Bradley University

Date: Jul 26 2010
Major: Economics (This Major's Salary over time)
Bradley is a good school with potential to be great, but not in the ways that the administration is trying to make the school better. The pro's are a great faculty and good facilities. I have never had an instructor not know a substantial amount about what they were teaching, although a handful of professors have been subpar. Also, the academic buildings and the rec center are very nice, even if not too much to look at from the outside.

The campus itself has a lot of potential, but I have become disgruntled with the amount of concrete and asphalt there is… the quad could be much better and the campus more suitable to students if there was less parking and driving space interupting the campus feel.

The administration at Bradley is another story… let's just say that the PR that Bradley generates isn't always on par with the campus realities. This past year showed a different side of our new president, who has done a good job of alienating much of the student body by denouncing the Greek community, increasing drinking tickets while crime on campus skyrocketed, and generally showing disregard for students outside of large events. There is a substantial capital campaign in progress, but the priorities seem to be directed away from the desires of the majority of students (new basketball practice facility, but the library and dorms are still mediocre? come on).

Peoria isn't the best town to go to for college, but it's not totally dead. It's no contest with Chicago, but it is a decent city. As far as reputation, Bradley's is mostly regional, so if you try to sell an employment opportunity by hinging yourself to the BU name, you won't exactly have companies begging you to work for them. However, Bradley is recognized as a quality school and your degree from BU will carry weight at companies and Graduate schools in the midwest.