billboard magazine's national list of the "Top Music Business Schools," highlighting BW's thriving arts management & entrepreneurship program and the recently created music industry major.
• Teacher Education: Graduates at BW score above the state and national averages on the Teacher Performance Assessment (TPA).
• Physician Assistant (PA) program: Graduates have achieved a 100 percent first-time pass rate on the Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam (PANCE) every year since May 2015 when BW's first class of the PA program graduated.
• Nursing (ABSN): Graduates pass the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) at rates that place BW among the top-performing nursing programs in the state.
• National Security: From Ohio's first international studies major, BW expanded its programs for global awareness and the University now offers a specialized national security major focused on assessing global and domestic threats.
• Computer Science: Northeast Ohio's first baccalaureate software engineering major, developed with input from area technology employers.
• Communication: Media Production: BW's radio station — WBWC 88.3 FM "The Sting" — is the only college radio station in the Cleveland market that has a professionally modeled format.
• Experiential Learning: Every BW student applies what he/she learns in the classroom through experiential learning — travel, service, internships, field experience, research, clinics or other hands-on experience — required for all degrees.