Western Washington University
Academics
How strong are the academics at Western Washington University?
Let's cover class sizes, graduation rates, and outcomes.
17:1
Student to faculty ratio
29
Average class size
42%
4-year grad rate
Class Sizes
Class sizes likely stayed the same for you through high school. You'll find that college is much different. Some of the largest universities have classes that can seat hundreds of students in giant lecture halls. Conversely, as they progress and their focus narrows, higher-level courses can sometimes have just a handful of students.
WWU has an average student-to-faculty ratio of 17:1. The typical school is 14:1. While this ratio is important, what’s more important is how big a typical class is.
Class Sizes
Most Common
10-19
2-9
160
10-19
501
20-29
415
30-39
178
40-49
104
50-99
132
100+
43
Honors Programs
Western Washington University has an honors program and/or honors college. Specifics of these programs vary, but benefits of being in an Honors Program might include priority registration, being part of a tight-knit community, and accessing unique learning opportunities.
Learn more about honors options on WWU's website.
Outcomes
It’s critical to understand a school’s outcomes to understand if your four (or more) years at the school will be worth it. Here are some key statistics about the outcomes of students who enroll at Western Washington University:
79%
First-year retention rate
42%
4-year grad rate
66%
6-year grad rate
Majors
Many students choose a school largely based on the what they want to study. The are Western Washington University's most popular majors, ranked by how many people graduated with the concentration in the most recent year:
Psychology, General
Computer and Information Sciences, General
Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other
Environmental Science
Marketing/Marketing Management, General
89.4
118.92
148.44
177.96
207.48
237
The Full List
Major
Graduates
Architecture And Related Services
- City/Urban, Community, and Regional Planning 0
Area
- Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies, Other 15
- American/United States Studies/Civilization 3
- East Asian Studies 3
- Latin American Studies 2
- Canadian Studies 0
- Area Studies, Other 0
Biological And Biomedical Sciences
- Biology/Biological Sciences, General 47
- Neuroscience 43
- Biochemistry 41
- Cell/Cellular and Molecular Biology 39
- Marine Biology and Biological Oceanography 18
- Botany/Plant Biology 0
- Cell/Cellular Biology and Histology 0
- Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences, Other 0
- Zoology/Animal Biology 0
- Ecology 0
- Evolutionary Biology 0
- Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Other 0
Business
- Marketing/Marketing Management, General 114
- Business Administration and Management, General 76
- Accounting 53
- Finance, General 43
- Management Information Systems, General 36
- Management Science 32
- International Business/Trade/Commerce 25
- Operations Management and Supervision 21
- Business/Commerce, General 0
- Office Management and Supervision 0
- Human Resources Management/Personnel Administration, General 0
- International Marketing 0
- Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other 0
Communication
- Speech Communication and Rhetoric 83
- Journalism 40
- Journalism, Other 3
- Broadcast Journalism 0
Computer And Information Sciences And Support Services
- Computer and Information Sciences, General 125
- Computer and Information Systems Security/Auditing/Information Assurance 26
Education
- Special Education and Teaching, General 97
- Elementary Education and Teaching 26
- Early Childhood Education and Teaching 17
- Music Teacher Education 15
- Mathematics Teacher Education 9
- Physical Education Teaching and Coaching 8
- Art Teacher Education 7
- Science Teacher Education/General Science Teacher Education 6
- Education/Teaching of Individuals in Early Childhood Special Education Programs 5
- Social Science Teacher Education 5
- History Teacher Education 3
- Chemistry Teacher Education 2
- Spanish Language Teacher Education 2
- English/Language Arts Teacher Education 1
- Biology Teacher Education 1
- Earth Science Teacher Education 1
- Bilingual and Multilingual Education 0
- Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods, Other 0
- Business and Innovation/Entrepreneurship Teacher Education 0
- Health Teacher Education 0
- Family and Consumer Sciences/Home Economics Teacher Education 0
- Technology Teacher Education/Industrial Arts Teacher Education 0
- Social Studies Teacher Education 0
- Computer Teacher Education 0
- Drama and Dance Teacher Education 0
- French Language Teacher Education 0
- German Language Teacher Education 0
- Speech Teacher Education 0
- Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas, Other 0
Engineering
- Electrical and Computer Engineering 40
- Manufacturing Engineering 25
- Polymer/Plastics Engineering 21
- Electrical and Electronics Engineering 0
Engineering/Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians
- Electrical, Electronic, and Communications Engineering Technology/Technician 0
- Plastics and Polymer Engineering Technology/Technician 0
- Industrial Technology/Technician 0
- Manufacturing Engineering Technology/Technician 0
- Automotive Engineering Technology/Technician 0
English Language And Literature/Letters
- Creative Writing 107
- English Language and Literature, General 83
Family And Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences
- Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences, General 0
- Human Development and Family Studies, General 0
- Child Development 0
Foreign Languages
- Linguistics 27
- Spanish Language and Literature 20
- Japanese Language and Literature 9
- Chinese Language and Literature 8
- French Language and Literature 7
- German Language and Literature 3
- Foreign Languages and Literatures, General 1
- Russian Language and Literature 0
- Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Other 0
- Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics 0
- Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General 0
- Foreign Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Other 0
Health Professions And Related Programs
- Health/Medical Preparatory Programs, Other 75
- Communication Sciences and Disorders, General 33
- Community Health and Preventive Medicine 23
- Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse 21
- Pre-Physical Therapy Studies 1
- Audiology/Audiologist and Speech-Language Pathology/Pathologist 0
- Community Health Services/Liaison/Counseling 0
History
- History, General 83
Liberal Arts And Sciences
- Humanities/Humanistic Studies 8
- Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies 0
- General Studies 0
Mathematics And Statistics
- Mathematics, General 15
- Applied Mathematics, General 14
- Mathematics and Statistics 10
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
- Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other 123
- MULTI/INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES 58
- Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, General 58
- Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, General 58
- Sustainability Studies 30
- Marine Sciences 19
- Mathematics and Computer Science 17
- Biological and Physical Sciences 16
- Geography and Environmental Studies 16
- Data Science, General 7
- Accounting and Computer Science 0
Natural Resources And Conservation
- Environmental Science 119
- Environmental Studies 85
- Energy and Environmental Policy 11
- Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy, Other 0
Parks
- Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies 42
- Exercise Science and Kinesiology 39
- Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness, General 0
Philosophy And Religious Studies
- Philosophy 10
- Religion/Religious Studies 2
Physical Sciences
- Chemistry, General 43
- Geology/Earth Science, General 35
- Physics, General 18
- Geophysics and Seismology 6
- Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences, Other 0
- Optics/Optical Sciences 0
- Physics, Other 0
Psychology
- Psychology, General 237
- Developmental and Child Psychology 5
- Behavioral Neuroscience 0
Public Administration And Social Service Professions
- PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION AND SOCIAL SERVICE PROFESSIONS 92
- Human Services, General 92
- Human Services, General 92
- Community Organization and Advocacy 0
- Public Policy Analysis, General 0
Social Sciences
- Sociology, General 103
- Political Science and Government, General 86
- Anthropology, General 37
- Economics, Other 24
- Economics, General 22
- Archeology 19
- Anthropology, Other 10
- Geography 7
- Social Sciences, General 0
- Criminology 0
- Urban Studies/Affairs 0
- Social Sciences, Other 0
Visual And Performing Arts
- Art/Art Studies, General 49
- Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General 46
- Design and Visual Communications, General 44
- Art History, Criticism and Conservation 15
- Music Performance, General 15
- Industrial and Product Design 11
- Music, General 10
- Dance, General 6
- Music Theory and Composition 4
- Visual and Performing Arts, General 0
- Digital Arts 0
- Commercial Photography 0
- Fashion/Apparel Design 0
- Graphic Design 0
- Illustration 0
- Design and Applied Arts, Other 0
- Photography 0
- Drawing 0
- Intermedia/Multimedia 0
- Painting 0
- Sculpture 0
- Printmaking 0
- Ceramic Arts and Ceramics 0
- Fiber, Textile and Weaving Arts 0
- Music History, Literature, and Theory 0
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