As the first public university on the West Coast, the University of Washington currently serves more students than any other institution in the Northwest. Founded in 1861, the UW campus sits just 5 miles outside of downtown Seattle, fostering a smaller community feel but maintaining accessibility to a larger city. The school also features two extension campuses in Tahoma and Bothell, both of which offer professional and continuing education programs.
As evidenced by the 93% retention rate from first to second year, students enjoy their experiences at UW. Though it is a large, public university, UW provides a wide array of resources to its students. For instance, in any given year nearly 4,500 undergraduates participate in research, 2,000 students study abroad, and more than 20,000 courses are offered. Even as a university of more than 30,000 students, the average class size remains small at 28 students and the student to professor ratio is only 9:1, a statistic comparable to that of many small liberal arts colleges.