With 35,000 students, the University of Washington is one of the nation’s outstanding universities. The 680 acre campus is located in an attractive residential area on the shores of Lake Washington and Portage Bay, only minutes from downtown Seattle. The cultural heart of western Washington, Seattle is home to a highly acclaimed opera company, an excellent symphony orchestra, many fine museums, art galleries, theaters, and restaurants, as well as the world-famous open-air Pike Place Market.
The Washington State Ferry system links Seattle to the nearby residential and recreational islands of Puget Sound, and to the mountains and towns of the Olympic Peninsula. The Cascade Mountains to the east, and Olympic Mountains to the west, are only an hour away from Seattle, and provide superb recreational opportunities for skiing, hiking, camping, biking, and rock climbing. Lake Washington, the San Juan Islands, and Puget Sound are focal points for sailing, kayaking, and other water sports. With mountains to the east and west, and the saltwater expanse of Puget Sound nearby, Seattle enjoys a moderate climate year round.
Founded in 1861, the University of Washington has 16 schools and colleges offering instruction in more than 100 academic disciplines by an internationally recognized faculty. The instructional programs draw students from every part of the country and from overseas. Undergraduates account for about 75 percent of the student body, while 25 percent are enrolled in graduate and professional programs. Faculty and student research efforts are awarded more than $933 million annually in external funding, a total achieved by only a handful of the top universities in the United States. The strong research climate contributes directly to the educational goals of graduate, undergraduate, and professional students.
In addition to its academic, research, and service missions, the University of Washington has a broad economic impact on the State of Washington and the Pacific Northwest. The University is a significant source of jobs and income for the state, generating more than $1.9 billion of economic activity each biennium. The University also plays a critical role in attracting new businesses to the region, and has been instrumental in developing a flourishing local biotechnology industry. Collaborations between faculty and local biotechnology firms are common, and graduates of the University of Washington often choose employment in the greater Seattle area.