Seattle Pacific University is a place where more than 3,300 undergraduate and graduate students gain a superb education grounded on the gospel of Jesus Christ — while gaining the tools to influence the world for good. Outstanding scholarship and thoughtful faith is a powerful combination that brings about change in the lives of graduates, and in the people and communities they go on to serve.
The only private university in the Pacific Northwest to make the 2019 U.S. News & World Report’s Best National Universities List, Seattle Pacific was founded in 1891 by Free Methodist pioneers who valued a non-sectarian approach to education that welcomed all those seeking scholarly excellence rooted in the Christian gospel. They also sought to take the gospel into the world in order to bring about the flourishing of God’s children.
Today, that tradition continues in a clear line from our founders. It is in our “DNA,” so to speak, the desire to engage the culture and change the world with the gospel of Jesus Christ.
University Vision
Engaging the culture, changing the world.
Mission and Core Themes
We have adopted three Core Themes to guide us as we engage the culture and help to bring about positive change in the world.
- Academic Excellence and Relevance
- Transformative and Holistic Student Experience
- Vital Christian Identity and Purpose
Seattle and the Pacific Northwest
Located in a quiet north Queen Anne residential neighborhood, Seattle Pacific University’s 43-acre campus borders the Lake Washington Ship Canal and boasts majestic trees, open lawns, beautiful gardens, and views of the Cascade mountains.
Just minutes from downtown Seattle, SPU benefits from a close proximity to this major trade center, popular tourist destination, and gateway to Canada and the Pacific Rim. The University capitalizes on its setting by using the city itself as an urban classroom. Combining classroom education with practical experience is often the best way to master a discipline. Seattle’s urban opportunities offer students that critical link. Many SPU students have internships for businesses and organizations such as Microsoft, Boeing, Fred Hutchinson, the Mariners, KING TV, the Empty Space Theatre, the Seattle Opera, The Children’s Project, and others.
The city is surrounded by water and mountains. Bridges, ferry boats, and snow-capped peaks are a part of everyday life. Because of those natural assets, the Pacific Northwest offers unparalleled recreational opportunities: hiking, skiing, boating, fishing, and scuba diving, to name a few.
At SPU’s two island campuses, the beauty of the Pacific Northwest provides rest and research possibilities. At seaside Camp Casey on Whidbey Island, retreats and workshops are conducted in the rustic setting of a former military fort. On a 965-acre environmental preserve on Blakely Island, students study life above and below the sea.