Seattle offers you the best of city life, natural beauty, and a laid-back accepting community.

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Seattle waterfront at night // Photo by Tiffany Von Arnim / CC BY

Benefits of Living Here

Seattle is a Hub for biotech and medical research

By studying in Seattle, you'll have unparalleled access to some of the world's top research, biotech and high-tech companies. Seattle is home to innovative global health work, cutting-edge biotech, revolutionary technology, and ground breaking research. Our department contributes to the UW research community through our research centers and faculty experts, and maintains partnerships in the region with many biotech and health research organizations including:

• Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center
• Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute
• Seattle Children's Hospital
• Veterans Affairs (VA)

Alumni from our program work at top companies including Amgen, NanoString Technologies, Seattle Genetics, ZymoGenetics, Amazon, Microsoft, Facebook, Expedia, Google, Tableau, and Zillow.  At the UW, you'll be in close proximity to some of the world's leading research organizations and have the opportunity to work many of them.

Access to travel

Seattle is an international city easily accessible from Asia, Europe, Latin America, and the East Coast. Once on campus, you're just a few hours away from ocean beaches, the San Juan Islands, Vancouver B.C., and Portland, Oregon.

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Public transportation

Seattle is a highly walkable city and has many public transportation options. The UW offers U-PASS, a discounted pass for public transportation which may be used on a regional network of public transportation systems including Link light rail, Metro city buses and trolleys, and regional Community Transit. Public bike, scooter and car-sharing services are also available throughout the region.

Weather

Seattle’s temperate climate means mild winters and pleasant summers. Despite its rainy reputation, Seattle is in the bottom half (#32) for precipitation among the nation's 50 largest cities. Most Seattleites don’t even use an umbrella (or snow shovels!). We get to enjoy easy year-round access to activities throughout the city and out in nature.

Food

With farmers markets in nearly every neighborhood—including the picturesque Pike Place Market—and a flourishing food scene with plenty of award winning restaurants and food trucks, it’s easy to indulge in local produce, some of the world’s best seafood international cuisine"> from every corner of the world.

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Recreation

There's something for everyone in Seattle. The city and outlying neighborhoods offer a wide variety of cultural and social activities. You’ll find hundreds of events, activities and festivals to choose from year round. We have amazing visual arts and galleries, music and nightlife, film festivals, and theatre and dance performances. You will also find community P-Patch gardens, professional and amateur sports teams, and many outdoor recreational activities. The University of Washington is situated between Lake Washington and Lake Union which are popular spots in the city for boating. You can also find trails like the Burke-Gilman and Interurban which are ideal for biking, running, or taking a walk. In your down time, if spending time in nature is your thing, you can take a ferry or drive to a number of beaches or state parks and find paths for sightseeing, camping, hiking or beachcombing. In the winter, skiing and snow sports are just a few hours away.

Enjoy city life surrounded by natural beauty

Seattle is a dynamic and culturally diverse city with abundant natural beauty. Situated on the shores of Puget Sound, you are surrounded by breathtaking views of the Cascade and Olympic Mountain ranges and Mount Rainier to the south. Seattle is an international city on the Pacific Rim, spread out with distinct neighborhoods to the north, south and east of downtown.