Latin: Universitas Seattlensis | |
Former names
|
Seattle College (1898–1948) Immaculate Conception Parish School (1891–1898) |
---|---|
Motto in English
|
For the difference we make |
Type | Private, Nonprofit, Coeducational |
Established | 1891 |
Affiliation | Roman Catholic (Jesuit) |
Endowment | $210.6 million |
President | Stephen V. Sundborg |
Academic staff
|
653 |
Students | 7,755 |
Undergraduates | 4,631 |
Postgraduates | 3,124 |
Location |
Seattle, Washington, U.S. 47°37′N 122°19′W / 47.61°N 122.32°WCoordinates: 47°37′N 122°19′W / 47.61°N 122.32°W |
Campus | Urban – 50 acres (20 ha) |
Fight song | Ol' Seattle U |
Colors | Red and White |
Athletics | NCAA Division I – WAC |
Nickname | Redhawks |
Affiliations |
AJCU ACCU NAICU NWCCU |
Mascot | Rudy the Redhawk |
Website | www |
Seattle University (SU) is a Jesuit Catholic university in the northwestern United States, located in the First Hill neighborhood of Seattle, Washington.
SU is the largest independent university in the Northwest US, with over 7,500 students enrolled in undergraduate and graduate programs within eight schools, and is one of 28 member institutions of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities. In its "Best Colleges 2015" edition, U.S. News & World Report ranked Seattle University the 5th best Regional University in the West, a category for institutions that offer a full range of programs up to master's degree and some doctoral programs. In 2017 The Wall Street Journal ranked Seattle University the top private school in the Northwest and in the top 10 of private schools on the West Coast. Seattle University School of Law has the #1 legal writing program in the nation, a rank held for six consecutive years. In 2013, Bloomberg Businessweek ranked Seattle University #1 in the nation for macroeconomics.
In 1891, Adrian Sweere, S.J., took over a small parish near downtown Seattle at Broadway and Madison. At first, the school was named after the surrounding Immaculate Conception parish and did not offer higher education. In 1898, the school was named Seattle College after both the city and Chief Seattle, and it granted its first bachelor's degrees 11 years later. Initially, the school served as both a high school and college. From 1919 to 1931, the college moved to Interlaken Blvd, but in 1931 it returned to First Hill permanently. In 1931, Seattle College created a "night school" for women, though admitting women was highly controversial at the time.
In 1948, Seattle College changed its name to Seattle University, under Father Albert A. Lemieux, S.J. In 1993, the Seattle University School of Law was established through purchase of the Law School from the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, and the School of Law moved to the Seattle campus in 1999.