University of Puget Sound
Tacoma, Washington
Situated in the beautiful woodlands of Tacoma, Washington, University of Puget Sound is a welcoming, academically rigorous institution where students build lives of purpose and impact. It offers undergraduate degrees in various fields of study, including the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, and business. Just a few of the notable academic programs at the university include its biology, music, and psychology programs. The university also has a strong emphasis on international study and experiential learning, with many students studying abroad or participating in research, service, or internships while they are enrolled.
University of Puget Sound’s diverse student body, a commitment to sustainability, and a strong focus on community engagement enliven the small, close-knit campus community.
Get to know University of Puget Sound
College Highlights
STUDY ABROAD
Puget Sound’s international study programs are designed to connect coursework to the vast world beyond campus borders. Multiple classes each year are paired with travel experiences that allow students to explore the world without the time and financial strain of a full semester abroad. Here, professors teach discipline-specific courses that are then followed by an immersive trip related to the course’s subject matter.
One notable travel experience is PacRim, Puget Sound’s signature program that follow’s a semester-long course with a trip across multiple countries along the Pacific Rim.
SUMMER RESEARCH
Students are able to work closely with a faculty mentor as they conduct groundbreaking independent study over the summer. Those who would like to participate craft a project proposal and, once approved, can receive a stipend to cover their living expenses while they spend 10 weeks conducting full-time research. They can even receive grant funds for relevant travel and research expenses.
The areas of study in which students can conduct research include computer and natural sciences, exercise science, mathematics, social science, the arts, and the humanities.
CLASS SIZE
The number of sections of each class size.
2-9: 109 | 10-19: 221 | 20-29: 136
30-39: 15 | 40-49: 4 | 50-99: 2 | 100+: 0
ENROLLMENT BY ETHNICITY
Non-U.S. Citizen: 0%
Hispanic/Latinx: 12%
Black or African American, non-Hispanic: 3%
White, non-Hispanic: 65%
Native/Indigenous American or Alaska Native, non-Hispanic: 0%
Asian, non-Hispanic: 8%
Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, non-Hispanic: 1%
Two or more races, non-Hispanic: 9%
Race and/or ethnicity unknown: 3%
CONNECTIONS: CORE CURRICULUM WITH PURPOSE
The general education curriculum at the University of Puget Sound is designed with purpose. Students are introduced to a variety of concepts across different areas of study, enjoying the vast perspectives that a liberal arts education has to offer. But what sets Puget Sound’s curriculum apart is its “Connections” component, a culminating experience that ties everything together.
Sometimes team-taught by faculty from different departments, the Connections courses explore topics that cannot be approached from one discipline. Students are given the tools to think deeply about complex ideas. Altogether, their thorough conversations and course work prepare them to be skilled critical thinkers in everything they do. Just a few of the dozens of options available include:
- African Americans and American Law
- Witchcraft in Colonial New England
- Gender and Communication
- Rome: Sketchbooks and Space Studies
- Economics of Happiness
- Geological and Environmental Catastrophes
- Science and Religion: Historical Perspectives
- Science and Politics
- Evolution and Ethics
- Tao and Landscape Art
SPECIAL STUDY OPTIONS
Programs available at this institution.
Cooperative education program
Double major
Honors Program
Independent study
Internships
Liberal arts/career combination
Student-designed major
Study abroad
Teacher certification program
PUGET SOUND OUTDOORS
Puget Sound Outdoors (PSO) is an amazing resource that enables students to enjoy the beauty of the Pacific Northwest right in their backyard. Whether they rent equipment from the Expeditionary for a camping trip or sign up for a guided hiking trip, students will revel in the waters of the Puget Sound, the rugged slopes of the Cascades, the forests of the Olympic Peninsula, and more. Students can even take wilderness survival courses and become certified PSO trip leaders.
SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE
Dozens of student-led organizations enliven University of Puget Sound’s campus, There is sure to be a club to match any student’s interests (and if there isn’t, they can start a club themselves!). University of Puget Sound has a variety of intramural and club sports, identity-based groups, music and arts clubs, spiritual life groups, and occupational organizations that form community around academic and career aspirations.
SCHOOL LOCATION
Known as the “City of Destiny,” Tacoma, Washington, is a gorgeous urban center located just 30 miles south of Seattle. This bustling city balances its port and manufacturing sector with a booming rise in entrepreneurial, tech, art, and healthcare jobs—a perfect place to study, work, and live.
ATHLETICS
The University of Puget Sound offers 13 NCAA Division III sports.
Women’s varsity sports: basketball, crew, cross country, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, track & field, volleyball
Men’s varsity sports: baseball, basketball, crew, cross country, football, golf, soccer, swimming, tennis, track & field
Mascot: Grizz the Logger
Colors: Maroon and White
Intramural/Club Sports: basketball, cycling, flag football, lacrosse, pickleball, racquetball, rugby, indoor & outdoor soccer, tennis, ultimate frisbee, volleyball, and more!
RESIDENCE LIFE
Percent of students living on campus.
First-time, first-year (freshman) students: 99%
Undergraduates: 66%
Campus housing options.
Coed dorms
Apartments for single students
Special housing for students with disabilities
Fraternity/sorority housing
Theme housing
Wellness housing
Thanks to Puget Sound’s emphasis on hands-on learning, it’s no wonder why nearly 90% of students are employed or pursuing higher degrees after graduation.
COMMUNITY-BASED LEARNING
Community-based learning is a fulfilling way to meet University of Puget Sound’s Experiential Learning graduation requirement. Connecting students with members of the surrounding Tacoma community, the university encourages students to engage in community service. Tacoma is a vibrant city with countless organizations and opportunities and, regardless of their major, students can grow as professionals while bettering the lives of their neighbors. Just a few of the organizations that happily invite Puget Sound students to serve, learn, and grow include:
- Advocates for Immigrants in Detention Northwest
- The American Cancer Society
- Catherine Place, a resource that addresses the needs of women facing issues associated with poverty, violence, illness, and more
- City of Tacoma—Environmental Services
- Communities in Schools of Tacoma, which provides tutoring and other academic support to underserved populations
- Multiple museums, including the Harbor History Museum, Fife History Museum, Lewis Army Museum, and Nisqually Living History Museum
- HopeSparks, which provides behavioral health, family services, and basic needs to families in Pierce County
- Multicultural Child & Family Hope Center
- Tacoma Pierce County Habitat for Humanity
RISE: HELPING SOPHOMORES SUCCEED
The Reflective Immersive Sophomore Experience (RISE) is a course designed for second-year students who would like to gain individualized support and guidance in the process of defining areas of interest, setting career-related goals, and applying for off-campus internships, jobs, and other opportunities.
INTERNSHIPS AND EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING
Students are able to enroll in experiential learning seminars that help them get in touch with meaningful, credit-bearing internship opportunities. The Internship Seminar, for example, provides an academic-oriented framework that informs, supports and complements their internship learning experience. Regardless of their major, students grow professionally in an off-campus work-related organizational setting, extend knowledge acquired elsewhere in the curriculum, learn how to create observational field notes that lead to an academic analysis of an organizational experience, and reflect upon work experience within an academic context.
Admission
ADMISSIONS FACTORS
Very Important
Rigor of secondary school record | Academic GPA
Application Essay | Character/personal qualities
Important
Recommendation(s) | Extracurricular activities | Talent/ability
Alumni/ae relation | Volunteer work | Work experience
Considered
Class rank | Standardized test scores | Interview | First generation
Racial/ethnic status | Level of applicant’s interest
FRESHMAN PROFILE
SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing
25th Percentile: 580 | 75th Percentile: 700
SAT Math
25th Percentile: 570 | 75th Percentile: 670
ACT Composite
25th Percentile: 27 | 75th Percentile: 32
ACT Math
25th Percentile: 26 | 75th Percentile: 30
ACT English
25th Percentile: 26 | 75th Percentile: 34
Tuition & Cost
Tuition: $57,330
Fees: $296
Room: $7,700
Board: $6,730
Contact University of Puget Sound
Contact Admissions
pugetsound.edu/admission
(253) 879-3211
admission@pugetsound.edu
Campus Location
1500 N. Warner St.
Tacoma, WA 98416