“A Free Methodist Christian university in Seattle's Queen Anne neighborhood, blending faith formation with Pacific Northwest career access.”
Seattle Pacific University is a private Christian university founded in 1891 by the Free Methodist Church of North America, situated in Seattle's historic Queen Anne neighborhood along the Fremont Canal and the Burke-Gilman Trail. With approximately 3,700 students across undergraduate and graduate programs, SPU offers a distinctive combination of rigorous academics, Christian faith integration, and extraordinary access to the Pacific Northwest's thriving technology, healthcare, and social enterprise ecosystem. The university's 53-acre urban campus gives students the intimacy of a community-focused Christian university alongside proximity to some of the world's most dynamic employers — Amazon, Microsoft, Boeing, and the Gates Foundation are all within reach of campus. Academically, SPU is organized around three colleges and a seminary: the College of Arts and Sciences (offering programs spanning the humanities, natural sciences, engineering, and pre-professional tracks); the School of Business and Economics; the School of Education; and the School of Theology. Nursing is consistently SPU's most popular and competitive undergraduate program, with strong clinical partnerships throughout the Seattle healthcare system. The university has developed notable strengths in engineering, computer science, and the health sciences — all fields with STEM-designated programs eligible for the 24-month OPT extension, giving international graduates a significant competitive advantage in one of America's premier technology employment markets. Campus life at SPU reflects its identity as a residential Christian community anchored in Seattle's urban energy. Five residence halls line the Fremont Canal, and more than 60 student organizations span academic, spiritual, service, and creative interests. The Falcons compete in NCAA Division II athletics in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference, with a particularly celebrated soccer program that has won five national championships. Seattle offers unmatched student recreation — hiking and skiing in the Cascades, kayaking on Puget Sound, and a world-class dining and music scene — all within reach of a campus that sends graduates into one of the highest-paying regional job markets in the United States.
Visa, OPT, H-1B alumni outcomes, and acceptance rates by country — sourced from FOIA, USCIS H-1B Hub, and DHS SEVIS.
National Universities
US News 2026
Test Optional — You can submit scores if they help your case, but they're not required.
Official SourceEarly Action
Non-binding; priority consideration for scholarships including Distinguished Scholar Award; earlier financial aid notification
Regular Decision
Standard deadline for fall enrollment; full scholarship consideration
The deep admissions playbook beyond the headline acceptance rate — round-by-round breakdowns, nationality data, requirements, and contact paths.
Tuition & Fees (All Students)
$43,452
/yr
Beyond the sticker price — every named scholarship, the financial aid policy, need-aware notes, and a personalized net-cost estimate.
How life on campus actually feels — clubs, sports, traditions, housing realities, and how the school integrates with its city.
SPU's core college offering programs across the natural sciences, engineering, humanities, social sciences, and pre-professional health pathways. Includes the engineering division offering electrical, mechanical, and computer engineering programs alongside a strong computer science program.
Offers undergraduate and graduate business programs with strong ties to Seattle's vibrant tech, retail, and social enterprise sectors. Amazon, Microsoft, REI, and Starbucks are among regional employers who actively recruit SPU business graduates.
Prepares K-12 teachers and educational leaders with a Christ-centered approach to human flourishing. Offers undergraduate teacher preparation and graduate programs in educational leadership, curriculum, and special education.
Home to SPU's most popular undergraduate program — nursing — along with exercise science and pre-health professional advising. Clinical partnerships span the major hospital systems of the Seattle metro area including Swedish Medical Group and UW Medicine affiliates.
4 years
SPU's flagship and most competitive program, with clinical placements in Seattle's nationally recognized hospital network. Nursing graduates enter one of the highest-paying regional healthcare markets in the country, with strong NCLEX outcomes and near-100% employment placement.
4 years
STEM-designated program in the heart of one of the world's premier tech markets. SPU CS graduates have direct access to Amazon, Microsoft, Google Seattle, and hundreds of Pacific Northwest tech firms. International graduates qualify for the 24-month STEM OPT extension.
4 years
Electrical, mechanical, and computer engineering tracks offered within a liberal arts and faith-integrated framework. Seattle's aerospace (Boeing) and tech manufacturing sectors provide strong internship and career pipelines for engineering graduates.
Where alumni go after graduation — top industries, grad-school continuation, and the qualitative outcomes story.
Sticker price (annual, out-of-state): $40,407
Net-cost estimate is US-resident-only — international applicants are typically excluded from need-based aid at most schools and should treat the sticker price as the planning baseline.
