Western Washington University
Western Washington University at a Glance
Reviewed by James A. Barham, PhD, Vice President and Academic Editor. Influence ranks come from our InfluenceRanking™ methodology; other figures come from federal data, with the year shown under each section. Report an error
Western Washington University Featured Rankings
- #2 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Washington 2026
- #3 Washington's Best Online Colleges 2026
- #4 Best Public Colleges in Washington 2026
- #4 Most Affordable Colleges in Washington 2026
- #4 Washington's Best Online Master's Degrees
- #5 Most Influential US Universities by State
- #6 Best Colleges in Washington
About Western Washington University
According to Wikipedia, Western Washington University is a public university in Bellingham, Washington. The northernmost university in the contiguous United States, WWU was founded in 1893 as the state-funded New Whatcom Normal School, succeeding a private school of teaching for women founded in 1886. In 1977, the university adopted its present name.
Western Washington University Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information
| Annual Applications | Acceptance | Retention Rate | Graduation Rate | Median SAT Score | Median ACT Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14,243 | 93% | 79% | 61% | 1270 | 27 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); acceptance rate for fall 2024; test scores for fall 2024; applications and enrollment for fall 2023; retention for students who started in fall 2023; graduation rate within six years for students who started in 2019.
How Much Does Western Washington University Cost To Attend?
| Tuition and fees (in-state) |
|---|
| $9,924 |
| Income | Average Net Cost |
|---|---|
| 0 - 30K | $12,600 |
| 30K - 48K | $13,630 |
| 48K - 75K | $16,218 |
| 75K - 110K | $21,324 |
| 110K+ | $27,935 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); tuition and fees for 2025–26; net price for 2024–25, for first-time, full-time students receiving financial aid.
How Much Do Western Washington University Graduates Make?
Ten years after starting college, former Western Washington University students who received federal financial aid earn a median of $64,305 a year, and 92% of those not still in school are working.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard; students who started college in 2011–12 or 2012–13, measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars.
Western Washington University's Demographics
Students enrolled at any time during the 2023–24 school year, including part-time and online students.
| Student Body | Under-Grads | Graduates |
|---|---|---|
| 16,137 | 15,031 | 1,106 |
Source: National Center for Education Statistics; 12-month enrollment for 2023–24.
Where is Western Washington University?
Western Washington University is located at 516 High Street, Bellingham, WA 98225-9008.
How Safe is Western Washington University?
Relative to its enrollment, Western Washington University has a violent crime rate of 0.04% and a property crime rate of 0.18%. Bellingham has a violent crime rate of 0.36% and a property crime rate of 3.78%. Sources: campus: U.S. Department of Education Campus Safety and Security data, on-campus offenses in 2024 (violent: murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault; property: burglary, motor vehicle theft and arson, which excludes ordinary theft); city: FBI Crime Data Explorer, offenses reported to the city police in 2024.
What Is Western Washington University Known For?
Western Washington University is known for its academic work in the following disciplines:
- Earth Sciences
- Sociology
- Anthropology
- Chemistry
- Literature
- Communications
- Mathematics
- Physics
- History
- Biology
- Psychology
- Economics
- Religious Studies
- Philosophy
- Business
- Education
- Political Science
- Engineering
- Computer Science
- Social Work
- Medical
- Nursing
Western Washington University's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered
Each rank compares how much Western Washington University's faculty and alumni have shaped a field with other schools, using Wikipedia, Wikidata and scholarly citation databases such as Crossref and Semantic Scholar. World and U.S. ranks reflect modern influence; the historical rank counts influence across all time. How we rank influence
Western Washington University ranks #184 in the U.S. and #748 worldwide for influence in Earth Sciences.
earth-science DegreesWestern Washington University ranks #202 in the U.S. and #751 worldwide for influence in Sociology.
sociology DegreesWestern Washington University ranks #241 in the U.S. and #742 worldwide for influence in Anthropology.
anthropology DegreesWestern Washington University ranks #280 in the U.S. and #1408 worldwide for influence in Chemistry.
chemistry DegreesWestern Washington University ranks #281 in the U.S. and #825 worldwide for influence in Literature.
literature DegreesWestern Washington University ranks #283 in the U.S. and #1015 worldwide for influence in Communications.
communications DegreesWestern Washington University ranks #305 in the U.S. and #1185 worldwide for influence in Mathematics.
math DegreesWestern Washington University ranks #337 in the U.S. and #1502 worldwide for influence in Physics.
physics DegreesWestern Washington University ranks #338 in the U.S. and #945 worldwide for influence in History.
history DegreesWestern Washington University ranks #369 in the U.S. and #1497 worldwide for influence in Biology.
biology DegreesWestern Washington University ranks #384 in the U.S. and #950 worldwide for influence in Psychology.
psychology DegreesWestern Washington University ranks #398 in the U.S. and #2409 worldwide for influence in Economics.
economics DegreesWestern Washington University ranks #434 in the U.S. and #1890 worldwide for influence in Religious Studies.
religious-studies-hub DegreesWestern Washington University ranks #446 in the U.S. and #1460 worldwide for influence in Philosophy.
philosophy DegreesWestern Washington University ranks #484 in the U.S. and #1730 worldwide for influence in Business.
business DegreesWestern Washington University ranks #509 in the U.S. and #2259 worldwide for influence in Education.
education DegreesWestern Washington University ranks #523 in the U.S. and #2179 worldwide for influence in Political Science.
political-science DegreesWestern Washington University ranks #592 in the U.S. and #3442 worldwide for influence in Engineering.
engineering DegreesWestern Washington University ranks #638 in the U.S. and #2849 worldwide for influence in Computer Science.
computer-science DegreesWestern Washington University ranks #837 in the U.S. and #2042 worldwide for influence in Social Work.
social-work DegreesWestern Washington University ranks #852 in the U.S. and #2999 worldwide for influence in Medical.
medicine DegreesWestern Washington University ranks #1713 in the U.S. and #4337 worldwide for influence in Nursing.
nursing DegreesWho Are Western Washington University's Most Influential Alumni?
Western Washington University's most influential alumni include professors and professionals in the fields of Anthropology, Earth Sciences, and Sociology. Here are some of Western Washington University's most famous alumni:
- Terrence Deacon
- An American anthropologist.
- Agnes Martin
- An American painter.
- Douglas Massey
- An American sociologist.
- Judith Simmer-Brown
- A Tibetan writer.
- Laurence J. Peter
- A Canadian educator.
- Michael E. Phelps
- A Biophysicist.
- Ben Gibbard
- An American singer, songwriter and guitarist.
- Carlos Buhler
- An American mountain climber.
- Scott Cairns
- An American writer.
- Matt Kaeberlein
- An American biologist.
- Viola Garfield
- An American anthropologist.
- David Arnold
- An American mathematician.
Who Are Western Washington University's Most Influential Faculty?
Western Washington University's most influential faculty include professors in the fields of Anthropology, Earth Sciences, and Sociology. Here are some of Western Washington University's most famous faculty:
