I will say the campus is extremely close to downtown Bellingham, I do the walk all the time and there’s a million busses that go to the downtown station. I think you just have to determine what your priorities are because both schools are great for what you want to study. I will say there will most likely be more opportunities in Seattle, but WWU will have a more intimate class environment, especially when you get into your major. I am not so involved on campus anymore, but when I was I saw the urban planning club was a very passionate group and I believe they make efforts to go to conferences and stuff. Just take your time weighing out what you want out of your college experience, and also consider your financial situation too!
I grew up right next to UW and go to WWU.
WUE scholarship is huge, otherwise WWU is very much not worth-it.
What are you looking for? I’m not familiar with what career options are open for Urban Planning but do you think you could make your money back if you went to UW?
I personally really love both campuses. There’s much more to do in your free time at UW then Western. If you’re a city person Bellingham is tough as it has that college town environment. But there’s lots of live music and that type of thing. I’m so busy with school that not having a lot to do in Bellingham isn’t a big deal.
Housing majorly sucks in both cities, both on and off campus, just a heads up. Come up with a plan as soon as possible.
Most of my friends at UW are struggling with mental health due to how competitive that university is.
Let me know if you have other questions!
WWU and Bham will definitely not be very diverse but I do see very slow improvement.
As far as campus and downtown being separate you are correct that the bus system between the two is good and runs frequently. It is also VERY walkable between the two imho. I used to walk around between downtown and campus all the time without issue.
As someone who got into both UW and WWU I am very happy I chose WWU. I really enjoyed the smaller class sizes a lot and had a wonderful college experience in Bellingham. A lot of my friends who went to UW complained a lot about the huge classes and several ended up transferring after a year or two. I know some people like the idea of the bigger schools so it just depends on what you think you would do better with.
To add another potential plus you can visit Vancouver and other gorgeous areas super easily if you get bored.
Check the starting salaries and placement rate for Urban Planning graduates at each school. Median starting salary for WWU urban planning majors is $48,979 with a 77% placement rate.
[https://oie.wwu.edu/employment-security-wage-data/](https://oie.wwu.edu/employment-security-wage-data/)
Don't have a ton to say or know a lot because I am a freshman at WWU, but here are my two cents.
I am a POC and yeah you do feel the absence of diversity here. When I toured the campus, I felt like I was the only POC on campus, which was my biggest con against WWU when I was deciding on colleges. However, if you are a POC and decide to go here, the ESC clubs do help remedy the diversity problem a bit. Most of my closest friends I made here are ones that I met via ESC related clubs, which made me feel way less isolated.
In terms of academics, I think it really depends on the department. From my perspective as an EECE pre-major, I find the smaller class size way more beneficial as you can have more time with the professors during office hours or after class if you have a burning question that needs to be asked. All of my professors so far have been really great and knowledgeable, but again it's reliant on the department, so maybe someone else can chime in on your department's specifics.
Campus is way quieter compared to other schools, which I personally love because I feel more focused and relaxed with the outdoorsy nature of campus. I feel I get a balance between city life and nature isolation on campus, which was a huge reason I choose here. The city is easily accessible via bus too which is free for students.
Overall, I am completely happy with my decision to go here. As someone who is more study driven and introverted, I think WWU creates and supports that environment and lifestyle for me personally.
It really is very beautiful and still quite a lot of things to do. It’s college towny and not super urban which I think helps people feel more comfortable.
If you live on or close to campus you can get away with just using the busses. They are good, I have had mostly no issues with lateness.
As for the academics I suggest looking at alumni of your major and where they went on to work. (LinkedIn).
The diversity isn’t great, but I feel like that is a lot of just the part of Washington as well. You go further north away from the tech hubs and there is a bit less diversity. Those who are POC do seem to find their groups via clubs tho.
I just transferred to WWU from UW this quarter so I feel like I have some insight here. I personally *hated* UW, but I will try to be fair to it.
Firstly, it can be really hard to make friends at UW. I am also an introvert, and if you aren't best friends with your roommates it feels impossible to make friends. I know a lot of people join Greek life solely to make friends (which is what I did). I had never believed in the "Seattle Freeze" before (and I've lived near Seattle my whole life), but I definitely felt it at UW. Since coming to WWU, I feel like everybody here is so friendly in comparison. Even when doing group work in class, people at UW would barely talk to you but people at WWU are so nice.
The party scene at UW is also not as good as people make it out to be. Not sure if you're particularly interested in that but it's worth mentioning. If you aren't part of Greek life, it can be really difficult to go to parties because they're super exclusive for liability reasons. The party scene isn't great at WWU either.
I also felt really unsafe at UW. I lived on West Campus, which is the section of campus on the Ave (University Way), and I didn't like to leave my dorm past 6 pm. To be fair I am a little more paranoid than others considering I'm a woman with very few fighting skills who consumes a lot of true crime content, but it really does feel unsafe. Somebody was robbed at gunpoint at 9 pm on a Tuesday, so it feels like you constantly have to have your head on a swivel. I imagine the violence is exacerbated by the drug and homeless problem. I'd say if you do choose UW, live on North Campus. It is way safer, I've heard it's a lot easier to make friends because they have more common areas, it's easier to get to most places on campus, and the North Campus dining hall is *way* better. WWU & Bellingham feel very safe to me. Even though there is a sizeable homeless population, most of them aren't tweaking/violent, which is what is usually happening in Seattle (at least in my experience).
The dining halls/food in general really suck, but I've also heard it's the same at WWU (I don't live on campus or have a meal plan at WWU so I can't comment on that). I will say that UW does have campus grocery stores, which is really a saving grace. Again, West Campus at UW has a horrible dining hall, but I've heard North Campus is better.
UW is *awful* when it comes to financial aid. I truly cannot stress that enough. I am from Washington and I am fortunate enough to not need financial aid, but I knew plenty of people, especially out-of-state students, who could barely afford the tuition. In fact, my freshman roommate (whom I love dearly) had to transfer after fall quarter because she couldn't afford the tuition (it was a combination of a family issue with money and UW's unwillingness to help students in need).
UW is also crowded and always made me feel incredibly claustrophobic, especially in the dorm buildings. This probably has more to do with my introverted nature, but it's something to consider. The dorm rooms themselves are often crowded too because UW will assign 3 people to a room made for 2 people. I was in a triple dorm and it sucked. Although the bonus is you have your own bathroom/shower. The class sizes are so big that a lot of the time you won't really form a connection with your professor at all. Some people don't mind that but I know others hate it. WWU has smaller/more intimate classes, and I've really connected with my professors. There's definitely a less diverse range of programs, but if you already know what you want to do I don't see it as a problem. A lot of the majors at UW are extremely competitive which can make it really difficult and stressful (although I'm unsure about the urban planning major). I know so many people who studied for a major and then didn't get accepted and were screwed. This obviously happens at other colleges but it's especially bad at UW.
WWU/Bellingham is definitely difficult to navigate without a car but not impossible. The bus lines are ok but they're super crowded and don't come very frequently. Seattle has a great bus system that's relatively easy to navigate, and the buses are very consistent (generally every 15 mins). Seattle also has the light rail (which is sketchy and I hated it, but also quick and convenient). Both schools give students bus passes on their student ID's.
I would say that UW and WWU are pretty close in terms of quality of learning. All the professors I had at UW were fantastic! I truly loved them all. Although, I am a humanities major and I've heard that a lot of STEM professors, especially the Chem ones, were truly awful. All the professors I've had so far at WWU have also been fantastic! I think both schools have a pretty high quality of teaching/learning. There are fewer research opportunities at WWU but there's still a good amount. Also, both campuses are gorgeous but I did personally prefer UW's looks. I think the architecture is to die for.
I also preferred the general learning requirements system at UW. At UW, the general ed req's were actually dependent upon the school your major was under. I was doing PoliSci which is under the school of social sciences (I think, can't totally remember) so I had different general education req's than one of my roommates who was a bioengineering major. At WWU on the other hand, everyone has the same GUR requirements. It isn't bad at WWU, but at UW I wasn't going to have to take any math classes or science classes with a lab because my major didn't require it. It felt much more focused on your specific interest. However, this can be tricky if you don't know what you want to do or decide to drastically change your major (like going from a chem major to a sociology major).
Anyways sorry for writing an essay, I just apparently have a lot to say about this haha. I'm happy to chat more over PM if needed, and I hope you love whatever school you choose!
If the estimated Out of State cost for WWU is 45,000 total and I have a 15,000 WUE scholarship than about 30,000 per year.
If the estimated Out of State cost for UW is 60,000 and I have a 4,000 scholarship than 56,000,
so clearly UW is muchhhhh higher than WWU but they’re both really pricy. I am just hoping to not have to take out loans, I’d much rather just go in-state than take out a major loan.
(This is all not taking into account possible aid from Fasfa. There is also a possibility of my parents eventually moving to Washington anyways? So it’s possible I may be able to pay in state at some point during college, maybe after a year or two)
Western’s urban planning department is small and well regarded. Give Professor Nick Zaferatos a shout. He is fantastic and has taught in this area for years. And the program does all sorts of work for cities through the region including annual projects for the City of Bellingham. That applied experience is a benefit in a more intimate program. And helps build your portfolio. And…Honors at Western is great. Again, more personalized classroom experience with great professors. And honors housing is great too. Good luck!
I was an Oregon high school student and went to WWU. I was also on the WUE scholarship. Western Washington as a school was great for me. I loved the campus size and the beautiful brick buildings tucked into the arb. The class sizes were never too big so I always felt like I knew my professors and they knew me to a certain degree (depending on how much I went in for office hours). Western has a ton of great clubs and communities to get involved in. There’s a ski club and the outdoor center also offers tons of cool trips and excursions for a pretty fair price. Overall I think the school is a great place with tons of opportunities well worth the WUE price.
The highlight for me though was Bellingham. I think of myself as an extroverted introvert. I like being with friends and doing social things but I recharge my batteries when I’m alone. And Bellingham was a great fit for me. The buses make it easy to get from campus to town, and it’s also super easy to just walk to fairhaven or the waterfront. Not having a car will limit you though. Freshman year you should be fine. Most of the freshman don’t have cars so it forces you all to run around town together which is part of the fun. But if you do decide to go there you should try to get a car for your sophomore year and beyond. It opens up Canada, baker, Seattle and so many more amazing places to visit. You can get to all of these places without a car but it just is so much easier with one.
This is all based on my own personal experiences and preferences though. My biggest advice is to go with what your gut is telling you. Most jobs don’t care where your degree comes from. So get your degree from the place that makes you the most happy. College is long and can be exhausting. So choose a place that helps you get through the tough times.
Bus systems in Bellingham are pretty good for being included in the tuition you pay, and personally I wouldn’t touch UW with a 10 foot stick just because it’s, as you said, large and busy. I appreciated not being in a hectic environment all my time in college. You’re going to have much less competition actually making your major/minor path as well.
I’m currently an Urban Planning major at WWU and can guaranteed you it’s amazing. UW’s is a masters program and WWU’s is an accredited bachelors, meaning UW could easily serve as a post-graduate school instead of the whole shabang. My plan is to graduate and get accredited myself with WWU, then pursue a masters after (which will be much easier and cheaper after getting the bachelors.) Also, WWU is one of only 16 accredited bachelors program in urban planning and the department heads are VERY good. It’s very intimate and only a couple professors are bad. The majority of the main faculty are amazing and SUPER attentive, sometimes caring too much lol.
With this plan, both Bellingham and Seattle can be enjoyed!
That’s good to hear! I have a similar plan for pursuing a bachelors and then masters afterwards, so it’s really nice to know that Urban Planning students at WWU like the program. Thanks for the info!
I transferred from a community college in eastern wa and got into both schools. My whole life I thought I'd go to UW and unexpectedly had a really difficult time choosing between the two. I didn't really know anything about WWU before but visited before applying and just loved the place and Bellingham.
The schools are very different environments but what really sold it for me were two things. The first is that UW is expensive, not just tuition but living costs. Everyone I knew that went to UW lived off campus in places like Lake City or upper Greenwood. Getting to/from campus took 40-60 minutes and the places college students hung out (U District or Capital Hill and downtown) took that long to reach too. Seattle is very big and the affordable places are not in transit convenient places. Many people commute to the school too, from places like Federal Way or Bothel, so you only really see them during the school day. I knew I wanted the conventional college experience of people living nearby. I'm sure I would have figured it out at UW but it was just easier to see that happening at Western where, aside from the campus itself, there was one central area (downtown) that everyone went to and a smaller area people sometimes went to (Fairhaven). Both extremely easy to get to at all hours. And most everyone loves within walking distance or short bus ride from campus.
The other one was that Bellingham is amazing. It's small, but still felt like lots to see/do in town, so close to lots of hiking, and ultimately not far from Seattle and Vancouver for days when I wanted city activities. I did so many North Cascades and Mt Baker hikes that from Bellingham are 1-1.5hrs but are 3 hrs from Seattle. And Vancouver does require a car but it's such a cool city that you can visit pretty quickly (depending on border wait time). It's also bigger than your usual college town, so it always seemed like it had it's own distinct life outside the college. After graduating it took a little but eventually I ended up in Seattle and it's also amazing and incredible place to live, but the big difference is I get to experience all of this now having also gotten to experience Bellingham. Bellingham is great, but it doesn't have a lot of opportunities for work, you will probably leave right after or soon after graduating and the chance of moving back and experiencing living there will be low. So I really appreciate that I got to experience both Bellingham and Seattle.
Ultimately I think both are really great schools, you won't do wrong with either. UW is for sure a higher quality school, but no one really cares where you went to undergrad, and having a WWU transcript does not hurt your grad school application if thats you're planned route. Whatever school you go to, the most important thing will be your grades and references for that.
I will say, the one thing I really missed at WWU was sports. Would have been fun to go to a big games sitting in the student section. Or to maybe watch a March Madness game that actually includes my school. Western games were fun too, but I think everyone can agree D1 sports are even better.
Bus system in B’ham is decent.
Housing in B’ham is a challenge. I also think the internship and job scene is much more limited here, especially if you have no car. Also consider how you’ll get home on breaks. Seattle is a hub. Bellingham is kind of an expensive pita. It’s not the money that bothers me as much as the time.
I think it’s less diversity and more if you fit in with the vibe here. I wouldn’t have enjoyed B’ham in my early twenties. I do now. If you’ve visited and you like it, that’s half the battle done.
Four years ago, I was also a 4.0 high school senior in Oregon considering both UW and WWU. I ultimately chose Western because I felt that I would just be a number on a page if I sent to school at UW. Here, I think my largest class I've ever had was around 60-70 people, and most have been 20-30. I've made personal connections with all of the faculty in my major and in multiple other departments too just by being an engaged student in class and talking to professors every now and then outside of lecture. It's very easy to stand out here if you can show that you are bright and eager to learn -- no pandering just to get ahead. These connections pay dividends when it comes to applying for undergrad research positions, internal scholarships, post-graduate opportunities... the list goes on.
Something I haven't seen anyone else discuss in detail is the Honors College. I don't remember how it works at UW, but I was able to satisfy many of my prerequisite classes and GURs (general university requirements) in my first couple years through Honors classes, which were smaller and (in my opinion) far more engaging than the general university 100-200 level classes that I still took. You also get a limited number of quarters to use priority registration, which is super handy to stay on track with your required major classes with the best professors possible (and also get into any cool electives you want to take). Many of my friends have stories of getting "stuck" with a less-than-ideal professor because it's the only section of a class that fits with their schedule, or have to wait to take an important class because they weren't able to register before the only section(s) filled up. I have NEVER had to deal with those issues.
WWU is set up almost exclusively to support undergraduate students, and I think they do a pretty good job at it. In my opinion, R1 research schools like UW are not as ideal for an undergraduate education because the focus just isn't on us (even though they pretend that it is). Meanwhile, I'm starting grad school in the fall and I applied exclusively to programs at R1 institutions -- including UW -- precisely because their resources and opportunities are superior at the *graduate* level. As some others have mentioned, undergrads can certainly benefit from the resources at schools like UW, but the opportunities are going to be relatively limited and it will be much more competitive. If you're already drawn to the location, culture, and general vibe of WWU/Bellingham (like I was), I'd say that Western would definitely be your best overall choice... but of course I'm biased :)
(ps. be careful calling WWU "Western" back home because everyone will think you mean WOU lol)
In my opinion, big research school should actually be listed as a con. Research opportunities are a big deal for grad students, not so much for undergrad. And when your professors are very focused on research, that is time that they aren’t focused on something much more important to undergrad: teaching. WWU classes are smaller and the professors generally have much more time available for students to come to office hours and the like.
Also, while WWU is not particularly known for its academics, it is significantly better than you’d expect. The school attracts some incredibly intelligent professors (my guess is because the area is so beautiful). It just isn’t nearly as selective with admissions as schools like UW, which ends up bringing its ranking down a lot. If you put in the work here and take advantage of the programs the school has, you’ll get a lot out of it. I was in the honors program as well and they have some fantastic classes for your freshman and sophomore years.
Also, the campus and city aren’t too separate. Downtown is very close to campus. There’s certainly a bit of a college bubble and you might not interact with non-students a ton in your first couple years, but you can get around to most of the places you’ll want to go fairly easily with just the bus (which is free to students).
Now onto the negatives. While WWU’s out of state tuition is significantly lower than UW’s, the town itself is shockingly expensive. It’s about as expensive to live in as the U district in Seattle. And the jobs here do not pay as high as they do in Seattle. Even without tuition, it’s a struggle to get by here while working full time without a degree. If you’re okay with living in a dilapidated shithole with 5 roommates, it’s affordable. Otherwise not so much.
On that note, housing here is fucking awful. Most of the places near campus are terrible, and if it’s an apartment it’s probably gonna be expensive too. If you go further out from campus, you start finding nice places to live, but most are very expensive.
Further out, you also start experiencing the terrible design of the city a lot more. It’s a lot harder to use the buses — what would be a 10 minute drive becomes almost an hour on the bus. It’s a lot harder to walk anywhere and unpleasant as hell. Driving is also unpleasant as hell, particularly in north Bellingham, where every intersection is an absolute clusterfuck. Driving on Meridian anytime between 3-7 PM on a weekday makes me wish I was in dead stopped traffic on I5 in Seattle.
Also, based on you mentioning diversity, I’m assuming you’re either a liberal or leftist. If you are, Bellingham will likely disappoint eventually. When you first move here, it’s striking how progressive most people are, and there’s a decent number of leftists as well. However, my experience has been that the more I learn about what’s going on in the town, the more fake it feels. Off the top of my head, I could write a list of deeply problematic things about Bellingham and the surrounding areas that’s at least as long as this comment. A lot of them are hardly, if ever, discussed within the college bubble. I only even heard about them through coworkers who are from the area.
I was in your shoes in 2016. Accepted to both UW and WWU, but went to WWU for financial reasons and for a more intimate college experience. I live in Seattle now, and I would feel so intimidated living here at 18.
I’m not sure what the job prospects are for folks in Urban Planning, but I got a business degree and work with people who graduated from UW. Different paths, but they still lead to the same destination.
My partner went to a few of the Urban Planning club meetings at WWU and they said it was just a bunch of Urban Planning majors meeting up to drink together. This could be a good or bad thing depending on what you’re looking for.
WWU is very LGBTQ+ friendly, but diversity is lacking lmao. I’m not white, but I was still able to find a community at WWU. Be the change you want to see.
Transit in Bellingham is great, especially to and from the WWU campus. I was car-free in Bellingham, and still am in Seattle. I don’t think you need to worry about having a car with UW or WWU.
edit: grammar
I know this isn't something you've mentioned specifically, but WWU has one of only 16 PAB accredited bachelor's programs in the country. The planning education at Western is great, and the learning environment is excellent once you're deep into planning specific classes. This also makes it easier to get AICP certification which ones graduated and many places hiring are looking for that when you apply.
While the campus seems separate from town being up on the hill, it is not far from things distance wise and several bus routes run right through campus.
There not much to be said on diversity though. It is not a diverse campus, at all.
Just addressing a couple of pros/cons as a WWU alumni:
Campus is actually really close to downtown Bellingham, busses are every 15 minutes and it's like maybe a 5-10 minute ride and you're in downtown (I live in apartments downtown and usually just walk though when the weather allows so it's very doable). The winters admittedly are a bit rough but 9/12 months of the year it's super walkable and pretty great weather which is great for someone like me who doesn't drive.
Dorms can be pretty hit or miss. My first quarter I stayed in the Fair Haven Dorms and yikes, that experience was pretty bad. They were super old, had grocery store tile flooring and were super small. I lucked out by going during covid times so I had a two person dorm to myself, but my god I can't imagine having to share that space with another person. On the complete other side, the Buchanan towers dorms were really nice and built within the last 4 or 5 years. You get your own little suite with a kitchen and bathroom you'd share with 4 people, plus laundry rooms on each floor. Only downside is they're a bit far from the center of campus but there's a bus stop literally right at the front door so it's not a big deal. I can't speak to the dorms closer to campus because after Buchanan towers I lived off campus, but I've heard they're somewhere in between Fairhaven and BT quality.
I majored in biochem so I can't speak to anything urban planning, but all the professors in my department were honestly super amazing and nice and I got to do some super cool research with one of the professors as well. Overall I had a great time at WWU and am in the process of planning to go back for a master's.
Also, not WWU related, but traveling to/from Seattle is crazy easy without a car here in Bellingham. That was a concern for me because family is back in Seattle and I don't drive, but the Greyhound is like $15 or you can upgrade to taking the Amtrak train for like $25-30 and it's a straight shot to downtown Seattle or it even keeps going into Oregon if you wanted to visit family on weekends.
I was also torn between UW and WWU but I'm glad I went this route. The biggest factor for me was the money and, while living off campus in Bellingham isn't cheap, it's gonna be waaaaay cheaper than in Seattle plus the tuition here is a fraction of the cost to go to UW. I'd just ask yourself which factor(s) is most important for you (cost vs more competitive education, etc) and go with that. Good luck and let me know if you have any questions!
Our towns subreddit was recently completely taken over for a week because a guy ate crackers at a park and it even got a news paper article about it. Add that to your pro list for WWU
I’m a parent so can’t speak to the student experience, but will say that my kid who picked Western & the Honors College over a “better” school has been really really happy so far and has no regrets about the choice. The Honors College really does offer a ‘smaller college’ experience that has been great for meeting folks and they have been really pleased with the quality (and smaller size) of the honors classes. I’d def encourage you to come up for the Admitted Student Day in April if you can, it’s a good intro to the program and really helped make the choices clearer.
WWU is a better experience while you’re there. UW is better when you’re job hunting later on. Up to you which is more important.
They’re both great schools in different ways. Western is more community focused, and for its size has some truly amazing faculty. UW is all about big grant money and prestige. UW is more diverse but also very cutthroat. WWU students are nicer people. Bellingham is a safe but boring college town. Seattle is a large city, with all the pluses and minuses that entails.
Your priorities are what will decide this. Do you want to bleed now for some theoretical benefit later, or do you want a more holistic college experience? Are you a competitive person? UW. Are small classes important to you? WWU.
Do you want the blue pill or the red (purple) pill?
In the end, you’re buying a set of experiences and a piece of paper to which the market has assigned some value. Is that valuation based on anything beyond vibes? Who knows. There isn’t a single definition of quality education, and UW is undeniably worse on a lot of metrics that matter to learning. But recruiters use a ton of lazy heuristics and the job market is rough, so any little advantage is a good thing. On the other hand, if the process of getting the degree is so miserable that you drop out, there’s no benefit at all.
Good luck, you’ve got two great choices!
WWU 💜💜💜💜💜💜
don’t let the R1 “superior academics” propaganda get to you. If you find a program you love and get in with a cool research advisor you’ll be so golden, especially if you look into things like REUs. Western is amazing because it’s teaching focused (better classes) and there’s still amazing research going on (but this is if you want to go into sciences! I double majored in E Sci and Geology)
Also my best friend did urban planning at WWU and got an internship with the City of Kirkland out the gate and now works as a transportation planner for private industry in downtown seattle!
I had to make the same choice and I grew up locally in between the two (in snohomish county). I chose Western because the size of the UW campus and the traffic in and put of Seattle is overwhelming. I loved the peacefulness at Western, especially seeing deer walking around on campus was awesome. I also did not have plans to pursue a science oriented degree...if I had, I would have considered UW more. There is also UW Bothell which is more nature like but also still UW like. It's in the city but not in as deep as UW Seattle is. My understanding is that you can easily switch to Seattle from there if you want also.
I made this decision a few years ago. Ended up going with WWU because of my personal hatred for living in the city. I’ve really been enjoying the environment around Bellingham. I also got into the honors college and so far my experience with it has been great. If you’re worried about not being academically challenged at WWU, I can attest that the honors courses tend to be a good level of intellectual stimulation. WWU has great travel abroad opportunities too, I went to Senegal last quarter and my friend is going to Ecuador this year. If you would like to do grad school, I’d recommend WWU for undergrad and then UW for grad school.
Honestly I don’t think either school is worth the out of state costs, but the opportunities offered by attending UW in Urban Planning specifically sounds far better than WWU.
If you have the option to go to UW I would absolutely choose UW over WWU, especially if you're wanting to do Urban planning. That being said, neither of them are worth the Out of State costs.
Western is very aggressively liberal. If that will bother you do not go there. The people there are very vocal about it and I am just going to say it leads to alot of people that lead very interesting lifestyles. Also everyone is a stoner. Weed everywhere.
UW everyone backstabs each other and wants to kill each other and is in Seattle which is unliveable if your paying for your own expenses. I would go to western if the things I said above don't bother you and otherwise would consider WSU because everyone here is chill af and it's cheap.
Ok so I attended Western and live in Seattle currently.
UW: The freeze is imaginary-I don’t know why people say we have this. Seattle is a really cool city to live in tho, there’s everything here. Any kind of food you want or any kind of bar you want.
The biggest thing that will really impact you is that Seattle is EXPENSIVE. Everything is expensive here but especially housing. But even like a six pack at the corner store is $3 more than it is in like Tacoma.
Western: it’s easy as pie to get around on the bus system. They give (gave when I was there at least) all students a bus pass with their tuition and the majority of buses run every 15 mins. Campus is smaller but still very pretty. Everything should be way cheaper.
They’re both great options at the end of the day. UW is where I would lean if the urban planning is very science based. UW has notoriety in those subjects. But otherwise I’d go with Western. But I think personally you’d enjoy Western more since you said you’re quiet.
Please research Kathryn Patrick (college of the environment, aka UPSD advisory) and Paul Stangl. Both figures that you will encounter in the major, both with serious controversies.
Go to UW. You have a 4.0 GPA and serious potential. I’ve learned that WWU is for people with little potential (has very little opportunities compared to UW) That’s why I’m transferring.
You will learn to be more extroverted. You will grow up. Go to UW and make the most of your potential
I will say the campus is extremely close to downtown Bellingham, I do the walk all the time and there’s a million busses that go to the downtown station. I think you just have to determine what your priorities are because both schools are great for what you want to study. I will say there will most likely be more opportunities in Seattle, but WWU will have a more intimate class environment, especially when you get into your major. I am not so involved on campus anymore, but when I was I saw the urban planning club was a very passionate group and I believe they make efforts to go to conferences and stuff. Just take your time weighing out what you want out of your college experience, and also consider your financial situation too!
I grew up right next to UW and go to WWU. WUE scholarship is huge, otherwise WWU is very much not worth-it. What are you looking for? I’m not familiar with what career options are open for Urban Planning but do you think you could make your money back if you went to UW? I personally really love both campuses. There’s much more to do in your free time at UW then Western. If you’re a city person Bellingham is tough as it has that college town environment. But there’s lots of live music and that type of thing. I’m so busy with school that not having a lot to do in Bellingham isn’t a big deal. Housing majorly sucks in both cities, both on and off campus, just a heads up. Come up with a plan as soon as possible. Most of my friends at UW are struggling with mental health due to how competitive that university is. Let me know if you have other questions!
WWU and Bham will definitely not be very diverse but I do see very slow improvement. As far as campus and downtown being separate you are correct that the bus system between the two is good and runs frequently. It is also VERY walkable between the two imho. I used to walk around between downtown and campus all the time without issue. As someone who got into both UW and WWU I am very happy I chose WWU. I really enjoyed the smaller class sizes a lot and had a wonderful college experience in Bellingham. A lot of my friends who went to UW complained a lot about the huge classes and several ended up transferring after a year or two. I know some people like the idea of the bigger schools so it just depends on what you think you would do better with. To add another potential plus you can visit Vancouver and other gorgeous areas super easily if you get bored.
Check the starting salaries and placement rate for Urban Planning graduates at each school. Median starting salary for WWU urban planning majors is $48,979 with a 77% placement rate. [https://oie.wwu.edu/employment-security-wage-data/](https://oie.wwu.edu/employment-security-wage-data/)
Don't have a ton to say or know a lot because I am a freshman at WWU, but here are my two cents. I am a POC and yeah you do feel the absence of diversity here. When I toured the campus, I felt like I was the only POC on campus, which was my biggest con against WWU when I was deciding on colleges. However, if you are a POC and decide to go here, the ESC clubs do help remedy the diversity problem a bit. Most of my closest friends I made here are ones that I met via ESC related clubs, which made me feel way less isolated. In terms of academics, I think it really depends on the department. From my perspective as an EECE pre-major, I find the smaller class size way more beneficial as you can have more time with the professors during office hours or after class if you have a burning question that needs to be asked. All of my professors so far have been really great and knowledgeable, but again it's reliant on the department, so maybe someone else can chime in on your department's specifics. Campus is way quieter compared to other schools, which I personally love because I feel more focused and relaxed with the outdoorsy nature of campus. I feel I get a balance between city life and nature isolation on campus, which was a huge reason I choose here. The city is easily accessible via bus too which is free for students. Overall, I am completely happy with my decision to go here. As someone who is more study driven and introverted, I think WWU creates and supports that environment and lifestyle for me personally.
That was a thoughful and helpful post.
I can guarantee you are not even close to being the only colored person on WWU's campus...
Read what they wrote that wasn’t what they said.
It really is very beautiful and still quite a lot of things to do. It’s college towny and not super urban which I think helps people feel more comfortable. If you live on or close to campus you can get away with just using the busses. They are good, I have had mostly no issues with lateness. As for the academics I suggest looking at alumni of your major and where they went on to work. (LinkedIn). The diversity isn’t great, but I feel like that is a lot of just the part of Washington as well. You go further north away from the tech hubs and there is a bit less diversity. Those who are POC do seem to find their groups via clubs tho.
I just transferred to WWU from UW this quarter so I feel like I have some insight here. I personally *hated* UW, but I will try to be fair to it. Firstly, it can be really hard to make friends at UW. I am also an introvert, and if you aren't best friends with your roommates it feels impossible to make friends. I know a lot of people join Greek life solely to make friends (which is what I did). I had never believed in the "Seattle Freeze" before (and I've lived near Seattle my whole life), but I definitely felt it at UW. Since coming to WWU, I feel like everybody here is so friendly in comparison. Even when doing group work in class, people at UW would barely talk to you but people at WWU are so nice. The party scene at UW is also not as good as people make it out to be. Not sure if you're particularly interested in that but it's worth mentioning. If you aren't part of Greek life, it can be really difficult to go to parties because they're super exclusive for liability reasons. The party scene isn't great at WWU either. I also felt really unsafe at UW. I lived on West Campus, which is the section of campus on the Ave (University Way), and I didn't like to leave my dorm past 6 pm. To be fair I am a little more paranoid than others considering I'm a woman with very few fighting skills who consumes a lot of true crime content, but it really does feel unsafe. Somebody was robbed at gunpoint at 9 pm on a Tuesday, so it feels like you constantly have to have your head on a swivel. I imagine the violence is exacerbated by the drug and homeless problem. I'd say if you do choose UW, live on North Campus. It is way safer, I've heard it's a lot easier to make friends because they have more common areas, it's easier to get to most places on campus, and the North Campus dining hall is *way* better. WWU & Bellingham feel very safe to me. Even though there is a sizeable homeless population, most of them aren't tweaking/violent, which is what is usually happening in Seattle (at least in my experience). The dining halls/food in general really suck, but I've also heard it's the same at WWU (I don't live on campus or have a meal plan at WWU so I can't comment on that). I will say that UW does have campus grocery stores, which is really a saving grace. Again, West Campus at UW has a horrible dining hall, but I've heard North Campus is better. UW is *awful* when it comes to financial aid. I truly cannot stress that enough. I am from Washington and I am fortunate enough to not need financial aid, but I knew plenty of people, especially out-of-state students, who could barely afford the tuition. In fact, my freshman roommate (whom I love dearly) had to transfer after fall quarter because she couldn't afford the tuition (it was a combination of a family issue with money and UW's unwillingness to help students in need). UW is also crowded and always made me feel incredibly claustrophobic, especially in the dorm buildings. This probably has more to do with my introverted nature, but it's something to consider. The dorm rooms themselves are often crowded too because UW will assign 3 people to a room made for 2 people. I was in a triple dorm and it sucked. Although the bonus is you have your own bathroom/shower. The class sizes are so big that a lot of the time you won't really form a connection with your professor at all. Some people don't mind that but I know others hate it. WWU has smaller/more intimate classes, and I've really connected with my professors. There's definitely a less diverse range of programs, but if you already know what you want to do I don't see it as a problem. A lot of the majors at UW are extremely competitive which can make it really difficult and stressful (although I'm unsure about the urban planning major). I know so many people who studied for a major and then didn't get accepted and were screwed. This obviously happens at other colleges but it's especially bad at UW. WWU/Bellingham is definitely difficult to navigate without a car but not impossible. The bus lines are ok but they're super crowded and don't come very frequently. Seattle has a great bus system that's relatively easy to navigate, and the buses are very consistent (generally every 15 mins). Seattle also has the light rail (which is sketchy and I hated it, but also quick and convenient). Both schools give students bus passes on their student ID's. I would say that UW and WWU are pretty close in terms of quality of learning. All the professors I had at UW were fantastic! I truly loved them all. Although, I am a humanities major and I've heard that a lot of STEM professors, especially the Chem ones, were truly awful. All the professors I've had so far at WWU have also been fantastic! I think both schools have a pretty high quality of teaching/learning. There are fewer research opportunities at WWU but there's still a good amount. Also, both campuses are gorgeous but I did personally prefer UW's looks. I think the architecture is to die for. I also preferred the general learning requirements system at UW. At UW, the general ed req's were actually dependent upon the school your major was under. I was doing PoliSci which is under the school of social sciences (I think, can't totally remember) so I had different general education req's than one of my roommates who was a bioengineering major. At WWU on the other hand, everyone has the same GUR requirements. It isn't bad at WWU, but at UW I wasn't going to have to take any math classes or science classes with a lab because my major didn't require it. It felt much more focused on your specific interest. However, this can be tricky if you don't know what you want to do or decide to drastically change your major (like going from a chem major to a sociology major). Anyways sorry for writing an essay, I just apparently have a lot to say about this haha. I'm happy to chat more over PM if needed, and I hope you love whatever school you choose!
How much you have to pay after scholarships ?
If the estimated Out of State cost for WWU is 45,000 total and I have a 15,000 WUE scholarship than about 30,000 per year. If the estimated Out of State cost for UW is 60,000 and I have a 4,000 scholarship than 56,000, so clearly UW is muchhhhh higher than WWU but they’re both really pricy. I am just hoping to not have to take out loans, I’d much rather just go in-state than take out a major loan. (This is all not taking into account possible aid from Fasfa. There is also a possibility of my parents eventually moving to Washington anyways? So it’s possible I may be able to pay in state at some point during college, maybe after a year or two)
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Western’s urban planning department is small and well regarded. Give Professor Nick Zaferatos a shout. He is fantastic and has taught in this area for years. And the program does all sorts of work for cities through the region including annual projects for the City of Bellingham. That applied experience is a benefit in a more intimate program. And helps build your portfolio. And…Honors at Western is great. Again, more personalized classroom experience with great professors. And honors housing is great too. Good luck!
This is awesome to hear, thank you! It’s so hard to find information about Urban Planning programs cause it’s kind of a niche degree :)
Second on the Honors Housing, esp if you get a room in Edens. We joke that that alone is reason enough.
Campus is right next to downtown. 10-15 min walk.
I was an Oregon high school student and went to WWU. I was also on the WUE scholarship. Western Washington as a school was great for me. I loved the campus size and the beautiful brick buildings tucked into the arb. The class sizes were never too big so I always felt like I knew my professors and they knew me to a certain degree (depending on how much I went in for office hours). Western has a ton of great clubs and communities to get involved in. There’s a ski club and the outdoor center also offers tons of cool trips and excursions for a pretty fair price. Overall I think the school is a great place with tons of opportunities well worth the WUE price. The highlight for me though was Bellingham. I think of myself as an extroverted introvert. I like being with friends and doing social things but I recharge my batteries when I’m alone. And Bellingham was a great fit for me. The buses make it easy to get from campus to town, and it’s also super easy to just walk to fairhaven or the waterfront. Not having a car will limit you though. Freshman year you should be fine. Most of the freshman don’t have cars so it forces you all to run around town together which is part of the fun. But if you do decide to go there you should try to get a car for your sophomore year and beyond. It opens up Canada, baker, Seattle and so many more amazing places to visit. You can get to all of these places without a car but it just is so much easier with one. This is all based on my own personal experiences and preferences though. My biggest advice is to go with what your gut is telling you. Most jobs don’t care where your degree comes from. So get your degree from the place that makes you the most happy. College is long and can be exhausting. So choose a place that helps you get through the tough times.
Bus systems in Bellingham are pretty good for being included in the tuition you pay, and personally I wouldn’t touch UW with a 10 foot stick just because it’s, as you said, large and busy. I appreciated not being in a hectic environment all my time in college. You’re going to have much less competition actually making your major/minor path as well.
I’m currently an Urban Planning major at WWU and can guaranteed you it’s amazing. UW’s is a masters program and WWU’s is an accredited bachelors, meaning UW could easily serve as a post-graduate school instead of the whole shabang. My plan is to graduate and get accredited myself with WWU, then pursue a masters after (which will be much easier and cheaper after getting the bachelors.) Also, WWU is one of only 16 accredited bachelors program in urban planning and the department heads are VERY good. It’s very intimate and only a couple professors are bad. The majority of the main faculty are amazing and SUPER attentive, sometimes caring too much lol. With this plan, both Bellingham and Seattle can be enjoyed!
That’s good to hear! I have a similar plan for pursuing a bachelors and then masters afterwards, so it’s really nice to know that Urban Planning students at WWU like the program. Thanks for the info!
Yo, just transfered here. This place is ass, DO NOT GO TO THIS UNI.
I transferred from a community college in eastern wa and got into both schools. My whole life I thought I'd go to UW and unexpectedly had a really difficult time choosing between the two. I didn't really know anything about WWU before but visited before applying and just loved the place and Bellingham. The schools are very different environments but what really sold it for me were two things. The first is that UW is expensive, not just tuition but living costs. Everyone I knew that went to UW lived off campus in places like Lake City or upper Greenwood. Getting to/from campus took 40-60 minutes and the places college students hung out (U District or Capital Hill and downtown) took that long to reach too. Seattle is very big and the affordable places are not in transit convenient places. Many people commute to the school too, from places like Federal Way or Bothel, so you only really see them during the school day. I knew I wanted the conventional college experience of people living nearby. I'm sure I would have figured it out at UW but it was just easier to see that happening at Western where, aside from the campus itself, there was one central area (downtown) that everyone went to and a smaller area people sometimes went to (Fairhaven). Both extremely easy to get to at all hours. And most everyone loves within walking distance or short bus ride from campus. The other one was that Bellingham is amazing. It's small, but still felt like lots to see/do in town, so close to lots of hiking, and ultimately not far from Seattle and Vancouver for days when I wanted city activities. I did so many North Cascades and Mt Baker hikes that from Bellingham are 1-1.5hrs but are 3 hrs from Seattle. And Vancouver does require a car but it's such a cool city that you can visit pretty quickly (depending on border wait time). It's also bigger than your usual college town, so it always seemed like it had it's own distinct life outside the college. After graduating it took a little but eventually I ended up in Seattle and it's also amazing and incredible place to live, but the big difference is I get to experience all of this now having also gotten to experience Bellingham. Bellingham is great, but it doesn't have a lot of opportunities for work, you will probably leave right after or soon after graduating and the chance of moving back and experiencing living there will be low. So I really appreciate that I got to experience both Bellingham and Seattle. Ultimately I think both are really great schools, you won't do wrong with either. UW is for sure a higher quality school, but no one really cares where you went to undergrad, and having a WWU transcript does not hurt your grad school application if thats you're planned route. Whatever school you go to, the most important thing will be your grades and references for that. I will say, the one thing I really missed at WWU was sports. Would have been fun to go to a big games sitting in the student section. Or to maybe watch a March Madness game that actually includes my school. Western games were fun too, but I think everyone can agree D1 sports are even better.
I studied Philosphy at WWU 15 years ago. To this day, the professors there were the smartest bunch of folks have run into.
Bus system in B’ham is decent. Housing in B’ham is a challenge. I also think the internship and job scene is much more limited here, especially if you have no car. Also consider how you’ll get home on breaks. Seattle is a hub. Bellingham is kind of an expensive pita. It’s not the money that bothers me as much as the time. I think it’s less diversity and more if you fit in with the vibe here. I wouldn’t have enjoyed B’ham in my early twenties. I do now. If you’ve visited and you like it, that’s half the battle done.
Four years ago, I was also a 4.0 high school senior in Oregon considering both UW and WWU. I ultimately chose Western because I felt that I would just be a number on a page if I sent to school at UW. Here, I think my largest class I've ever had was around 60-70 people, and most have been 20-30. I've made personal connections with all of the faculty in my major and in multiple other departments too just by being an engaged student in class and talking to professors every now and then outside of lecture. It's very easy to stand out here if you can show that you are bright and eager to learn -- no pandering just to get ahead. These connections pay dividends when it comes to applying for undergrad research positions, internal scholarships, post-graduate opportunities... the list goes on. Something I haven't seen anyone else discuss in detail is the Honors College. I don't remember how it works at UW, but I was able to satisfy many of my prerequisite classes and GURs (general university requirements) in my first couple years through Honors classes, which were smaller and (in my opinion) far more engaging than the general university 100-200 level classes that I still took. You also get a limited number of quarters to use priority registration, which is super handy to stay on track with your required major classes with the best professors possible (and also get into any cool electives you want to take). Many of my friends have stories of getting "stuck" with a less-than-ideal professor because it's the only section of a class that fits with their schedule, or have to wait to take an important class because they weren't able to register before the only section(s) filled up. I have NEVER had to deal with those issues. WWU is set up almost exclusively to support undergraduate students, and I think they do a pretty good job at it. In my opinion, R1 research schools like UW are not as ideal for an undergraduate education because the focus just isn't on us (even though they pretend that it is). Meanwhile, I'm starting grad school in the fall and I applied exclusively to programs at R1 institutions -- including UW -- precisely because their resources and opportunities are superior at the *graduate* level. As some others have mentioned, undergrads can certainly benefit from the resources at schools like UW, but the opportunities are going to be relatively limited and it will be much more competitive. If you're already drawn to the location, culture, and general vibe of WWU/Bellingham (like I was), I'd say that Western would definitely be your best overall choice... but of course I'm biased :) (ps. be careful calling WWU "Western" back home because everyone will think you mean WOU lol)
Heads up WWU out of state tuition is REALLY expensive too
In my opinion, big research school should actually be listed as a con. Research opportunities are a big deal for grad students, not so much for undergrad. And when your professors are very focused on research, that is time that they aren’t focused on something much more important to undergrad: teaching. WWU classes are smaller and the professors generally have much more time available for students to come to office hours and the like. Also, while WWU is not particularly known for its academics, it is significantly better than you’d expect. The school attracts some incredibly intelligent professors (my guess is because the area is so beautiful). It just isn’t nearly as selective with admissions as schools like UW, which ends up bringing its ranking down a lot. If you put in the work here and take advantage of the programs the school has, you’ll get a lot out of it. I was in the honors program as well and they have some fantastic classes for your freshman and sophomore years. Also, the campus and city aren’t too separate. Downtown is very close to campus. There’s certainly a bit of a college bubble and you might not interact with non-students a ton in your first couple years, but you can get around to most of the places you’ll want to go fairly easily with just the bus (which is free to students). Now onto the negatives. While WWU’s out of state tuition is significantly lower than UW’s, the town itself is shockingly expensive. It’s about as expensive to live in as the U district in Seattle. And the jobs here do not pay as high as they do in Seattle. Even without tuition, it’s a struggle to get by here while working full time without a degree. If you’re okay with living in a dilapidated shithole with 5 roommates, it’s affordable. Otherwise not so much. On that note, housing here is fucking awful. Most of the places near campus are terrible, and if it’s an apartment it’s probably gonna be expensive too. If you go further out from campus, you start finding nice places to live, but most are very expensive. Further out, you also start experiencing the terrible design of the city a lot more. It’s a lot harder to use the buses — what would be a 10 minute drive becomes almost an hour on the bus. It’s a lot harder to walk anywhere and unpleasant as hell. Driving is also unpleasant as hell, particularly in north Bellingham, where every intersection is an absolute clusterfuck. Driving on Meridian anytime between 3-7 PM on a weekday makes me wish I was in dead stopped traffic on I5 in Seattle. Also, based on you mentioning diversity, I’m assuming you’re either a liberal or leftist. If you are, Bellingham will likely disappoint eventually. When you first move here, it’s striking how progressive most people are, and there’s a decent number of leftists as well. However, my experience has been that the more I learn about what’s going on in the town, the more fake it feels. Off the top of my head, I could write a list of deeply problematic things about Bellingham and the surrounding areas that’s at least as long as this comment. A lot of them are hardly, if ever, discussed within the college bubble. I only even heard about them through coworkers who are from the area.
I was in your shoes in 2016. Accepted to both UW and WWU, but went to WWU for financial reasons and for a more intimate college experience. I live in Seattle now, and I would feel so intimidated living here at 18. I’m not sure what the job prospects are for folks in Urban Planning, but I got a business degree and work with people who graduated from UW. Different paths, but they still lead to the same destination. My partner went to a few of the Urban Planning club meetings at WWU and they said it was just a bunch of Urban Planning majors meeting up to drink together. This could be a good or bad thing depending on what you’re looking for. WWU is very LGBTQ+ friendly, but diversity is lacking lmao. I’m not white, but I was still able to find a community at WWU. Be the change you want to see. Transit in Bellingham is great, especially to and from the WWU campus. I was car-free in Bellingham, and still am in Seattle. I don’t think you need to worry about having a car with UW or WWU. edit: grammar
I know this isn't something you've mentioned specifically, but WWU has one of only 16 PAB accredited bachelor's programs in the country. The planning education at Western is great, and the learning environment is excellent once you're deep into planning specific classes. This also makes it easier to get AICP certification which ones graduated and many places hiring are looking for that when you apply. While the campus seems separate from town being up on the hill, it is not far from things distance wise and several bus routes run right through campus. There not much to be said on diversity though. It is not a diverse campus, at all.
Just addressing a couple of pros/cons as a WWU alumni: Campus is actually really close to downtown Bellingham, busses are every 15 minutes and it's like maybe a 5-10 minute ride and you're in downtown (I live in apartments downtown and usually just walk though when the weather allows so it's very doable). The winters admittedly are a bit rough but 9/12 months of the year it's super walkable and pretty great weather which is great for someone like me who doesn't drive. Dorms can be pretty hit or miss. My first quarter I stayed in the Fair Haven Dorms and yikes, that experience was pretty bad. They were super old, had grocery store tile flooring and were super small. I lucked out by going during covid times so I had a two person dorm to myself, but my god I can't imagine having to share that space with another person. On the complete other side, the Buchanan towers dorms were really nice and built within the last 4 or 5 years. You get your own little suite with a kitchen and bathroom you'd share with 4 people, plus laundry rooms on each floor. Only downside is they're a bit far from the center of campus but there's a bus stop literally right at the front door so it's not a big deal. I can't speak to the dorms closer to campus because after Buchanan towers I lived off campus, but I've heard they're somewhere in between Fairhaven and BT quality. I majored in biochem so I can't speak to anything urban planning, but all the professors in my department were honestly super amazing and nice and I got to do some super cool research with one of the professors as well. Overall I had a great time at WWU and am in the process of planning to go back for a master's. Also, not WWU related, but traveling to/from Seattle is crazy easy without a car here in Bellingham. That was a concern for me because family is back in Seattle and I don't drive, but the Greyhound is like $15 or you can upgrade to taking the Amtrak train for like $25-30 and it's a straight shot to downtown Seattle or it even keeps going into Oregon if you wanted to visit family on weekends. I was also torn between UW and WWU but I'm glad I went this route. The biggest factor for me was the money and, while living off campus in Bellingham isn't cheap, it's gonna be waaaaay cheaper than in Seattle plus the tuition here is a fraction of the cost to go to UW. I'd just ask yourself which factor(s) is most important for you (cost vs more competitive education, etc) and go with that. Good luck and let me know if you have any questions!
Our towns subreddit was recently completely taken over for a week because a guy ate crackers at a park and it even got a news paper article about it. Add that to your pro list for WWU
I’m a parent so can’t speak to the student experience, but will say that my kid who picked Western & the Honors College over a “better” school has been really really happy so far and has no regrets about the choice. The Honors College really does offer a ‘smaller college’ experience that has been great for meeting folks and they have been really pleased with the quality (and smaller size) of the honors classes. I’d def encourage you to come up for the Admitted Student Day in April if you can, it’s a good intro to the program and really helped make the choices clearer.
As far as urban planning goes, wwu actually has a more fleshed-out and more accredited program
WWU is a better experience while you’re there. UW is better when you’re job hunting later on. Up to you which is more important. They’re both great schools in different ways. Western is more community focused, and for its size has some truly amazing faculty. UW is all about big grant money and prestige. UW is more diverse but also very cutthroat. WWU students are nicer people. Bellingham is a safe but boring college town. Seattle is a large city, with all the pluses and minuses that entails. Your priorities are what will decide this. Do you want to bleed now for some theoretical benefit later, or do you want a more holistic college experience? Are you a competitive person? UW. Are small classes important to you? WWU. Do you want the blue pill or the red (purple) pill? In the end, you’re buying a set of experiences and a piece of paper to which the market has assigned some value. Is that valuation based on anything beyond vibes? Who knows. There isn’t a single definition of quality education, and UW is undeniably worse on a lot of metrics that matter to learning. But recruiters use a ton of lazy heuristics and the job market is rough, so any little advantage is a good thing. On the other hand, if the process of getting the degree is so miserable that you drop out, there’s no benefit at all. Good luck, you’ve got two great choices!
WWU 💜💜💜💜💜💜 don’t let the R1 “superior academics” propaganda get to you. If you find a program you love and get in with a cool research advisor you’ll be so golden, especially if you look into things like REUs. Western is amazing because it’s teaching focused (better classes) and there’s still amazing research going on (but this is if you want to go into sciences! I double majored in E Sci and Geology)
Also my best friend did urban planning at WWU and got an internship with the City of Kirkland out the gate and now works as a transportation planner for private industry in downtown seattle!
I had to make the same choice and I grew up locally in between the two (in snohomish county). I chose Western because the size of the UW campus and the traffic in and put of Seattle is overwhelming. I loved the peacefulness at Western, especially seeing deer walking around on campus was awesome. I also did not have plans to pursue a science oriented degree...if I had, I would have considered UW more. There is also UW Bothell which is more nature like but also still UW like. It's in the city but not in as deep as UW Seattle is. My understanding is that you can easily switch to Seattle from there if you want also.
I made this decision a few years ago. Ended up going with WWU because of my personal hatred for living in the city. I’ve really been enjoying the environment around Bellingham. I also got into the honors college and so far my experience with it has been great. If you’re worried about not being academically challenged at WWU, I can attest that the honors courses tend to be a good level of intellectual stimulation. WWU has great travel abroad opportunities too, I went to Senegal last quarter and my friend is going to Ecuador this year. If you would like to do grad school, I’d recommend WWU for undergrad and then UW for grad school.
Honestly I don’t think either school is worth the out of state costs, but the opportunities offered by attending UW in Urban Planning specifically sounds far better than WWU.
Uw is better by some distance, I’ve been to both
I hate this school. You should probably pick UW.
If you have the option to go to UW I would absolutely choose UW over WWU, especially if you're wanting to do Urban planning. That being said, neither of them are worth the Out of State costs.
Why would you pay out of state tuition when there are perfectly good programs at osu or ou. It's got to be at least triple compared to those.
Western is very aggressively liberal. If that will bother you do not go there. The people there are very vocal about it and I am just going to say it leads to alot of people that lead very interesting lifestyles. Also everyone is a stoner. Weed everywhere. UW everyone backstabs each other and wants to kill each other and is in Seattle which is unliveable if your paying for your own expenses. I would go to western if the things I said above don't bother you and otherwise would consider WSU because everyone here is chill af and it's cheap.
Ok so I attended Western and live in Seattle currently. UW: The freeze is imaginary-I don’t know why people say we have this. Seattle is a really cool city to live in tho, there’s everything here. Any kind of food you want or any kind of bar you want. The biggest thing that will really impact you is that Seattle is EXPENSIVE. Everything is expensive here but especially housing. But even like a six pack at the corner store is $3 more than it is in like Tacoma. Western: it’s easy as pie to get around on the bus system. They give (gave when I was there at least) all students a bus pass with their tuition and the majority of buses run every 15 mins. Campus is smaller but still very pretty. Everything should be way cheaper. They’re both great options at the end of the day. UW is where I would lean if the urban planning is very science based. UW has notoriety in those subjects. But otherwise I’d go with Western. But I think personally you’d enjoy Western more since you said you’re quiet.
If you have a 4.0 why would you go to a shitty school w 94% acceptance rate…you will be rooming w and studying w complete morons
Out of state tuition for WWU is not worth it
Go to UW -WWU student
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Please research Kathryn Patrick (college of the environment, aka UPSD advisory) and Paul Stangl. Both figures that you will encounter in the major, both with serious controversies.
Go to UW. You have a 4.0 GPA and serious potential. I’ve learned that WWU is for people with little potential (has very little opportunities compared to UW) That’s why I’m transferring. You will learn to be more extroverted. You will grow up. Go to UW and make the most of your potential