Tacoma, WA · Private · 1,594 undergraduates · urban
University of Puget Sound
Less selective
Experiential learning is a graduation-level core requirement rather than an optional enhancement left entirely to individual majors.
Institutional profile
Well established Strong in career outcomes, and solid in student experience.- Admission
- 76.3% admitted
- Price by income
- Varies across five income ranges
- Completion
- 74.9%
5,548 applicants in the reported year
Compare recent average annual costs by household income
$69,594 median earnings 10 years after enrollment
What sets University of Puget Sound apart
Academic design
The core includes two first-year seminars, divisional study, Knowledge, Identity, and Power courses, interdisciplinary Connections courses, language study, and an experiential-learning requirement. Students must pair at least one approved experience such as an internship or community-based activity with academic reflection.
Campus pattern
Students live in residence halls, university-owned houses, suites, theme communities, or Greek housing, with a two-year live-on requirement. Tacoma provides urban and regional access without turning the campus itself into a downtown commuter environment.
Defining feature
Experiential learning is a graduation-level core requirement rather than an optional enhancement left entirely to individual majors.
Can I get in?
76.3% admitted
Start with academic preparation, then show why this particular academic and campus environment fits you.
Recent applicant pool
5,548About 76 in every 100 applicants were admitted.
Academic range
Of admitted students, 29% submitted an SAT, and 14% submitted an ACT. Because ACT scores came from few admitted students, the range describes that self-selected group rather than the full class.
In the season card
Where your GPA sits in the entering class
The full entering-class GPA distribution for University of Puget Sound, in nine bands from 4.0 down, with your own record marked on it.
See where I landIn the season card
What University of Puget Sound weighs when it reads a file
See how this college describes the role of grades, testing, essays, recommendations, activities, and demonstrated interest.
- Course rigor
- GPA
- Test scores
- Essay
- Recommendations
- Extracurriculars
- Demonstrated interest
What moves the application
The evidence that separates a strong file
Show preparation for this curriculum
The core includes two first-year seminars, divisional study, Knowledge, Identity, and Power courses, interdisciplinary Connections courses, language study, and an experiential-learning requirement. Students must pair at least one approved experience such as an internship or community-based activity with academic reflection.
Make the fit specific
Students who want a Pacific Northwest liberal-arts college with a residential community and structured encouragement to connect academics with work beyond campus.
Account for the tradeoff
The expanded core contains multiple distinct requirements, so it is less free-form than liberal-arts colleges that rely mostly on broad distribution areas.
How to apply
Rounds, route, and required materials
Build the calendar around the earliest realistic application round and make the school-specific case concrete.
Fee waiver: accepted
Can I afford it?
Compare annual cost by household income.
Start with the average net price for your income range, then set that estimate beside your other realistic options.
College funding
Scholarships and financial aid
Review available aid, application requirements, and renewal terms.
University of Puget Sound publishes four merit awards, the largest reaching full tuition or more. three require a separate scholarship application. three renew past the first year.
Open across the university · Merit · Competitive · Renews each year
Open across the university · Merit · Competitive · Renews
Open across the university · Merit · Competitive · Renews
Through one school within the university · Merit · Competitive
Music; Theatre; Art; ForensicsIn the season card
These four awards, by name
What each one is called, what it pays, the grades and scores it asks for, and what to send.
- The name of each award
- What it pays
- The grades and scores it asks for
- How to be considered
- What to send, and where
In the season card
Average annual cost by household income at University of Puget Sound
Compare recent average net prices across five federal income ranges and estimate a 4-year cost for yours.
- $0–30k
- $30–48k
- $48–75k
- $75–110k
- $110k+
Is it worth it?
Completion, debt, and earnings
Experiential learning is a graduation-level core requirement rather than an optional enhancement left entirely to individual majors.
Degree completion across the reported entering cohort
First-year students who return for year two
And what that comes to against what they earn.
Reported 10 years after enrollment
Academic portfolio
Largest bachelor’s fields
How many students finish in each field, and median earnings four years after completing the program.
Business Administration, Management and Operations
Political Science and Government
Psychology, General
Biology, General
Natural Resources Conservation and Research
What is campus life like?
University of Puget Sound beyond the classroom
Students live in residence halls, university-owned houses, suites, theme communities, or Greek housing, with a two-year live-on requirement. Tacoma provides urban and regional access without turning the campus itself into a downtown commuter environment.
A defining academic feature
The core includes two first-year seminars, divisional study, Knowledge, Identity, and Power courses, interdisciplinary Connections courses, language study, and an experiential-learning requirement. Students must pair at least one approved experience such as an internship or community-based activity with academic reflection.
What shapes an ordinary week
Students live in residence halls, university-owned houses, suites, theme communities, or Greek housing, with a two-year live-on requirement. Tacoma provides urban and regional access without turning the campus itself into a downtown commuter environment.
What changes the experience
Experiential learning is a graduation-level core requirement rather than an optional enhancement left entirely to individual majors.