ACADEMICS >
PUCS At-a-Glance
FOUNDED
1981
ENROLLMENT
125 students, grade K-8
AVERAGE CLASS SIZE
14
ANNUAL TUITION
Elementary School $6,875
Middle School $7,905
FINANCIAL AID
79 of 125 (63%) students receive assistance
$345,461 financial aid awarded
$2,000 minimum tuition paid by each family
MEMBERSHIP
PUCS is a member of Schools That Can, an invitation-only network of 150+ high-performing independent urban schools.
TECHNOLOGY
Robotics Program
Chromebooks
1:2 ratio 4-8 grade
1:4 ratio K-3 grade
Smartboards in 8 classrooms
iPads 20 total
Student Demographics
ECONOMIC DIVERSITY
Receive financial aid 63%
Eligible for free or reduced lunch 37%
Single parent households 19%
Households below poverty level 11%
GEOGRAPHIC REPRESENTATION
City of Pittsburgh 67%
Highland Park, Morningside, Garfield 37%
Greenfield 11%
Oakland, Squirrel Hill, Point Breeze 11%
North Side 4%
South Hills, South Side 4%
Woodland Hills 17%
Penn Hills 8%
Wilkinsburg 4%
Fox Chapel 2%
Gateway 2%
CHURCH REPRESENTATION
Churches represented at PUCS 36
PUCS parents who are pastors 11
Caring for the Whole Child
At Pittsburgh Urban Christian School (PUCS), we encourage our students to get out of their seats, to explore the world around them, and to ask challenging questions. We inspire students to see all of life as interconnected while we practice learning and serving in a diverse, urban setting.
We believe our approach to education guides and shapes children’s God-given curiosity about the world, which helps them thrive beyond our walls as they grow academically, emotionally and spiritually.
Faculty and Academics
TEACHER RETENTION AND EXPERIENCE
On average, our faculty have been teaching at PUCS for nine years. 10 of our 19 faculty and staff hold advanced degrees.
DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION
At this time, we are staffed to provide differentiated instruction for a few special needs. Speech therapy, counseling, and tutoring are available on site. We require a pre-admission assessment to determine if PUCS is a good fit for each student.
STANDARDIZED ACHIEVEMENT TEST
PUCS utilizes the TerraNova Standardized Achievement Test to measure student performance against national averages. While not a complete picture of our students’ abilities, these tests provide a comparative measurement tool for parents, teachers, and prospective high schools. Scores indicate the average grade level (year and month of school) of performance:
WHERE OUR ALUMNI ATTEND HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE
Our students are well prepared to attend the high school of their choice. In recent years PUCS alumni have chosen Central Catholic, City Charter High School, Holy Family, Oakland Catholic, Pittsburgh Public Schools (including CAPA, Pittsburgh Obama Academy, Science and Technology Academy and Allderdice), Shadyside Academy, Trinity Christian School and Winchester-Thurston.
Universities and colleges of choice include Harvard, Princeton, Carnegie Mellon, Chatham, Slippery Rock, Boston, Temple, Robert Morris, Seton Hill, Youngstown State, Penn State, Eastern, Houghton, Grove City, Wheaton, and the University of Pittsburgh.