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Discover what sets the University of Puget Sound apart! Renowned for its excellent academics, value, and vibrant campus culture, Puget Sound stands out on the national stage.

At-a-Glance

  • Founded in 1888, Puget Sound is a residential, national liberal arts college with approximately 1,800 undergraduate and 300 graduate students.
  • Students choose from more than 1,200 courses in 50 areas of traditional and interdisciplinary areas of study.
  • Puget Sound is the only independent national undergraduate liberal arts college in Western Washington and the only one in the Pacific Northwest with a School of Music and a School of Business & Leadership.
  • Puget Sound is one of only two independent colleges in Washington state and one of five in the Northwest granted a charter by Phi Beta Kappa, the country’s most prestigious academic honor society.
  • 10:1

    Student-to-faculty ratio
  • Top 3

    “Most Beautiful Campuses in America” according to College Rover
  • 50+

    Traditional and interdisciplinary areas of study
Residence halls on campus

By the Numbers

  • 10:1 Student-to-faculty ratio
  • Top 3 “Most Beautiful Campuses in America” according to the Princeton Review
  • 50+ Traditional and interdisciplinary areas of study
  • 97 Acre Residential campus
  • Top 10 Peace Corps volunteer producing institution
  • 100+ Study abroad programs In more than 40 countries
  • 73% of students are from out of state
  • 45 States and territories and 7 countries are currently represented on campus
  • 89% Medical School acceptance rate (compared to the national average of 33%)
  • 100% Acceptance rate: Physical Therapy, Veterinary Medicine, Pharmacy, Optometry, Occupational Therapy
     

Diversity & Inclusion

  • 4 out of 5 stars on the Campus Pride Index since 2019 for our institutional commitment and resources provided for sexual orientation and gender identity
  • 30% of undergraduate students identify as minoritized
  • 14% of undergraduates are first-generation college students


Accolades

  • A top producer of U.S. Fulbright Student award recipients (2023-24)
  • Named a “Best Value” school by U.S. News & World Report (2019, 2022, 2023)
  • Recognized as a College of Distinction (2024-25) for:
    • Best Career Services Colleges
    • Best Private Colleges
    • Business Program
  • Named one of the Best 388 Colleges by The Princeton Review (2023). Other Princeton Review rankings:
    • Best Regional Colleges (Western), 2022
    • Best Value Colleges, 2024
    • Guide to Green Colleges, 2022
    • Best College Radio Station (No. 8), 2023

Accreditation and Memberships

The University of Puget Sound is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU), an independent, non-profit membership organization recognized by the United States Department of Education.

In addition to institutional accreditation from the NWCCU, the following programs have specialized accreditation or status:

  • The Bachelor of Science Degree in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Puget Sound is approved by the American Chemical Society.
  • The School of Education at the University of Puget Sound meets the standards of the Washington State Professional Educator Standards Board (PESB) for professional certification of teachers and school counselors. The Master of Education in Counseling program is accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP).
  • The School of Music at the University of Puget Sound is an accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Music, the accrediting agency designated by the United States Department of Education as the agency responsible for the accreditation of music curricula in higher education. In the field of teacher education, NASM cooperates with the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education. The NASM is also a constituent member of the American Council of Education. Baccalaureate programs accredited include professional degrees in performance, music education, music with elective studies in business, and the Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in music.
  • The School of Occupational Therapy Program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), located at 7501 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 510E, Bethesda, MD 20814. ACOTE’s telephone number, c/o AOTA, is (301) 652-AOTA, and its web address is www.acoteonline.org. Graduates of the program sit for the national certification examination for the occupational therapist administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT). After successful completion of this exam, the graduate will be an occupational therapist, registered (OTR). In addition, all states require licensure to practice; however, state licenses are usually based on the results of the NBCOT certification examination. A felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination or attain state licensure.
  • The School of Physical Therapy is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), 1111 North Fairfax Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22314; telephone: 703.706.3245; email: accreditation@apta.org; website: http//www.capteonline.org. Accreditation qualifies the physical therapy graduate to take the licensing examination offered by any of the 50 states.

Enrolled or prospective students wishing to review documents describing the university’s accreditation may do so in the Associate Deans’ Office, Jones 212.