Seattle University (SU)

Founded in 1891, Seattle University is a Jesuit, Catholic university located on a beautiful campus of more than 55 acres in the dynamic heart of Seattle. Our diverse and inclusive campus is comprised of more than 7,200 students enrolled in undergraduate and graduate programs within six schools and colleges . In the 2022-23 academic year, Seattle University awarded 1,128 bachelor's degrees or equivalents, 188 post-baccalaureate certificates, 786 master's degrees, 2 post-master's certificates, and 308 doctoral degrees. Awards and high rankings for academic rigor, sustainability, community service and social justice are among the university's touchstones of excellence. SU ranks among the top universities for its academics, student-centered teaching, Community Engaged Learning and leadership in sustainability. It ranked in the Top 16 percent of universities nationally-and #23 in the West-in the Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education College Ranking 2021. The Princeton Review continues to recognize the university as one of the best colleges in the nation for undergraduate education, according to its Best Colleges guide. Additionally, Seattle University is well represented in the 2022-2023 undergraduate and graduate rankings from U.S. News & World Report's "Best National Universities" rankings. Three Seattle University colleges rank highly and above many of its peers nationally, specifically in areas of business, nursing, computer science and engineering. The Albers School of Business and Economics ranks as the 4th best undergraduate business college in Washington and within the top three in the state in the specialty areas of analytics (#1), finance (#2) and accounting (#3). The College of Nursing ranks as the 4th best nursing college in Washington. The university's fastest growing college, the College of Science and Engineering, ranks 2nd in Washington among engineering departments not offering doctorates. In computer science, Seattle University ranks in the top one-third in the state. College Factual's 2022 rankings place Seattle University in the Top 5 of all Washington schools and in the Top 15 percent nationally. Among Seattle University's academic programs, College Factual ranked many in the top 15 percent or better nationally, including undergraduate programs in public administration, nursing, social work, marketing, computer and information sciences, accounting, biochemistry and business administration. On the graduate level: education, special education, criminal justice, clinical counseling and business management and marketing. The university is featured in the Fiske Guide to Colleges 2022 edition. The selective guide highlights the "best and most interesting schools" in the U.S., noting in reference to SU "Jesuit tradition guarantees a nurturing environment and student growth both academically and in community service." Seattle University is recognized by the 2021-22 Colleges of Distinction for its commitment to engaged, experiential education. Colleges of Distinction universities set themselves apart through a dedicated focus on the undergraduate experience. Seattle University has excelled at having students graduate and enter the workforce with solid, well-developed critical thinking skills as well as the ability to adapt in an ever-changing society. Seattle University also received specialized recognition for its business, education, engineering and nursing academic programs and for its work in career development, equity and inclusion and support for veterans. The national honor society Phi Theta Kappa has recognized SU among four-year institutions for its work to attract and support transfer students. SU was the only university in the Pacific Northwest and one of only two on the West Coast to be included in the 2018 "Transfer Honor Roll." Seattle University students have a strong track record of achieving academic honors, including two Rhodes Scholars, many Truman Scholars, Udall Scholars and Fulbright recipients. The university is among the most elite schools in the country for the number of Truman Scholars it produces, a total of 16 to date. On the Athletics side, the university continues its run of strong performances in the institutional Graduation Success Rate (GSR), according to 2019 data released by the NCAA. As a department, Athletics compiled a 94 percent GSR, while seven teams tallied perfect scores in the metric. The university has tallied at least a 93 percent in every report since 2008. The university consistently receives top national honors for community service. The White House bestowed its highest honor on SU in 2012 in recognition of civic engagement, service learning and volunteerism and the university was named to the President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll, with distinction. When it comes to community engaged learning, SU was #5 in the nation in U.S. News & World Report's "Best Colleges 2020" rankings. Two out of three students serve the community or take a service-oriented course, above the national average. A major focus of service is the Sundborg Center for Community Engagement, which connects students, faculty and staff with schools and community partners to improve the academic achievement of low-income youth living in the neighborhood surrounding campus. On the environmental front, Seattle University is a national leader in sustainability programs and practices. It was ranked #2 nationally among universities for its sustainability curriculum in the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (ASHE) 2019 Sustainable Campus Index and #4 nationally as an overall top performer among master's institutions. SU achieved a Gold rating for sustainability from the AASHE 2019 Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating SystemTM (STARS). And the university continued its run of top rankings for sustainability by once again being named a Sierra "Cool School" for 2021. It placed #14-the top 4 percent overall-among 328 colleges and universities that participated in the latest survey of sustainability practices. SU is the only university in the Northwest to place in the top group. The university is in the Top 20 (#16) in The Princeton Review's 2021 Green Honor Roll of the Top 50 colleges that earned the highest scores by the publication for their sustainability efforts. In 2015, it became a Fair Trade Designated university. The campus has been maintained organically and without pesticides or herbicides since 1998. Nearly 69 percent of campus waste is recycled, reused or composted. The onsite composting facility annually turns 178,000 pounds of pre-consumer food waste into compost, which is reused on campus to improve soil quality. In 2010, SU became the first higher education institution in the state to ban the sale and distribution of plastic bottled water.