BOULDER, Colo. — The credit rating agency Standard & Poor's Global Ratings (S&P) has affirmed an A+ long-term bond rating for the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR).

In its report, S&P stated that the strong rating is a reflection of UCAR's important role as a leading organization supporting the academic community that studies atmospheric and Earth system science. The report also cites the organization's history of successful operations and growing financial resources.

"The stable outlook reflects our anticipation that during the two-year outlook period, UCAR's operations will maintain balanced operations and financial resources will remain stable or improve," stated the report.

Since the last S&P rating announcement in 2016, UCAR's membership base has grown to include 117 North American colleges and universities focused on research and training in the atmospheric and related Earth system sciences, as well as 56 international affiliates. UCAR manages the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) with sponsorship by the National Science Foundation. UCAR's annual expenditure in fiscal year 2017 was about $247 million.

"The continued A+ rating is a reflection of UCAR's stability and its focus on sound fiscal principles," said Susan Avery, chair of the UCAR Board of Trustees. "This high rating is also a testament to the hard work the staff at UCAR performs on a daily basis to be the best possible stewards of the NSF investment in NCAR."

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