University of Washington

The University of Washington (UW, and informally U-Dub or U Dub) is a public research university in Seattle, Washington, United States. Founded 165 years ago in 1861, it is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast.

The university has a 700-acre (2.8 km²) main campus in the city's University District, with satellite campuses in nearby cities of Tacoma and Bothell. Overall, UW encompasses more than 500 buildings and over 20 million gross square footage of space, including one of the largest library systems in the world with more than 26 university libraries, art centers, museums, laboratories, lecture halls, and stadiums.

Washington is the flagship institution of the state's six public universities. Known for its medical, engineering, and scientific research, Washington is a member of the Association of American Universities. According to the National Science Foundation, UW spent $1.73 billion on research and development in 2024, ranking it fifth in the nation. Its 22 varsity sports teams compete as the Huskies in the Big Ten Conference of NCAA Division I, and its athletes have represented the United States at the Olympic Games and other competitions.

History

Founding

In 1854, the leader of the area called Washington Territory suggested starting a university. Important people in Seattle thought this was a great idea because it could help the city grow. They learned they could sell land to get money for schools.

In 1861, people looked for a good spot to build the university. They chose a place in Seattle and opened the school on November 4, 1861. The school had some money problems and closed a few times in the early years. The first person to get a degree from the school was Clara Antoinette McCarty Wilt in 1876.

19th-century relocation

When Washington became a state in 1889, both Seattle and the university grew a lot. The old campus was too small and in a busy part of the city, so they found a new place called Union Bay. In 1895, the university moved to the new campus. The old buildings were torn down, but some special columns were saved and are still around today.

20th-century expansion

The university grew a lot in the 1900s. After World War II, many new students came, and the university built new buildings. In 1946, the university started a medical school. During the 1960s, the university grew even more with many new students and buildings.

21st century

In 1990, the university opened two new campuses in Bothell and Tacoma. These campuses grew to become full universities. In 2012, the university started plans to grow the main campus in Seattle, including new homes for students and better ways to get around. The light rail station opened in 2016 to help people travel to and from campus easily.

Campus

Main article: Campus of the University of Washington

The main campus of the University of Washington is in Seattle, close to Union and Portage Bays. You can see the Cascade Range to the east and the Olympic Mountains to the west. The campus covers 700 acres (2.8 km²), bordered by N.E. 45th Street to the north, N.E. Pacific Street to the south, Montlake Boulevard N.E. to the east, and 15th Avenue N.E. to the west.

Red Square is the center of the campus, with important buildings and artworks like Suzzallo Library, the Broken Obelisk, and a statue of George Washington. It is a busy place for students and has many events each year. Nearby is University Way, called "The Ave", which is important for student life.

North Campus

North Campus has some of the most famous spots at UW, stretching from the University of Washington Quad north of Red Square to N.E. 45th Street. It includes many old academic buildings, places to live, parking, sports areas, and offices. Plans were made in 2014 to update parts of North Campus with new buildings that save energy, along with new classrooms, sports fields, green spaces, and museums. Important places here are the Foster School of Business, School of Law, and the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, which has a very rare 66-million-year-old Tyrannosaurus rex fossil skull.

South Campus

South Campus is between Pacific Street and the Lake Washington Ship Canal. It used to be a golf course but is now where the health and natural science buildings are, such as the UW Medical Center and the Magnuson Health Sciences Center. It is also where students study oceanography, bioengineering, biology, and other sciences.

East Campus

East Campus stretches east of Montlake Boulevard to Laurelhurst and includes wetlands and sports areas like Husky Stadium, Hec Edmundson Pavilion, and Husky Ballpark. This area also has computer science and engineering buildings, where famous people like Paul G. Allen and Bill Gates used to work. The Bill & Melinda Gates Center For Computer Science & Engineering opened here in 2019. There are also gardens, like the Union Bay Natural Area, and places for students with families to live.

West Campus

West Campus has modern buildings between 15th Avenue and Interstate 5. It includes the College of Built Environments, School of Social Work, and many student apartments and housing.

Organization and administration

The University of Washington is led by a group called the Board of Regents. This board has eleven members, including one student and one teacher. They choose and guide the university president, who manages the daily work of the university.

The university has many different schools and departments, such as the College of Arts and Sciences, the Foster School of Business, and the School of Medicine, among others. These schools offer many different subjects for students to study.

The university also works on being good to the environment. It uses clean energy and follows rules to protect nature. It is part of a group of schools around the Arctic area that share learning opportunities.

Academics

The University of Washington offers many types of degrees, including bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees. Students can choose from 140 different departments, grouped into colleges and schools. There is also a special program called the Transition School and Early Entrance Program for students who want to start college early.

The university is known for being very good at what it does. It is part of a special group of universities called the American Association of Universities. Teachers and students work hard on research and learning, and the university often ranks high in lists of the best schools in the world. For example, in some rankings, it is in the top 20 universities worldwide.

When students want to join the university, they don’t need to take certain tests like the SAT or ACT. Instead, teachers look at things like school grades and activities. Many students apply each year, and the university chooses those who do well in school and have interesting things to bring to the university. The university also works to make sure students from all kinds of families can attend, no matter how much money they have.

Student life

The University of Washington had over 50,000 students in fall 2023, making it the largest university on the West Coast. Many students come from different backgrounds and cultures.

The university has more than 800 student groups for many interests, such as studying together, learning about other cultures, protecting the environment, sports, and more. The Associated Students of the University of Washington (ASUW) is one of the student governments. It helps plan activities and services for students.

Students have been active in important issues over the years, like peace and fairness. The university also helps students find places to live and offers support for students with disabilities.

Athletics

Main article: Washington Huskies

UW students, sports teams, and alumni are called Washington Huskies. The husky was chosen as the school mascot in 1922, replacing an older idea called the "Sun Dodger", which referred to the local weather.

The university competes in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division I FBS. It is now part of the Big Ten Conference, after many years in the Pac-12 Conference. The football team has been very successful, winning national titles in 1960 and 1991. It also took part in the College Football Playoff in 2016 and 2023. The team has won seven Rose Bowl games and one each in the Orange Bowl and Sugar Bowl. From 1907 to 1917, the football team went undefeated for 64 games in a row, a record in college football. A fun tradition since 1920 has been tailgating by boat because the stadium is near Lake Washington. The Apple Cup is an annual game against Washington State University, first played in 1900.

The men's basketball team has had periods of success. Recently, under coach Lorenzo Romar, the team has done well, reaching the NCAA tournaments several times and getting a top 16 spot twice.

Rowing has been a big part of the university since 1901. The men's team became famous worldwide for winning the gold medal at the 1936 Summer Olympics. The team was featured in the popular book The Boys in the Boat. The rowing teams have won many national titles and Olympic medals.

The university has many sports facilities such as Husky Stadium for football and track, and the Alaska Airlines Arena at Hec Edmundson Pavilion for basketball and volleyball.

Husky Stadium

Main article: Husky Stadium

The rebuilt Husky Stadium helps fund improvements to the athletic area. The updates include a new walkway, an underground light-rail station, better seating, and new facilities for players and fans. The renovation cost about $280 million and now holds about 70,138 people. The university calls it the "Greatest Setting in College Football."

Mascot

Main article: Harry the Husky

The University of Washington's mascot is Harry the Husky, who appears at games and events. A real Alaskan Malamute, named Dubs II, leads the football team onto the field. The school colors, purple and gold, were chosen in 1892 by students, inspired by a poem. The university has had many Alaskan Malamutes as mascots over the years.

Notable alumni and faculty

The University of Washington has many well-known graduates and teachers. Some famous alumni include Patrick M. Shanahan, who became the United States Secretary of Defense, and Tom Foley, who served as the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives. Other notable people include actors like Bruce Lee and Rainn Wilson, musicians such as Kenny G, and athletes like Hope Solo, who played for the US women's national soccer team.

Many teachers at the university have also achieved great things. By 2012, the university had faculty members who were part of important groups such as the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering. Students from the university have also won many international awards, showing the school's strong impact on many fields.

For a more comprehensive list, see List of University of Washington people.

Sustainable energy initiatives

History of energy at UW

The University of Washington built its first power plant in 1895, close to Lake Washington. It burned coal to make steam for heating and electricity, but it was replaced in 1901 as the campus grew. A second plant was used for seven years before a third plant was built, which is still in use today. The university began switching from coal to natural gas in 1956, finishing the change in 1988 because of growing concerns about the environment.

In 2017, the university added another plant called the West Campus Utility Plant (WCUP). It provides backup power for research buildings and stores chilled water for cooling. The WCUP can supply 6 megawatts of emergency power and 4,500 tons of chilled water, and it can be expanded without changes to the building. It received an award for its focus on sustainability.

Current energy mix

Even though the world still uses a lot of fossil fuels for energy, the University of Washington relies on natural gas to heat most of its buildings. In 2024, 93% of the university’s greenhouse gas emissions came from burning natural gas in its central power plant. The heat from this plant travels through 8 miles of underground tunnels to reach campus buildings.

Most of the university’s electricity comes from Seattle City Light, which uses hydroelectric power. Other energy sources include the WCUP for cooling and backup power, and several solar power installations across campus, such as in Mercer Court Alder Hall, Elm Hall, the Intramural Activities Building, Maple Hall, and the Life Sciences Building.

Energy goals

The university wants to stop using natural gas for heating and eliminate fossil fuels from its direct emissions by 2035. To achieve this, they created a plan in late 2023 and 2024 with help from energy experts. Their goals include installing more meters, upgrading building control systems, expanding data analytics, replacing old chillers, adding cold water storage, switching to a lower temperature hot water system, installing heat pumps, and increasing solar power, such as adding solar parking lots.