School Overview
Western Washington University, commonly referred to as WWU or just "Western", is a four-year university located in Bellingham, Washington. WWU is one of six public universities in Washington and offers a large selection of bachelor's and master's degree programs.
WWU offers Bachelors of Arts (B.A.), Bachelors of Science (B.S.), Masters of Arts (M.A.), and Masters of Science (M.S.) in several disciplines. The university also offers Master of Business Administration (MBA), Master of Music , and Master of Professional Accounting programs. WWU programs and courses are offered through the following academic schools and colleges:
- College of Business and Economics – offers programs in Accounting, Decision Sciences, Economics, Management, and Finance and Marketing.
- College of Science and Technology – offers programs in Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Engineering Technology, Geology, Mathematics, and Physics and Astronomy.
- College of Fine and Performing Arts – offers Art, Music, and Theatre and Dance programs.
- College of Humanities and Social Sciences – offers programs in Anthropology, Communication Sciences and Disorders, English, Physical Education, Health and Recreation, History, Journalism, Liberal Studies, Modern and Classical Languages, Philosophy, Political Science, Psychology, and Sociology.
- Fairhaven College of Interdisciplinary Studies -offers programs in American Cultural Studies, Law, Diversity and Justice.
- Huxley College of the Environment -offers programs in Environmental Sciences and Studies.
- Woodring College of Education -Educational Leadership, Human Services and Rehabilitation, and Teacher Education.
WWU is regionally accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. The university and its individual colleges and/or programs are individually accredited by the National Recreation and Parks Association, Computing Sciences Accreditation Board, American Speech and Hearing Association, National Association of Schools of Music, American Chemical Society, Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Education Programs, and the Association to Advanced Collegiate Schools of Business.
The WWU mascot is the Viking.
Financial Aid and Scholarships
WWU offers loans, grants/scholarships and federal work-study opportunities to help students defray the cost of attendance. All applicants must fill out a Free Application for Federal Student Aid.
Library System
The Western Libraries are led by Collection Services Manager and Assessment Coordinator Frank Haulgren. All libraries use the OneSearch database program.
Student Housing
Eight residential communities are made up by 16 residence halls. Each community is adjacent to a dining commons and is supervised by a full-time resident director as well as several resident advisors.
General Information
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Admission Office 516 High Street Bellingham, WA 98225-9009 (360) 650-3440 Fax: (360) 650-7369 [email protected] Contact: Clara Capron Director of Admissions and Enrollment Planning |
Main Address 516 High Street Bellingham, WA 98225-9009 (360) 650-3000 www.wwu.edu |
|
Size Total undergrads: 13,406 First-time degree-seeking freshmen: 2,697 Degree-seeking undergrads: 13,236 Graduate enrollment: 1,214 Setting |
Degrees offered: |
Admissions Information
|
Application Fee College has an application fee: Yes Regular application fee: $55 Online application fee: $55 |
Enrollment Rates Percent applicants admitted: 71% |
Tuition & Fees
| Estimated Expenses for Academic Year | 2008-'09 | 2009-'10 | 2010-'11 | 2011-'12 | % change 2010-'12 |
| Tuition and fees | $5,291 | $5,535 | $6,159 | $6,858 | +11.35% |
| Books and Supplies | $963 | $969 | $1,020 | $1,020 | 0.00% |
| Living Arrangement – On Campus | |||||
| Room and Board | $7,152 | $7,446 | $8,394 | $8,749 | +4.23% |
| Other | $3,003 | $2,973 | $3,177 | $3,177 | 0.00% |
| Living Arrangement – Off Campus | |||||
| Room and Board | $7,152 | $7,446 | $8,394 | $8,749 | +4.23% |
| Other | $3,003 | $2,973 | $3,177 | $3,177 | 0.00% |
| Total Expenses | 2008-'09 | 2009-'10 | 2010-'11 | 2011-'12 | % change 2010-'12 |
| In-state On Campus | $16,409 | $16,923 | $18,750 | $19,804 | +5.62% |
| In-state Off Campus | $16,409 | $16,923 | $18,750 | $19,804 | +5.62% |
| In-state with Family | $6,254 | $6,504 | $7,179 | $7,878 | +9.74% |
| Average Graduate Student Tuition & Fees | |
| Tuition for In-state Students | $6,567 |
| In-state Student Fees | $777 |
| Tuition for Out-of-state Students | $16,242 |
| Out-of-state Fees | $777 |
Financial Aid
| Full-time Beginning Undergraduate Students | ||||
| Type of Aid | Students | Percent | Amount | Average Per Student |
| All students financial aid | 1,828 | 69% | ||
| Grant or scholarship aid | 1,155 | 43% | $5,757,251 | $4,985 |
| – Federal grants | 395 | 15% | $1,611,406 | $4,080 |
| – Pell grants | 378 | 14% | $1,207,838 | $3,195 |
| – Other federal grants | 354 | 13% | $403,568 | $1,140 |
| State/local government grant or scholarships | 408 | 15% | $1,507,846 | $3,696 |
| Institutional grants or scholarships | 1,016 | 38% | $2,637,999 | $2,596 |
| Student loan aid | 1,106 | 41% | $4,972,149 | $4,496 |
| – Federal student loans | 1,094 | 41% | $4,443,921 | $4,062 |
| – Other student loans | 56 | 2% | $528,228 | $9,433 |
| All Undergraduate Students | ||||
| Type of Aid | Students | Percent | Amount | Average Per Student |
| Grant or scholarship aid | 5,261 | 39% | $31,246,640 | $5,939 |
| – Pell grants | 2,328 | 17% | $7,312,854 | $3,141 |
| – Federal student loans | 5,626 | 42% | $34,710,386 | $6,170 |
All Degrees and Programs
| Program Completions for Most Recent Year | BA/BS | MA/MS | Doctor | AA/AS | CERT |
| Total of All Education Programs | 3050 | 330 | – | – | – |
| Area, Gender, Cultural, Ethnic, and Group Studies | 27 | – | – | – | – |
| American/united States Studies/civilization | 10 | – | – | – | – |
| Canadian Studies | 4 | – | – | – | – |
| East Asian Studies | 13 | – | – | – | – |
| Biology and Biomedical Sciences | 102 | 9 | – | – | – |
| Biochemistry | 18 | – | – | – | – |
| Biology and Biological Sciences, General | 35 | 9 | – | – | – |
| Cell/cellular and Molecular Biology | 17 | – | – | – | – |
| Cell/cellular Biology and Histology | 21 | – | – | – | – |
| Ecology | – | – | – | – | – |
| Marine Biology and Biological Oceanography | 6 | – | – | – | – |
| Neuroscience | 5 | – | – | – | – |
| Business, Administration, Management, Marketing, etc. | 471 | 52 | – | – | – |
| Accounting | 91 | 11 | – | – | – |
| Business Administration and Management | 78 | 41 | – | – | – |
| Finance | 81 | – | – | – | – |
| Human Resources Management/personnel Administration | 15 | – | – | – | – |
| International Business/trade/commerce | 41 | – | – | – | – |
| Management Information Systems | 35 | – | – | – | – |
| Marketing/marketing Management | 100 | – | – | – | – |
| Operations Management and Supervision | 30 | – | – | – | – |
| Communication and Journalism Programs | 146 | – | – | – | – |
| Journalism | 50 | – | – | – | – |
| Journalism, Other | 7 | – | – | – | – |
| Speech Communication and Rhetoric | 89 | – | – | – | – |
| Computing and Information Sciences | 42 | 7 | – | – | – |
| Computer and Information Sciences | 42 | 7 | – | – | – |
| Education | 179 | 138 | – | – | – |
| Adult and Continuing Education and Teaching | – | 21 | – | – | – |
| Art Teacher Education | 4 | – | – | – | – |
| Biology Teacher Education | 2 | – | – | – | – |
| College Student Counseling and Personnel Services | – | 15 | – | – | – |
| Counselor Education/school Counseling and Guidance Services | – | 6 | – | – | – |
| Curriculum and Instruction | – | 11 | – | – | – |
| Early Childhood Education and Teaching | 9 | – | – | – | – |
| Educational Leadership and Administration | – | 13 | – | – | – |
| Elementary and Middle School Administration/principalship | – | – | – | – | – |
| Elementary Education and Teaching | 27 | – | – | – | – |
| English/language Arts Teacher Education | 12 | – | – | – | – |
| History Teacher Education | 6 | – | – | – | – |
| Mathematics Teacher Education | 9 | – | – | – | – |
| Music Teacher Education | 9 | – | – | – | – |
| Physical Education Teaching and Coaching | 10 | – | – | – | – |
| Science Teacher Education/general Science Teacher Education | 6 | 20 | – | – | – |
| Secondary Education and Teaching | – | 50 | – | – | – |
| Secondary School Administration/principalship | – | – | – | – | – |
| Social Science Teacher Education | 3 | – | – | – | – |
| Social Studies Teacher Education | 1 | – | – | – | – |
| Spanish Language Teacher Education | 4 | – | – | – | – |
| Special Education and Teaching | 77 | 2 | – | – | – |
| Engineering Technology | 80 | – | – | – | – |
| Automotive Engineering Technology/technician | 11 | – | – | – | – |
| Electrical, Electronic and Communications Engineering Technology/technician | 14 | – | – | – | – |
| Industrial Technology/technician | 23 | – | – | – | – |
| Manufacturing Engineering Technology/technician | 17 | – | – | – | – |
| Plastics and Polymer Engineering Technology/technician | 15 | – | – | – | – |
| English Language, Composition and Literature/letters | 224 | 21 | – | – | – |
| Creative Writing | 109 | – | – | – | – |
| English Language and Literature | 115 | 21 | – | – | – |
| Foreign Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 149 | – | – | – | – |
| Foreign Languages and Literatures | 3 | – | – | – | – |
| French Language and Literature | 26 | – | – | – | – |
| German Language and Literature | 8 | – | – | – | – |
| Japanese Language and Literature | 3 | – | – | – | – |
| Linguistics | 40 | – | – | – | – |
| Spanish Language and Literature | 69 | – | – | – | – |
| Health Services and Allied Health Sciences | 103 | 40 | – | – | – |
| Audiology/audiologist and Speech-language Pathology/pathologist | 29 | – | – | – | – |
| Community Health Services/liaison/counseling | 20 | – | – | – | – |
| Health/medical Preparatory Programs, Other | 19 | – | – | – | – |
| Mental Health Counseling/counselor | – | 4 | – | – | – |
| Pre-physical Therapy Studies | 35 | – | – | – | – |
| Speech-language Pathology/pathologist | – | 23 | – | – | – |
| Vocational Rehabilitation Counseling/counselor | – | 13 | – | – | – |
| History | 99 | 7 | – | – | – |
| History | 99 | 5 | – | – | – |
| Public/applied History | – | 2 | – | – | – |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | 162 | – | – | – | – |
| General Studies | 144 | – | – | – | – |
| Humanities/humanistic Studies | 18 | – | – | – | – |
| Mathematics and Statistics | 37 | 8 | – | – | – |
| Applied Mathematics | 2 | – | – | – | – |
| Mathematics | 35 | 8 | – | – | – |
| Multi-/interdisciplinary Studies | 122 | – | – | – | – |
| Accounting and Computer Science | 3 | – | – | – | – |
| Biological and Physical Sciences | 16 | – | – | – | – |
| Mathematics and Computer Science | 3 | – | – | – | – |
| Multi-/interdisciplinary Studies, Other | 100 | – | – | – | – |
| Natural Resources and Conservation | 124 | 8 | – | – | – |
| Environmental Science | 59 | 8 | – | – | – |
| Environmental Studies | 65 | – | – | – | – |
| Parks, Recreation, Leisure, and Fitness Studies | 89 | 4 | – | – | – |
| Health and Physical Education/fitness | 18 | 4 | – | – | – |
| Kinesiology and Exercise Science | 29 | – | – | – | – |
| Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies | 42 | – | – | – | – |
| Physical Sciences | 93 | 8 | – | – | – |
| Chemistry | 35 | 4 | – | – | – |
| Geological and Earth Sciences/geosciences, Other | 11 | – | – | – | – |
| Geology and Earth Science | 20 | 4 | – | – | – |
| Geophysics and Seismology | 8 | – | – | – | – |
| Physics | 19 | – | – | – | – |
| Psychology | 169 | 8 | – | – | – |
| Comparative Psychology | – | 8 | – | – | – |
| Counseling Psychology | – | – | – | – | – |
| Developmental and Child Psychology | 6 | – | – | – | – |
| Psychology | 163 | – | – | – | – |
| Social Sciences | 439 | 15 | – | – | – |
| Anthropology | 79 | 4 | – | – | – |
| Anthropology, Other | 11 | – | – | – | – |
| Archeology | 13 | – | – | – | – |
| Economics | 62 | – | – | – | – |
| Economics, Other | 48 | – | – | – | – |
| Geography | 25 | 3 | – | – | – |
| Political Science and Government | 102 | 8 | – | – | – |
| Sociology | 99 | – | – | – | – |
| Visual and Performing Arts | 193 | 5 | – | – | – |
| Art History, Criticism and Conservation | 12 | – | – | – | – |
| Art/art Studies | 19 | – | – | – | – |
| Dance | 9 | – | – | – | – |
| Design and Applied Arts, Other | 45 | – | – | – | – |
| Design and Visual Communications | 2 | – | – | – | – |
| Drama and Dramatics/theatre Arts | 44 | – | – | – | – |
| Drawing | 2 | – | – | – | – |
| Fiber, Textile and Weaving Arts | 1 | – | – | – | – |
| Industrial and Product Design | 9 | – | – | – | – |
| Intermedia/multimedia | 2 | – | – | – | – |
| Music History, Literature, and Theory | – | – | – | – | – |
| Music Performance | 16 | – | – | – | – |
| Music Theory and Composition | 4 | – | – | – | – |
| Music | 17 | 5 | – | – | – |
| Painting | 5 | – | – | – | – |
| Photography | 5 | – | – | – | – |
| Sculpture | 1 | – | – | – | – |
| Visual and Performing Arts | – | – | – | – | – |
| Work and Family Studies | – | – | – | – | – |
| Child Development | – | – | – | – | – |
Undergraduate Majors
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Area, Ethnic, Cultural, & Gender Studies American Studies B Arts, Visual & Performing Art – General B Biological & Biomedical Sciences Biochemistry B Business, Management, & Marketing Accounting B Communications & Journalism Communications/Rhetoric B Computer & Information Sciences Computer/Information Sciences – General B Education Art Teacher Education B Engineering Technologies Electrical Engineering Technologies B English Language & Literature Creative Writing B Family & Consumer Sciences Child Development B Foreign Language & Literature Foreign Language & Literature – General B Health Professions & Clinical Sciences Community Health Services B History History – General B Liberal Arts & Sciences General Studies B Mathematics Applied Mathematics B Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies Accounting/Computer Science B Natural Resources & Conservation Environmental Science B Parks, Recreation & Fitness Health/Physical Fitness B Philosophy & Religion Philosophy B Physical Sciences Chemistry B Psychology Developmental and child psychology B Public Administration & Services Human Services B Social Sciences Anthropology B |
Degree levels for each major are designated by the following letters:
B = Bachelor's degree C = Certificate or diploma |
*We do not guarantee the accuracy of information on this page. All information is subject to change. You should confirm all information with a college admissions officer.
Western Washington University Highlights
School Information
| Phone Number: | (360) 650-3000 |
| Website: | www.wwu.edu |
| Type of School: | 4-year, Public |
| Apply Online: | www.admissions.wwu.edu/apply |
| Address: | 516 High Street, Bellingham, WA 98225-9008 |
| Setting: | City: Small |
| Campus Housing: | Yes |
Students & Programs
| Student Population: | 16,142 |
| 6-yr Graduation Rate (Bachelor's): | 69% |
| Student-to-faculty Ratio: | 19 to 1 |
| Distance Learning Programs: | Yes |
| Distance Learning Students*: | 15,194 (94% of total students) |
| Degree Levels Offered: | Certificates, Bachelor's, Master's |
* Students taking at least 1 distance learning course
Tuition & Financial Aid*
| In-state Tuition: | $8,343 |
| Out-of-state Tuition: | $24,690 |
| % of Students Receiving Financial Aid: | 86% |
| Avg. Amount of Grant or Scholarship Aid Awarded: | $6,337 |
* Full-time beginning undergraduate students. Financial aid is available to those who qualify.
Western Washington University Programs
See the degree programs that are offered at Western Washington University.
| Degree Name | Cert | Assoc | Bach | Mast | Doct |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Area, Ethnic, Cultural, Gender, and Group Studies | 4 | ||||
| Biological and Biomedical Sciences | 5 | 1 | |||
| Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services | 7 | 2 | |||
| Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs | 2 | ||||
| Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services | 2 | 2 | 1 | ||
| Education | 1 | 18 | 7 | ||
| Engineering | 3 | ||||
| Engineering Technologies and Engineering-related Fields | 1 | ||||
| English Language and Literature/Letters | 2 | 2 | |||
| Foreign Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 7 | ||||
| Health Professions and Related Programs | 5 | 3 | |||
| History | 1 | 2 | |||
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | 1 | ||||
| Mathematics and Statistics | 3 | 1 | |||
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies | 1 | 5 | |||
| Natural Resources and Conservation | 3 | 2 | |||
| Parks, Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies | 1 | 2 | 1 | ||
| Philosophy and Religious Studies | 1 | ||||
| Physical Sciences | 4 | 2 | |||
| Psychology | 2 | 1 | |||
| Public Administration and Social Service Professions | 1 | ||||
| Social Sciences | 1 | 8 | 2 | ||
| Visual and Performing Arts | 11 | 1 | |||
| Grand total | 6 | 98 | 28 |
* Based on programs that produced 2019-2020 graduates
Tuition & Financial Aid
See what it costs to enroll at Western Washington University and how many students are receiving scholarships, grants, or loans as financial aid to help cover the costs of tuition.
Undergraduate Student Tuition
Average tuition and fees for academic year:
| Tuition and Fees | 2019-2020 |
|---|---|
| In-state | $8,343 |
| Out-of-state | $24,690 |
| Books and supplies | $954 |
Graduate Student Tuition
Average tuition and fees for academic year:
| Tuition and Fees | 2019-2020 |
|---|---|
| In-state | $11,934 |
| Out-of-state | $23,559 |
Undergraduate Student Financial Aid, 2018-2019
Full-time Beginning Undergraduate Students
| Type of Aid | Number Receiving Aid | % Receiving Aid | Avg. Amt. of Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Any student financial aid | 2,696 | 86% | – |
| Grant or scholarship aid | 2,438 | 78% | $6,337 |
| Student loan aid | 1,271 | 41% | $6,084 |
All Undergraduate Students
| Type of Aid | Number Receiving Aid | % Receiving Aid | Avg. Amt. of Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grant or scholarship aid | 7,812 | 51% | $8,099 |
| Federal student loans | 5,768 | 38% | $6,029 |
Admissions & Enrollment
See the admission requirements for Western Washington University. Find out how many students apply and how many are accepted. View a graphical breakdown of the gender, age, and ethnicity of currently enrolled Western Washington University students.
Undergraduate Admissions, Fall 2020
| Total | Male | Female | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of applicants | 10,513 | 4,137 | 6,376 | Percent admitted | 100% | 89% | 91% |
| Percent admitted who enrolled | 30% | 31% | 29% |
Admissions Considerations
| Required | Recommended | Optional | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Secondary school GPA | |||
| Secondary school rank | |||
| Secondary school record | |||
| Completion of college-preparatory program | |||
| Recommendations | |||
| Formal demonstration of competencies | |||
| Admission test scores | |||
| Other Test (Wonderlic, WISC-III, etc.) | |||
| TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language |
Western Washington University Enrollment, Fall 2020
| Total Enrollment | 16,142 |
|---|---|
| Undergraduate enrollment | 15,240 |
| Graduate enrollment | 902 |
Undergraduate Attendance
Undergraduate Gender
Undergraduate Age
Undergraduate Race/Ethnicity
Undergraduate Distance Education
Undergraduates taking 100%, Some, or No Distance Education
Graduate Distance Education
Graduate students taking 100%, Some, or No Distance Education
Western Washington University Accreditation
This institution is accredited by Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
Specialized institution accreditations:
- American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology
- Audiology (AUD) - Graduate degree programs
- Audiology (AUD) - Graduate degree programs
- Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) - Graduate degree programs
- Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
- Nursing (CNURED) - Nursing education programs at the baccalaureate degree levels
- Commission on English Language Program Accreditation
- English Language
- Council on Education for Public Health
- Public Health Programs (PHPB) ? Baccalaureate only level programs offered outside a school of public health
- National Association of Schools of Art and Design, Commission on Accreditation
- (ARTI) - Single Professional Program Accreditation in Industrial Design
- National Association of Schools of Music, Commission on Accreditation
- Music (MUS) - Institutions and units within institutions offering degree-granting and/or non-degree-granting programs
- National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education
- Teacher Education (TED) - Baccalaureate and graduate programs for the preparation of teachers and other professional personnel for elementary and secondary schools
*General information for this school has been gathered from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) database, a service provided by the U.S. Department of Education. CollegeAtlas.org does not guarantee the accuracy of information on this page. All information is subject to change. You should confirm all information with a college admissions officer.
If you work for a school and would like to update your data please contact us.