Western Washington UniversityFacts & Information

Western Washington University, founded in 1893, is a public, comprehensive university. It is a dynamic, innovative and challenging public university, among the foremost in the Pacific Northwest. Recognized for excellence in undergraduate education, an increasingly diverse and multicultural learning environment and a strong sense of community, Western is the university of choice for many. Few universities enjoy the geographic diversity of Bellingham, WA. Bellingham Bay and the San Juan Islands lie directly to the west. The snow-covered peaks of Mt. Baker and the North Cascades Mountains are less than an hour to the east. Seven miles of forested walking trails border Western's campus, and an additional 29 miles of running and mountain-biking trails are nearby. Western's natural setting also provides scientific research opportunities. Among the primary reasons that students choose to attend Western are academic reputation, program selection, location, job placement of graduates and affordable costs. Size is also a positive factor in the decision to attend Western. With a student body of approximately 10,200 undergraduates and 800 graduate students, Western is large enough to offer a wide choice of academic and extracurricular opportunities, yet small enough to allow students to receive personal attention. The university offers nearly 150 undergraduate majors and academic programs and more than 1,400 course sections each quarter. 70 percent of Western classes have fewer than 30 students, and only six percent have more than 75 students. Its 195-acre campus is located in Bellingham, in the northwest corner of the state, 20 miles from Vancouver, British Columbia