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Founded in 1888 in a vibrant port city in the Pacific Northwest, the University of Puget Sound is an independent, residential, and predominantly undergraduate liberal arts college with graduate programs in education and health sciences. Our beautiful 97-acre campus supports connection with the world it serves, from Tacoma's tide flats to the Pacific Rim and beyond. A Puget Sound education is rooted in an inspiring confluence of histories and cultures and ideas and centered on our 2,600 students who are open-minded, outward-reaching, and passionate about putting their educations to work. Guided by our motto To the Heights, we seek to educate the whole person and give each student space to discover and room to rise to meet new challenges, both locally and globally. Our faculty challenge and support each student individually as they grow into broadly and deeply educated lifelong learners, prepared to become the world's next generation of exceptional leaders. Perhaps that is why the Princeton Review called out our faculty-student interaction as one of the best in the nation, and we are designated as one of only 40 Colleges That Change Lives. Puget Sound offers a small community of independent thinkers, a launchpad for adventurers, and an incubator for entrepreneurs. We are makers, shakers, and doers—and we never stop learning. The University of Puget Sound is an independent, predominantly residential undergraduate liberal arts college with selected graduate programs building effectively on a liberal arts foundation. As a community of learning, the university maintains a strong commitment to teaching excellence, scholarly engagement, and fruitful student-faculty interaction. The university's mission is to develop in its student's capacities for critical analysis, aesthetic appreciation, sound judgment, and apt expression that will sustain a lifetime of intellectual curiosity, active inquiry, and reasoned independence. A Puget Sound education, both academic and co-curricular, encourages a rich knowledge of self and others, an appreciation of commonality and difference the full, open, and civil discussion of ideas, thoughtful moral discourse and the integration of learning, preparing the university's graduates to meet the highest tests of democratic citizenship. Such an education seeks to liberate each person's fullest intellectual and human potential to assist in unfolding creative and useful lives. At Puget Sound, we believe that education is not something you get. It is something you do. Our students are engaged in active inquiry and critical analysis that encourage a rich knowledge of self and others, an appreciation for civil discourse and exchange of ideas, and a lifetime of intellectual curiosity. We offer a highly collaborative and experiential approach to teaching and learning, led by faculty members who challenge students to think critically and make connections across disciplines. We are home to leading programs in education, music, business leadership, and health sciences—featuring some of the country's most advanced undergraduate research labs. Our Interdisciplinary Humanities Emphasis (IHE) offers designated pathways—including Science and Values Challenging Inequality, Leading Social Change, and The Artist as Humanist—that encourage students to consider enduring importance topics from a variety of humanistic perspectives. Puget Sound's PacRim program is a national model of conscious global engagement rooted in our strong Asian Studies program. And we are a leading producer of Watson fellows, Fulbright scholars, and Peace Corps volunteers. With more than 50 areas of study and educational emphasis on critical thought, experiential learning, and an intersectional worldview, a Puget Sound education prepares the next generation of humane, influential leaders for a changing world. Admission counselors will be visiting high schools and attending college fairs across the country from September to November. Please meet us at an event near you and learn about Puget Sound. Student Financial Services staff are happy to help identify financial resources to achieve your educational goals and have prepared this online brochure, Money Matters – Your guide to costs, financing, and financial aid, for your reference. Student Financial Services staff members actively join in partnership with students and families to develop financial solutions that help make a Puget Sound education a reality. There is a place for everyone on our beautiful 97-acre residential campus—and so much room to explore. Between the DIY ethos of Tacoma maker spaces and the rugged beauty of the Pacific Northwest, there are endless opportunities to find your passion here. Whatever piques your interest, Puget Sound cultivates a challenging and supportive environment for self-discovery and connection. The University of Puget Sound has a strong commitment to diversity as an essential foundation for a broad and stimulating liberal arts education. Numerous programs and resources engage the campus in an inclusive approach to celebrating, sharing, and supporting our journey together in an increasingly complex and multicultural world. We are a campus community that values its members' intrinsic worth, recognizes our shared qualities, and embraces our differences. We appreciate all persons a vital characteristic of this community, foster a spirit of openness and active engagement, and strive to be diverse and inclusive in every aspect of campus life. In doing so, we ensure a full educational opportunity for all who teach and learn at the University of Puget Sound. View full university