History
- Since our founding in 1861, the University of Washington has been a hub for learning, innovation, problem solving and community building.
- Driven by a mission to serve the greater good, our students, faculty and staff tackle today’s most pressing challenges with courage and creativity, making a difference across Washington state — and around the world.
Education
- The UW’s colleges and schools offer 1,800 undergraduate courses each quarter.We confer more than 12,000 bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral and professional degrees annually.
Research
- The Office of Research will create an outstanding climate of support for University of Washington researchers, broadly enabling stellar research advances.
- The Office of Research is led by the Vice Provost for Research and oversees three administrative units: Human Subjects Division (HSD), Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP), and Office of Research Information Services (ORIS).
- We have two research units: The Applied Physics Laboratory and the Washington National Primate Research Center.
University Ranking
Academic Ranking of World Universities by Shanghai Jiao Tong University
2024
18
2023
18 -1
2022
17
ARWU World University rankings is the first world university ranking. It ranks the world's top 1000 colleges and universities based on objective indicator. They look at the number of award-winning (Fields Medals and Nobel Prize) scientists who are located there, how much of their research is cited and referenced around the world, and how much they've contributed to different academic fields. After calculating and comparing these criteria, ARWU ranks the universities accordingly.
World University Rankings by Times Higher Education
2025
25
2024
25 1
2023
26
World University Rankings is a vital resource that provides the definitive list of the world's best universities. They look at how often they're producing new ideas, what their reputation is around the world, and how much they're contributing to science and academic fields. After calculating and comparing these criteria, THE ranks the universities accordingly.
QS World University Rankings by TopUniversities
2025
76 -13
2024
63 17
2023
80
QS World University Rankings is one of the top international rankings measuring the popularity and performance of universities all over the world. They measure university reputation based on the impressions of higher education experts, companies who hire graduates, and teaching quality. QS also considers the ratio of international teachers and students present at universities, as well as the times research papers were mentioned by researchers. After calculating and comparing these criteria, QS ranks the universities accordingly.
Best Global Universities Rankings by U.S. News & World Report
2025
-
2024
7 -1
2023
6
Best Global Universities Rankings by U.S. News & World Report presents all the top universities from the U.S. and 60 other countries around the world. They measure the rate of students going to their second year of studies, as well as the rate of students who graduate. It also asks university representatives on the performance of universities, and evaluates university resources, teacher salaries, graduation rates, student academic achievements and satisfaction. After calculating and comparing these criteria, U.S. News ranks the top international universities accordingly.
Housing services
- A variety of housing options are available at the UW.
- Offering traditional residence halls, the newest state-of-the-art facilities, apartment-style living and fraternity and sorority housing, there is something for everyone.
Library services
- Articles & Research Databases
- E-Journals
- Encyclopedias & Dictionaries
- E-Newspapers, Media, Maps & More
- Research Guides
- Citation Styles & Tools
- Course Reserves
- Collections & Archives
Medical services
- UW-Seattle offers a wide range of health and wellness services, from exceptional medical care and counseling services to recreation classes, safety resources, peer health advocacy, trainings and more.
- Some services on this site are limited to currently matriculated UW-Seattle students, while others are open to faculty, staff and the general public.
Campus life
- The UW comprises campuses in Seattle, Bothell and Tacoma, as well as a world-class medical center serving the state and the region.
- Each year, the UW inspires more than 60,000 students to learn from renowned experts in their fields. As a “best buy” public university, our goal is to make higher education accessible for all.
Student clubs
Some of the student associations available:
- HCDE Student Associations
- HCDE Graduate Student Association
- The HCDE Graduate Student Association (GSA)
- Undergraduate Student Association
- The Human Centered Design & Engineering Undergraduate Student Association (HCDESA)
- UW Japanese Student Association
Accreditation
- The University of Washington is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU) and is a member of the Association of American Universities.
- Individual schools and colleges are members of the various accrediting association in their respective fields.
- Currently enrolled or prospective students should contact the Office of the Registrar to review accreditation documents for the University and the respective departments to review programmatic accreditation documents.