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The Ins and Outs of Washington State Colleges
Washington State is an incredible place to be a student. The colleges and universities offer something for everyone, with programs in nearly every discipline, and campuses ranging in size from a few hundred students to many thousands. In addition to rigorous academics, Washington State is a nature-lovers Mecca. Outdoor activities tempt students away from the libraries all year round, with kayaking, skiing, hiking, and sailing just a short commute away. Seattle offers an urban trail system connecting most of the city, and creative energy pervades most college towns throughout the state. With so many activities to choose from, you might not have time to study!
Top 5 Public Colleges in Washington State
- University of Washington: This academic reputation of this selective university is well known, with alumni making significant contributions in fields ranging from medical research to urban planning.
- Evergreen State College: This progressive college is well-known for its creative approach to education. The academic programs are interdisciplinary and team-taught, so instead of taking individual classes, students sign up for explorations of a grander theme through related academic subjects.
- Western Washington University: Remarkably, this university has been ranked as the best regional public university in the Pacific Northwest for eleven years in a row. Many students take advantage of the recommended internships and service learning opportunities, to create a hands-on learning experience.
- Central Washington University: Offering more than 100 majors, this centrally-located university campus prepares students for careers with high standards of academic excellence. First-year students are well taken care of, with a University 101 course to support student success.
- Eastern Washington University: Home to the only crime lab in the state, this modestly-sized university attracts students interested in forensic science, among other professions. The highly competitive veterinary medicine program stands out among its advanced degrees.
Top 5 Private Colleges in Washington State
- Whitman College: This highly selective liberal arts college attracts academically driven students who value small class sizes and a nationally distinguished faculty. The Princeton Review ranked Whitman in the top five for “happiest students”, as they find balance between academics and full social lives as well.
- Cornish College of the Arts: This small college of 800 students is one of only three private, non-profit, performing and visual arts colleges in the nation. Attracting passionate and disciplined students, this close community thrives on being surrounded by art 24/7, both an campus and in the creative commons of Seattle.
- Seattle University: Consistently ranked among the top ten universities in the West, this Jesuit campus is located in the heart of Seattle, and fully integrated into the surrounding community of First Hill. The students are generous, contributing upwards of 200,000 volunteer hours every year.
- Whitworth College: Declared “Best in the West” by Princeton Review's 2010 Best Colleges: Region by Region guide, this small college is distinguished for its student-faculty ratio of 13 to one, and mission to train both the “mind and heart”.
- Bastyr University: As the largest university for natural health science in the United States, Bastyr is recognized as a pioneer in the practice of natural medicine and related research. Their teaching clinic in Seattle is open to the public, to serve the community and supervise students studying integrative medicine.
Top 10 Best Colleges Overall
- Antioch University in Seattle: Over the front door of this progressive institution is the quote, "Be ashamed to die until you have won some victory for humanity," spoken by the school founder 150 years ago. True to its founding principles, students are encouraged to think creatively and make bold contribution to their communities.
- Whitman College: Academics are taken very seriously at this highly selective liberal arts program, with students required to pass extensive oral and/or written exams to graduate. The library is open 24/7, and students can be found diligently studying at all hours of the day and night.
- Cornish College of the Arts: The courses at this private college are taught by working artists, many of whom are leaders in their fields, so the course content is always relevant to the of the current trends in the art world.
- Bastyr University: This program has been at the forefront of 21 st century natural medicine since its inception. The international faculty emphasizes integrating mind, body, and spirit in a variety of naturopathic programs.
- Bainbridge Graduate Institute: Focused solely on graduate students, this business and entrepreneurship program trains students to become environmentally and socially responsible leaders. The pioneering curriculum infuses all courses with issues of sustainability and responsible stewardship.
- University of Washington: Recognized internationally for its leading medical school and research, this university has been promoting academic excellence for the past 150 years. Deeply committed to community integration, renowned speakers are regularly hosted for public lectures.
- Lake Washington Technical College: Focusing on two-year associates degrees, this college offers programs that meet all industry standards in a wide variety of professions, including dental hygiene, culinary arts, automotive maintenance, and engineering graphics.
- Pacific Lutheran University: With a student body of 3 6000 undergraduates and graduate students, this university is larger than the typical liberal arts program. As a result, they can offer a wide array of rigorous degree and professional training programs.
- Seattle Pacific University: This University is a long-time leader in Christian education, providing over 3,800 students with high-quality academics in a close-knit spiritual community. The dedicated faculty teaches to small classes, focusing on personal attention and support.
- Eastern Washington University: Even though this is the state's fastest-growing public institution, it still maintains a 20:1 student-faculty ratio, showing how serious they are about a high-quality learning experience for all students.
Best Bang for Your Buck
- Evergreen State College: Fiske researchers commended this college for its "remarkable educational opportunities at a relatively modest cost." naming it a 2010 Best Buy School.
- Bellevue Community College: Listed as one of the “15 Fantastic Higher Education Values” by Yahoo Finance, this college takes belongingness seriously and describes an “Affirmation of Inclusion” among their priorities.
- Eastern Washington University: This University offers the best economic value in public education, making it popular with first-generation college students seeking a reasonably priced four-year degree. Nearly 51% of freshmen will be the first in their families to receive a college degree.
- Gonzaga University: Holding its place as number 3 in the West for best value and alumni giving in 2009, the average discount from the total cost in the 2008-2009 academic year was 39 percent. Also, fifty-six percent of GU students receive need-based grants in the 2008-2009 school year.
- Seattle Central Community College: Tuition here is half the price of a four-year college, attracting many cost-conscious students who begin their studies here before transferring to a four-year program.
- North Seattle Community College: This two-year college offers over 40 career-training programs, and offers continuing education and university preparation courses as well. Credits are fully transferable to other Washington state institutions.
- Fairhaven College at Western Washington University: As a small liberal arts college with a large university, Fairhaven students have access to all the opportunities of a major university while enjoying the community and individualized attention of a small school. Students participate in a largely self-directed curriculum program, typically found in exclusive private schools, at a state-school price.
- Whitworth: Ranked 39 th in the United States by Kiplinger Magazine's list of best university values, this school offers an exceptional community atmosphere and accessible faculty.
- Bates Technical College: This Tacoma-based technical school offers professional training on a flexible schedule to accommodate students with jobs or families. Students pay per credit hour, making tuition costs easy to comprehend.
- Spokane Falls Community College: Priding itself on affordable programs, this community college serves residents in Spokane and the outlying rural towns with high-quality professional and liberal arts courses.
Washington State Colleges with the Best Sports' Teams
- University of Washington: Huskies fans are among the most dedicated in the state, regularly turning out en masse to support their teams in the on-campus Husky Stadium. This university's athletic teams regularly place in football, track, rowing, and women's gymnastics.
- Central Washington University: Wildcat sports play a major role on this campus. Six players were placed on the academic All-North Central Conference Football team in its first year, more than any other school in the league.
- Gonzaga University: Perhaps the riverside campus is to credit for the awards the women's rowing squad regularly wins. The student body is fiercely supportive of the Bulldogs, showing their “zag spirit” by turning out in team colors to pack the McCarthey Athletic Center.
- Pacific Lutheran University: The Lutes enjoy the exceptional athletic facilities at their college for training in numerous sports, and compete with other Division III schools.
- Western Washington University: The athletes at this university have a reputation for academic excellent, graduating at rates above the national average for other NCAA Division II schools.
- University of Puget Sound: The Loggers regularly rank in the top 15 percent nationally among other Division III teams, and have won 37 Northwest Conference Championships in the last ten years.
- Seattle Pacific University: The Falcons strive to be true sportsmen and woman, applying their Christian values to their first-class intercollegiate athletic program.
- Whitworth: The athletics program at this college was recognized in 2010, when it received the McIlroy-Lewis All-Sports Trophy for the best overall athletics program in the Northwest Conference. Whitworth has won this trophy three times, in one of the NCAA Div. III's toughest conferences. Over the past eight years, 21 Whitworth athletes were named Academic All-Americans.
- Whitman College: This college boasts one of the most successful intramural sports programs in the country, with most students participating in “friendly” competition for the coveted yellow shirts. Intramural teams include basketball, football, softball, rugby, tennis, volleyball, and bowling, among others.
- Eastern Washington University: The Eagles are affiliated with division 1 of the NCAA, and offer fourteen intercollegiate sports. Interestingly, women can compete in eight sports, and men in only six.
Prettiest Campuses in Washington State
- Western Washington University: Over fifty years ago, the Board of Trustees decided to include fine art acquisition into the budget for all new buildings. As a result, the lawns, fields, and buildings of this campus are filled with public art displays, attracting curious crowds for walking tours.
- University of Puget Sound: A goal of this university's master plan is to “highlight the presence of trees,” creating a verdant campus that is lush and green year-round. Cherry blossoms, planted in honor of thirty Japanese students, line a walkway, while old-growth trees are visible from nearly every point on campus.
- Bastyr University: Tucked away in a quiet residential neighborhood of Kenmore and located adjacent to Saint Edward State Park, this tranquil setting belies the hard work of the naturopathic medicine students that populate the campus.
- Gonzaga University: This campus is built along the banks of the scenic Spokane River. Trees shade the campus in the warm summer months, and shed their leaves in a beautiful display of vibrant colors each fall. Wide walkways connect the universities 105 buildings, making the campus easily to navigate.
- University of Washington: For a campus located in the heart of a major city, the University of Washington is surprisingly beautiful. Boasting classically-inspired buildings covered with ivy and waterfront property, this campus looks the part of an established academic institution.
The Colleges with the Best Retention Rates
- University of Washington: Given the large size of this student population, the 92% retention rate is noteworthy, as is the 77% graduation rate.
- Gonzaga University: Maintaining its second-best average graduation rate among schools in its classification, 92% of freshmen who enrolled between 2004 and 2007 returned the following fall.
- Whitworth: The freshman-to-sophomore retention rate at this school is 88%, and 74.2% of first-time, full-time students enrolled in fall 2001 graduated within six years.
- Whitman College: An incredible 91% of students who attend Whitman go on to graduate, making this college one of only five in the West with a 90%+ graduation rate.
- Seattle University: The retention rate is a priority for this liberal arts university and hovers around 87%. Each year, retention rates are analyzed based on gender, ethnicity, high school GPA, and financial aid (among other demographics) with the intention of improving retention rates in the upcoming year.
Top 15 Most Note-Worthy Graduates from Washington State Colleges
- Beverly Cleary: Author of over 30 children's books and recipient of the Newbery Medal of Honor, this University of Washington graduate began her career as a school librarian.
- Todd McFarlane: After graduating from Eastern Washington University, Todd became a comic book superstar for his work in updating the character Spawn.
- Doris Brown Heritage: Inducted to the National Distance Running Hall of Fame in 2002, this Seattle Pacific University graduate is a five-time world cross-country champion.
- Jim Whittaker: The first American man to summit Mount Everest was a graduate of Seattle University.
- Benjamin Gibbard , Nick Harmer , and Chris Walla : After meeting at Western Washington University, these guys formed the popular rock band Death Cab for Cutie.
- William O. Douglas: The longest-serving justice in the history of the United States was a graduate of Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington.
- Dale Chihuly: Easily the best-known glass artist on the West coast, Dale began his studies at the University of Puget Sound, and completed them at the University of Washington.
- Larry Wall: The creator of the Perl programming language attended Seattle Pacific University.
- Rodney Stuckey: This star basketball player averaged 24.6 points per game as an undergraduate at Eastern Washington University, before being drafted by the Detroit Pistons.
- Carolyn Kelly: After receiving her M.B.A. from Seattle University, Carolyn served as the Chief Operating Officer and President of The Seattle Times newspaper.
- Sherman Alexie: Well known for his creative books and movies inspired by his experiences of growing up as a Native American, Sherman received a scholarship to Gonzaga, and later transferred to Washington State University.
- Ryan C. Crocker: This United States Ambassador to Iraq from 2007-2009 was a graduate of Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington.
- Linda B. Buck: After cloning olfactory receptors, Linda went on to win the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. She graduated from the University of Washington in 1975.
- Bing Crosby: A popular “crooner” and actor, this man was a student at Gonzaga University in Spokane.
- Bonnie Dunbar: This University of Washington graduate spent 50 days in space, and is currently the president and CEO of The Museum of Flight.
- The Nordstrom Family: Numerous family members of the eponymous upscale depart store have attended the University of Washington.
- Rick Steves: Before beginning his career as a travel guide with a namesake television show, Rick attended the University of Puget Sound and later transferred to the University of Washington.
Notable Washington State College Blogs
- Constructive Procrastination: This blog centers on the personal reflections of a medical student at the University of Washington, one of the nation's most rigorous medical schools.
- The Whitman College Pioneer: The latest news from the Whitman campus delivered to your in-box.
- Our City the Alphabet: Dedicated to “Adventures in English at Western Washington University”, this blog is maintained by a passionate English professor.
- Hillel at Western Washington University: This blog exists to connect the Jewish population, through networking events on campus.
- State School Square: This creative students muses about life on the University of Washington campus, and includes unique photography.
- The Eaglewire: A daily dose of newsworthy events from the campus of Eastern Washington University.
- Riverpoint Campus Library: This passionate librarian at Eastern Washington University blogs about making the most of the library's resources.
- Moy oh Moy: The insiders view on Seattle University, including posts on everything from the admissions process to upcoming events.
- University of Washington Huskies: This blog is for diehard Husky fans, including the latest info from the sports teams and the schedules of upcoming games.
- Politics and Government: Promising to be “friendly instead of stuffy”, this blog hosted by the politics and government department at the University of Puget Sound keeps students abreast of current events and internship opportunities.