You probably have a lot of questions about what happens next. For starters, if you are sure that Puget Sound is the place for you (and we hope it is!), you’ll need to reply to your offer letter and enroll by making a deposit via myPugetSound.
If you are still unsure or need more information, we encourage you to contact your admission counselor or our Student Financial Services office, or to read the frequently asked questions below. We look forward to welcoming you to the Logger family!
Once you make your $500 deposit, you can view financial information on myPugetSound under Student Finances. This is also where you can access your to-do list, the Bill + Payment system, upcoming events, your class schedule, campus information and resources, registration, and academic information.
A payment of $500 confirms your enrollment. This isn’t a fee; it’s a deposit that will count toward your fall semester tuition bill. Visit myPugetSound to make your payment.
For the fall semester, billing will post to the Bill + Payment system in early-mid July. Payment is due Aug. 15.
Spring Semester billing is viewable in early January, and payment is due Jan. 15.
Housing costs vary, depending on your campus residence and location. Check out the page below for a cost breakdown by semester for each type of housing, including meal plans.
Tuition and housing are billed at the same time every semester. Log in to myPugetSound to view more information about your specific costs. Remember, you can contact Student Financial Services with any questions.
Yes! We offer semester payment plans that spread your payments out over the five months of each academic semester. The first payment is due by the published payment deadline (Aug. 15 for fall and Jan. 15 for spring). There is an $80 participation fee for the payment plan. There is a late fee for late or missed payments, though, so it is important to follow your payment schedule. The plan does not roll over from semester to semester; plans must be established every semester that you wish to participate. If you anticipate a problem meeting a payment deadline, please contact Student Financial Services.
It depends on the scholarship you received and the terms and conditions of that scholarship. Most of the time, the scholarship check is mailed to the university on your behalf, but sometimes the money is released to you directly. In either case, report your scholarship to Student Financial Services by sending a copy of the notification letter or sending an email to the department.
Way to go! You don’t need to do anything at this time. Your scholarship will be applied automatically to your financial aid package. Be sure to review the terms and conditions for your scholarship.
Make your tuition and housing payments each semester through the Bill + Payment system, located in myPugetSound.
Yes! Once you’re logged in to myPugetSound, click on Bill + Payment to access the billing system. Then select Authorized Users on the right-hand column (under My Profile Setup), and click Add Authorized User. See the link below for step-by-step instructions with screenshots.
Info about the work-study program will be in your financial aid package, which you can view your financial aid award in your admission portal.
A student may make payments to their student account using their work-study earnings if they choose to do so, but there is not an automated payroll transfer to the student’s account.
Nope! Need help finding a job? Check out the page below for information about and support for finding on- and off-campus employment.
In order to remain eligible for federal, state, and university need-based financial aid, you must continue to demonstrate financial need by completing the FAFSA each year. The amount of need-based financial aid you are eligible to receive each year may vary depending on your level of financial need and/or other scholarship or grant assistance received. If you have more questions about the cost of a Puget Sound education and/or financial aid, visit our Cost & Aid FAQ page.
The dollar amount of scholarships granted on academic merit at the time of admission will remain the same throughout the duration of your study at Puget Sound (10 semesters of eligibility for first-year students; prorated for transfer students). These include Trustee and Founders scholarships, the Puget Sound Scholarship, and the Puget Sound Enrichment Grant.
Need-based grants, including the Federal Pell Grant, Federal SEOG Grant, and Puget Sound Grant, may change, depending on your FAFSA results each academic year.
Families with a unique or unforeseen circumstance should submit a Special Circumstance Request form to Student Financial Services each year that the circumstance exists. Examples of a special circumstances can include, but are not limited to, a loss of income due to retirement, job loss, employment change, or a one-time increase to income. Other circumstances that may be considered include private K-12 tuition payments for younger siblings, out of pocket tuition payments for a sibling in college, or medical expenses not covered by insurance.
Please contact Student Financial Services to speak with a Financial Aid Counselor who will work with you to determine whether your circumstance warrant a secondary review at sfs@pugetsound.edu
A family's demonstrated need is determined using the information provided on the FAFSA and on the Cost of Attendance at the college or colleges where you have been accepted.
The FAFSA determines the Student Aid Index (SAI). The SAI will be the same no matter what college you attend. The Cost of Attendance (COA) is unique to each college, and includes all the direct costs (tuition, fees, housing, and food) and indirect costs (books, supplies, transportation, and personal expenses).
COA minus SAI = "your demonstrated financial need"
Even though your financial aid offer may include awards not based on financial need, all of your awards count towards filling your demonstrated financial need.
Financial aid offers include gift aid (scholarships and grants that don't need to be paid back) and may also include loans (these have to be repaid once you leave school) and workstudy (you get paid for hours worked).
In some cases, students financial need is not fully met. Outside scholarships can help fill this need.
Puget Sound does not use the College Scholarship Service (CSS) profile to determine need-based aid.
Questions? Our Student Financial Services department is here to help.
Once the FAFSA is completed, student loans are awarded to students. Loans are offered to students; the student must Accept or Decline the loan. Loans at offered status will not show as a pending financial aid credit in the billing system until the loan has been Accepted. If a student is a first-time borrower, they must complete an online loan entrance counseling session and electronically sign a Master Promissory Note (MPN) at studentaid.gov before they can receive their loan funds.
If a student wants a loan reduced or to only borrow one semester, this must be done by Puget Sound SFS staff. The student should email sfs@pugetsound.edu
Steps to Accept or Decline Loans
For private loans, a student needs to choose a lender and apply for the private student loan with the lender of their choice.
The Federal Direct PLUS loan is a credit-based loan which allows parents to borrow up to the cost of attendance, less any other financial aid already awarded. Parents may apply for a Direct PLUS loan for any year that their student is enrolled at least half time as an undergraduate student.
The PLUS loan program can be a good tool for families looking to finance their student’s education over time, as opposed to paying for it in full each year of enrollment. Students whose parents are borrowing a Direct PLUS loan must complete the FAFSA before applying for the loan. The loan will be in the parent borrower’s name and added to the student’s financial aid award if the parent passes the loan application’s credit check.
A Direct PLUS loan maximum annual offer amount is the institutional cost of attendance (COA) minus the financial aid package that the student received.
For most students, outside scholarships will have little to no impact on the financial aid offered to them. In some circumstances, need-based financial aid may be subject to adjustment if a student receives a significant amount of outside scholarship funding. If an adjustment is necessary, we first reduce self-help aid (first loans, then work-study positions) prior to reducing any need-based grant aid. The larger the outside scholarship (i.e., greater than $8,500), the more likely grant assistance will need to be reduced.
If a family has Veterans Affairs benefits of any kind, they should submit a copy of their Certificate of Eligibility (COE) to Student Financial Services so that aid eligibility can be confirmed. Families can get a copy of their COE directly from the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Federal subsidized loans are guaranteed to be interest free until six (6) months after graduation or until six (6) months after a student is enrolled less than half time. Federal unsubsidized loans are like standard marketplace loans in that interest begins accruing as soon as you receive the loan.
The first bill for fall semester goes out in mid July, with a due date of Aug. 15 for payment arrangements.
Student Financial Services bills families twice a year, or once a semester. The second bill goes out in early January, with a due date of Jan. 15 for payment arrangements. Payment plan confirmations (dividing the semester bill into five monthly interest-free payments) must be made prior to the semester deadline. There is a semesterly fee of $80 to participate in a payment plan.
Getting to the bottom of total cost of attendance is tricky because it includes both direct and indirect costs. Direct costs are more obvious: tuition, student government fee, room, meals, etc. Indirect costs fluctuate depending on your classes, personal preferences, and needs, and include textbooks, supplies, transportation, personal expenses, etc. Visit the page below for tips on estimating your total cost of attendance.
A 529 college savings plan is a state-sponsored investment plan that enables you to save money for a beneficiary and pay for education expenses. You can withdraw funds tax-free to cover nearly any type of college expense. Many plans now have the ability to send funds electronically to Puget Sound! Be sure to check if your provider does as it will save time and deliver funds much faster than mailing a paper check.
Processing requirements vary widely among plan administrators so plan accordingly. Please note that Puget Sound is not able to return funds directly to a 529 plan in the event that an overpayment is made. It is the student/family responsibility to return funds to the plan directly.
EFT of 529 Plan Funds
Paper Check for 529 Plan Funds
GET stands for “Guaranteed Education Tuition.” The GET program is Washington's 529 prepaid college tuition plan that helps families save for future higher education expenses. The state of Washington guarantees that the value of the account will keep pace with the cost of in-state public college tuition, no matter how much it changes in the future.
GET account values are measured in "units," where 100 units equals the cost of one year of residential, undergraduate tuition and state-mandated fees at Washington’s highest-priced public university. When a student is ready to use their GET units, they will complete the Direct Payment Request Form on the GET website and the GET program will send funds directly to Student Financial Services using the instructions in the "What is a 529 plan? How does it work?" FAQ.
Members of the Student Financial Services team are here to help you as you explore options for paying your student account balance and covering indirect costs for books, supplies, and other expenses. The best approach is to contact our office so that we can connect you with the team member best situated to help you consider your unique circumstances.
If you have been offered Work-Study as a part of your financial aid offer, you must take action to accept or decline them in the myPugetSound portal. To accept the offered work-study, Log into your myPugetSound portal.
The terms and conditions for your scholarships and grants require that you be enrolled each semester as a full-time undergraduate student in at least three academic units. Puget Sound Scholarships and Grant disburse equally over Fall and Spring Semesters based on full-time enrollment.
Yes, your Puget Sound Scholarships and Grants are renewable for up to a maximum of ten semesters, provided you are maintaining Satisfactory Academic Progress.
Puget Sound Grants require submission of the FAFSA each year.
After successfully completing one academic year of study, students may take a formal leave of absence and retain their Puget Sound merit scholarship and Puget Sound grant when returning, as long as the student is meeting all other eligibility criteria.
Before you can register for on-campus housing, you must submit your $500 advanced tuition deposit and complete the acknowledgment of meningitis risk on your myPugetSound to-do list, then complete the online housing application. Your housing application will be available beginning April 1 through myPugetSound, once the university has received your advanced tuition deposit.
Housing assignments will be based on your responses to the housing preference form, available space, and your best match for roommates. Special considerations are made for medical or health-related needs, placement in academic/residential programs, placement in various themed-housing programs, lifestyle preferences, roommate requests, and availability.
First-year students are eligible for housing in Anderson/Langdon, Harrington, Regester, Schiff, Seward, and Todd/Phibbs halls. Transfer students are eligible for housing in Smith and Oppenheimer halls and, depending on class standing, Trimble and Thomas halls and campus houses.
To provide as many potential matches for each student as possible, all applications submitted before June 1 are processed with the same consideration given to each application. Students are randomly assigned to specific floors or room types (i.e., a quad, double, triple).
First-year residence halls include Anderson/Langdon, Harrington, and Schiff halls in North Quad, and Regester, Seward, and Todd/Phibbs halls in South Quad.
In your second year and beyond, you may live in standard residence halls, suite-style living, on-campus houses, themed houses, or Greek houses. Transfer students are eligible for housing in Smith and Oppenheimer halls or, depending on class standing, Trimble and Thomas halls and campus houses.
Themed communities at Puget Sound provide opportunities to create strong links between living and learning experiences. Students in each program have similar interests, backgrounds, and/or goals, and are encouraged to develop a living environment that relates to the program’s theme. Themes vary each year, and have included Trans and Nonbinary Inclusion, the Honors Residential Program, International District, Japanese House, The Muses House of Music, and many more.
Yes! As an incoming student, if you have met another (or multiple) incoming new student(s) that you would like to room with, you may indicate this preference on your housing application.
If you find someone you want to room with after you’ve submitted your housing application, email reslife@pugetsound.edu with the full names and Puget Sound IDs of all individuals. Be sure that all parties are included on the email and we’ll be sure to match you together!
The Office of Residence Life believes sharing a living space with another student is an important part of the college experience—and essential to the Puget Sound experience. All incoming first-year students should expect to be placed in a double, triple, or quad room. If you prefer a triple or quad (and have a friend group or potential roommates in mind), please email reslife@pugetsound.edu and include the full names and Puget Sound IDs of all potential roommates. Be sure that all parties are included on the email, and we'll do our best to match you together.
There's no one-size-fits all packing list, but here some extra things we recommend considering:
Puget Sound has a two-year residency requirement for all new incoming undergraduate students. As a residential liberal arts college, we believe there are many good reasons for this type of experience: It could enhance your learning in and out of the classroom, encourage success by helping you become part of a community of scholars, and help you discover and build friendships. Many students continue to live on campus through graduation, even when it is no longer required!
There are some exceptions to the two-year residency requirement, in which case you’ll need to submit an On-Campus Housing Agreement Appeal Form (see resource below). Circumstances for exceptions include:
On rare occasions, an exemption from the residency requirement or cancellation of a housing contract may be permitted outside of the above list of exceptions. Members of the Division of Student Affairs, Student Financial Services, and Student Accessibility and Accommodation will review housing appeals as appropriate based on financial hardship, documented personal medical or health-related need, or other demonstrated extenuating circumstances.
Financial hardship is defined as a situation in which a student’s financial circumstances are so severe that they jeopardize the student’s ability to enroll or continue enrollment at Puget Sound. Financial hardship is not simply a justification that off-campus housing arrangements could lessen living expenses. Financial hardship appeals require that a completed FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) be on file with Student Financial Services.
If you live on campus, your resident assistant (RA) or resident community coordinator (RCC) will check in on your living situation in October and collect roommate/suitemate/housemate agreements.
If at any point you are feeling frustrated with your living situation, the residence life staff is here to help! The first step is to name the conflict and talk to your roommate. If this seems difficult to do, your RA/RCC can help you strategize solution-focused ways to talk with your roommate. Your RA/RCC also can help you navigate the room-change process if that is deemed necessary. Keep in mind that moving doesn’t always solve the issue, but if the conflict cannot be resolved, the resident director (RD) might work with you to find a more compatible roommate and help with a room move.
Double room sizes vary depending on the hall, but will generally be about 200 square feet.
Most double rooms have wardrobes to hang clothes in that are roughly 4 feet wide. These also have two 4-foot-long drawers on the bottom.
As a default, the bed is set at approximately 36 inches off of the floor. This gives you a good amount of storage under your bed. If you want your bed lowered after move in, please request this with your Resident Assistant (RA) when you arrive to campus.
Single rooms in first-year halls are available to students with a medical or psychological need, and requests are approved by Student Accessibility and Accommodation (SAA) based on availability. Documentation is required with SAA for an approved housing adjustment. If you feel that you have a medical need for a single room, please use the link below to apply. Once SAA receives the form, a team member will reach out to you to discuss your needs.
Animals are not allowed in campus housing unless they are an approved emotional support animal (ESA) or service animal. One exception to this rule is a fish or two in a small container which but must be taken home or off campus during any long breaks (winter and summer breaks). Fish tanks are limited to 10 gallons or less. ESAs need to be approved through Student Accessibility and Accommodations (SAA). Please use the link below to apply.
It depends on how much stuff you bring! There is space to store clothes and other items in the wardrobe in your room. As a default, your bed is set to approximately 36 inches off of the floor to allow for storage underneath, and most students bring plastic stackable drawers or other storage containers to hold additional items.
When deciding how much to pack, please be aware that you must move completely out of your room for summer break. Storage is available but is limited to three boxes no larger than 18" x 18" x 24" (W x L x H), weighing no more than 70 pounds.
There are smaller shops close to campus, but if you’re looking for a larger store, such as Walmart or Target, they’re just two miles down the road. The Tacoma Mall is about three and a half miles from campus. If you don’t want to take Lyft or Uber, you can sign up for Zipcar and rent one of the Zipcars on campus, or take advantage of Pierce Transit buses.
Bathrooms in first-year residence halls are all generally multistall and shower spaces. In most cases, you should expect about three showers and stalls per bathroom. There are limited gender-neutral bathroom spaces on campus that are single-use/locking spaces. Check out floor plans via the link below to get specifics for each building.
There are laundry rooms in each hall. For more specific details, check out floor plans for each building via the link below.
Yes, mini fridges are allowed, but you must supply your own. Please note that mini fridges are not allowed in storage over the summer, so this (and whatever you might need to store) should be considered when deciding what to bring.
For the safety of our community, no appliances that have any sort of electric heating element are allowed, including toasters, toaster ovens, countertop stoves, or hotplates. A microwave is a safe and approved option, as is an electric kettle, rice cooker, blender, and coffee maker. Keep in mind that each residence hall has a kitchen with toasters, ovens, and plenty of space to prepare meals.
There are a number of dining options at Puget Sound:
Want to cook for yourself? Every residence hall has its own kitchen with toasters, ovens, and plenty of space for preparing meals.
With Dining Dollars! These designated funds included in your bill each semester are added to your Puget Sound account. Meal plans are required for students living in all residence halls on campus. There are several meal plan options to choose from, so everyone can choose the plan that fits their appetite and finances. Once you have selected your meal plan, you can just swipe your LoggerCard at campus eateries to pay for your meals. Of course, you may choose to pay with cash, debit, or credit, as well.
GET Food allows you to securely place an order for pickup and pay in advance with your LoggerCard, debit card, or credit card. You also can use the GET app to order food if you need to quarantine or isolate on campus due to COVID-19.
There is no curfew on campus. Your LoggerCard serves as your means of gaining entry into your residence hall at any hour. Just swipe it through your hall's card reader. If you come in late, please be considerate of others in your area and be quiet. Quiet hours in residence halls are:
Cars are allowed on campus, though they are not necessary, as there are many good options for dining and shopping within walking or biking distance from campus or accessible via public transportation.
Though parking is limited, it is a free service for students. If you wish to park any motorized vehicles, including scooters, in university parking facilities, remember to register your vehicle/s with Security Services.
On campus, our Counseling, Health, and Wellness Services (CHWS) staff will help you with physical and mental health-related needs, including allergy shots, prescription refills, physical exams, lab work, support for transitioning students, STI testing, birth control prescriptions, mental health support, emergency contraception, immunizations, and more.
Yes, students can connect with the Student Accessibility and Accommodation team. Our mission is to remove obstacles to a liberal arts education by providing support and accommodations to otherwise qualified students with both visible and invisible disabilities while they embark on their pursuit of knowledge. Reach out to learn more.
Check out the What I Wish I’d Known page below, written by parents of Puget Sound graduates but handy for everyone!
Classes for fall 2024 begin Sept. 3. Check out our academic calendar below for more important dates.
First-year students: You don’t have to worry about it! First, you’ll complete an Advising Placement Questionnaire over the summer, in which you will list the areas of study you are most interested in. Then our academic advising staff will create your schedule for you before you arrive for orientation. During orientation (we call it Passages, at Puget Sound), you will be able to change your schedule to your liking.
Transfer students: Once you’ve submitted your $500 deposit, you’ll hear directly from the Office of Academic Advising with more information about your first semester schedule and faculty advisor assignment.
We know the value of small classes. As of 2020, the average undergraduate class size at Puget Sound is 17. This, coupled with our low student-to-faculty ratio of 9:1, ensures that every student knows their professors—and that their professors know them!
No, you can wait until your sophomore year to declare your major. Take the time during your first year to explore many fields and disciplines; many Puget Sound students end up pursuing a double major because they discover interests they never realized they had!
Trust us, you don’t need to worry about this. For your first-semester schedule, academic advising will help set you up with the groundwork you need, and you’ll have opportunities at Passages (orientation) to tweak your schedule. Further down the line, you’ll continue to enjoy the perks of a small liberal arts college; though some specific classes are more competitive than others, you will not have any trouble getting the classes you need to graduate.
When you arrive on campus, we will have volunteers ready to help you move your belongings into your residence hall room. From there, you will check in for Passages, Puget Sound's new student orientation. You will have an opportunity to learn about the immersive experience you will participate in and receive your schedule for the rest of the week. Throughout the day, you will meet with your Passages group and participate in your first residence hall meeting.
When you get to campus, your first step is to check in with our Passages leaders. Passages is the name of Puget Sound's orientation for new students. The second step is to meet your resident assistant (RA) and get the key to your room so you can start moving in! You’ll meet with your Passages orientation leaders later in the day, and they’ll walk you through the rest of orientation. The Passages program is a weeklong experience, but move-in day is the busiest and most important!
You just need yourself and your belongings! Later in the week, you will need equipment for any Passages activities on your orientation itinerary. For example, certain optional backpacking and hiking trips might require specific gear, which is listed on the orientation website.
You will have a designated move-in time assigned to you. You can arrive any time before then if you like. A more detailed orientation schedule will be available in myPugetSound.
You will have a designated move-in time assigned to you, and you'll need to arrive by that time.
Yes! Your things may be shipped to campus before you arrive and will be stored, with approval.
An Express Bus leaves the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (Sea-Tac) approximately every 20 minutes, bound for the Tacoma Dome Station, which is not far from campus. The fare costs $3.75 each way, and you need to have exact change. Once at the Tacoma Dome Station, you can take a Pierce County Transit bus, Lyft, or Uber to campus.
Puget Sound offers more than 50 traditional and interdisciplinary areas of study, from African American studies to theatre arts to molecular and cellular biology. Explore our options for yourself. With our flexible curriculum, you can choose to pursue major/minor or double major combinations that allow you to really explore and enjoy your education.
Puget Sound offers more than 45 majors, all grounded in our liberal arts curriculum. Students may find themselves in the classroom, in the lab, and in the community all in the space of one day. Visit the link below to view the full array of our programs of study.
Absolutely! You can double major… or major and minor… or major and double minor… you get the idea!
Just keep in mind that two majors (or a major and a minor, etc.) aren't necessarily better than “just” a major. You’ll generally complete the same amount of credits, so it’s a question of how you want to spread the class time between one, two, or more subjects. Majors range from eight to 16 units, and you will complete a total of 32 units over the course of your time at Puget Sound. It's most important to consider what you like to study and how you want to spend your time on campus.
No! In fact, students officially enter Puget Sound “undecided.” About half of students declare a major by the end of their first year, and the rest typically declare by the end of their second year. Our flexible curriculum builds in space for exploring longstanding areas of interest and to discover new areas you hadn’t considered before. Take a deep breath and enjoy the ride.
We know the value of small classes. As of 2020, the average undergraduate class size at Puget Sound is 17. This, coupled with our low student-to-faculty ratio of 9:1, ensures that every student knows their professors—and that their professors know them!
You bet, we do. Our Business Leadership and Honors programs require an additional application at the time of general application, but it also may be possible for students to join those programs after arriving on campus. Chat with your advisor about special programs.
Certainly. Our faculty are happy to talk with you about your interests. Each program has its own landing page, on which you'll find contact information for program faculty. Feel free to reach out to them with any questions you may have.
Not at all. As soon as you are admitted to college (and certainly when you are in college!), the first question EVERYONE asks you is “What’s your major?” It’s an easy question with—often—a hard answer. We prepare students to be successful on campus and after graduation, and the beauty of our liberal arts education is that your major does not necessarily equal your job. Study what you like; follow your interests; take advantage of resources on campus. This is an exciting time full of opportunities.
Check out our academic calendar and share it with your family and friends so they know when you’ll be available and when you’ll be busy studying!
Incoming first-year students will complete an Advising Placement Questionnaire, which we then use to register students for full-time courses. Students and advisors meet during Passages, Puget Sound's weeklong orientation for new students, to review schedules and make changes if necessary. Short answer: Don’t worry! We’ll sign you up for this first semester, and you can tweak your schedule later.
The faculty member teaching the course is the first and best person to help if you're struggling with course content. They may refer you the Center for Writing and Learning or other academic support offices for additional assistance. Your advisor is also always available to talk about bigger-picture concerns that can disrupt your academics, such as a health or family situation that arises. Advisors also may refer you to other experts on campus for help navigating a successful semester. Puget Sound is a supportive community, so remember, you’re not alone on your educational journey.
Each student’s experience is distinct and useful, even if they take the same classes as some of their peers. Follow your interests and strengths, test your assumptions and weaknesses, and take advantage of all that the university has to offer! If you are in doubt of your path, our academic advising team is here to help.
Baseball, basketball, crew, cross-country, volleyball, golf, soccer, volleyball, swimming, tennis—and several more. Check out the link below to view all our Logger athletic teams.
Puget Sound is an NCAA Division III school that competes in the Northwest Conference.
Puget Sound’s campus includes baseball and softball fields, in addition to practice and competition fields for football, soccer, and lacrosse. Baker Stadium includes an eight-lane track and hosts Logger football and other team competitions. Additional facilities include the Tennis Pavilion, Athletics and Aquatic Center, a state-of-the-art Fitness Center, climbing wall, and more.
Complete a questionnaire for the sport you're interested in on the Logger athletics website, and leave the rest to us!
Yes! We have robust intramural and club sports teams, including rugby, ultimate, pickleball, and more.
That depends on which sport. Each coach has a different policy on open tryouts, which may change year to year. Contact coaches directly on our athletic page below for details.
At Puget Sound, we are committed to developing the scholar, as well as the athlete. As a result, varsity student-athletes at Puget Sound still have the same graduation and major/minor requirements as every other student. The whole campus community, including professors, is supportive of Puget Sound athletics and student-athletes. Professors and coaches work together to make sure varsity student-athletes are caught up on assignments and class material in the instance that the student-athlete has to miss a class because of a sporting event.
Our teams have captured 40 conference championships since joining the Northwest Conference (NWC) in 1999. On average, our teams win three conference titles a year and one conference title per season (fall, winter, and spring). Men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s cross-country, men’s and women’s soccer, men’s and women’s swimming, lacrosse, and volleyball have all made appearances in NCAA Division III National and West Region rankings in the last five years.
Since joining the NWC, Loggers have won two McIlroy-Lewis All-Sports trophies and have never finished lower than fourth in the standings out of nine schools. Puget Sound finished third in the 2013 McIlroy-Lewis All-Sports Competition. The women’s soccer team has won 12 NWC championships in a row, the longest streak in all of Division III soccer. Go, Loggers!
Where do we start? The first Friday of fall semester, we host LogJam!, a festival for the whole campus community to officially kick off the new academic year. LogJam! also offers a showcase for all student clubs and organizations to provide information and answer questions about what they do, so you can meet organization leaders and learn for yourself.
Transfer and continuing students (sophomores, juniors, and seniors) have the opportunity to join our Greek community in the fall, and first-year students can do the same in the spring.
Student Involvement and Programs partners with our student government, Associated Students of University of Puget Sound (ASUPS), to host a variety of programming throughout the semester, including late-night events on Thursday nights that range from Bob Ross painting clinics to learning how to knit. On weekends, Campus Films shows low-cost movies. Puget Sound Outdoors organizes low-cost outdoor excursions, such as day hikes, backpacking trips, rock climbing, snowshoeing, and more. Our indoor climbing wall on campus has free climbing hours, plus focused classes and women's/nonbinary nights. Not to mention the wide range of concerts, guest performances, club events, movie screenings, lectures, art shows, and more!
There’s a club for everything, from interests to identities to academics. Check out the list and see what speaks to you. And if you don't find what you're looking for, consider starting a club yourself!
Yes! ASUPS (Associated Students of University of Puget Sound) is the student body government at Puget Sound. The ASUPS exec team and senators advocate for student needs, meet regularly with various members of the university’s administration, and take part in various decision-making processes. The ASUPS budget supports programming, student media, clubs and club sports, and a host of services for the student body.
Lots! We have a university chaplain that helps students connect with any religion they are a part of or would like to participate in. If we do not have your spirituality represented on campus, then Rev. Dave Wright ’96 will help you to find it off campus.
Through Puget Sound Outdoors (PSO), student leaders helm weekend trips that’ll get you hiking, backpacking, biking, climbing, you name it! In the winter, there is a shuttle that takes students to the slopes, and you can even buy discounted lift tickets. PSO operates the Bike Shop and The Expeditionary, where you can get your bike serviced for free and find gear rentals for anything you need to start exploring the beautiful Pacific Northwest.
As of 2020, our student-to-faculty ratio is 9:1, meaning that for every nine Puget Sound students, there is one professor. This low student-to-faculty ratio helps enable us to keep our average class size low, too. Classes typically have about 17 student, so you’ll have more face time with your professors and more opportunities for office hours and mentoring.
For the latest news from campus, visit the Stories & Events tab on our website. You can browse chronologically, or search for keywords such as “science” or “theater.” For overall information pertaining to a department, visit each department landing page to learn about professors in your specific areas of interest.
One hundred percent of full-time faculty members have been published at least once, as have most incoming faculty members.
Ninety-four percent of our full-time faculty members have a “terminal” degree, which means that they’ve received the highest degree available in their field. Of the remaining full-time faculty, 5.5% have received master’s degrees, and 0.5% have a bachelor’s degree. One of the reasons our professors are passionate about education is because they’ve spent a lot of time in the education system.
One hundred percent of full-time faculty members are involved in research. This means you’ll be learning from educators who are experts and leaders in their fields.
Given that the job market is very competitive for full-time faculty jobs, we regularly get up to 350 PhD applicants for faculty positions, and we’re in a position of being able to select only people who have been recognized for their work. As a result, about 100% of Puget Sound faculty members have received an award at some point in time.
Yes! So far in 2021–22, we received a faculty startup grant from the Murdock Trust to support a new tenure-line position in biology. Faculty members have received research support from the American Physical Therapy Association, Campus Compact, the Mortenson Foundation, the National Board of Certified Counselors, and Western North American Naturalist.
We have 18 active federal research grants with combined awards totaling more than $3.5 million in grant funding: 14 from the National Science Foundation, two from the National Endowment for Humanities, one from National Institutes of Health, and one from NASA. Six of these are in the closing phase of their projects; two are just beginning. Indirect cost recovery from July 1, 2020, through June 30, 2021, was $144,390, and projected indirect cost recovery for this fiscal year (July 1, 2021–June 30, 2022) is projected to be $147,379.
We currently have eight major foundation grants ranging from $100,000 to $1 million (Arthur Vining Davis Foundations Center for Speech and Effective Advocacy, Luce Foundation Luce Initiative for Asian Studies and the Environment, Luce Foundation Clare Boothe Luce Scholars, Mellon Foundation Engaging High-Impact Experiences, Mellon Foundation COVID-19 Response, Mellon Foundation Freedom Education Project Puget Sound, Mellon Foundation NW5C, Murdock Trust Master of Public Health) and a total of $218,000 in Murdock grants to advance faculty research.
Glass artist Dale Chihuly ’63 is probably our most famous alumnus, but actress Darby Stanchfield ’93 from Netflix’s Locke and Key is also a Logger, as is NPR’s Rachel Martin ’96, Hon.'14 and UN Foundation Deputy Chief Executive Officer Elizabeth Cousens ’87, Hon.'87.
Puget Sound is a top Pacific Northwest university for salary potential, according to Payscale.com’s College Salary Report (2019). Puget Sound Business Journal also listed Puget Sound alumni as receiving some of the highest salaries after graduation for Washington universities (2017).
We set up pre-law students for success! Puget Sound offers pre-law advising to make sure you’re taking the courses that will promote critical thinking, reading, writing, and research skills. After Puget Sound, alumni have a 90% law school acceptance rate.
We set up pre-med students for success! Our health professions advising program will help you prepare for medical school with the necessary prerequisites, relevant volunteer and job experience for your resume, mock interviews, and more. After Puget Sound, alumni have an 80% medical school acceptance rate.
Experiential learning is all about applying what you’ve learned in the classroom in real-life scenarios. Basically, we want to make sure you graduate with real experience relevant to your field of study. You’ll get to choose the experiential learning opportunities that suit your interests and priorities.
Every student is guaranteed at least one Experiential Learning opportunity through our Experiential Learning Promise. You can choose from several areas of experiential learning. We offer more than 100 study abroad programs in 40 different countries. If you’d rather stay local, Puget Sound can also help connect you with an internship, a 10-week summer research opportunity culminating in a presentation, volunteering, or community-based learning.
Internships are incredible experiential learning opportunities that you can complete during the academic year or during summer breaks. Career advisors are here to support you throughout your internship search and application process. During appointments, career advisors consult each student about the best strategies for finding opportunities to intern in their field, at organizations of interest, or within specific geographical locations.
The Career and Employment Services team is here to support you at each stage of the process, from polishing resumes and cover letters to prepping for recruiting events like career fairs, from practicing networking to and connecting with established alumni and employers, from preparing for interviews to evaluating your offers, and more.
Every one of our students participate in some form of Experiential Learning while at Puget Sound. Around 60% participate in internships during their time at Puget Sound. Many students complete multiple internships.
In addition to the internship support that students will find through their academic areas working with individual faculty members, Experiential Learning Programs and Support at Puget Sound offers students guidance through the curriculum. We have designed courses that meet students where they are. Whether students are searching for and applying to their first internship or seeking guidance as they leverage the experiences they’ve already had to apply for a more competitive position, we have a course for them and we offer the opportunity to earn academic credit for internships.
Students at Puget Sound participate in a wide range of internships across various industries and organizations. Paid and unpaid, near and far, for academic credit and not, internships have played a vital role in supporting students as they take their next professional steps or launch into their careers. We’re proud to support our students as they take on internships with national organizations, such the U.S. Senate and NASA, or with local organizations, such as the city of Tacoma and the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project.
Just over 40% of all Puget Sound students engage in community service or volunteer work. Whether through Greek life, academic programs, student affairs, or other avenues on campus and off, Puget Sound students have the opportunity to engage in community service in a variety of ways.
Faculty and staff across a wide range of areas meet regularly and work collaboratively to intentionally create and cultivate meaningful and beneficial partnerships with our local community. Puget Sound has connections with more than 300 local nonprofits and organizations. Additionally, through our Civic Scholarship Engagement Initiative, students have the opportunity to apply for funding that makes it possible to engage in community service work over the summer that seeks to bring the community and university together in productive and supportive collaboration. This initiative aims to support students who would otherwise be unable to participate in unpaid community service or volunteerism.
It depends. In order to meet the guidelines for the requirement, community service experiences should involve at least 30 hours spread over several weeks. The best place to start when curious about whether an experience will fulfill the experiential learning graduation requirement is to check with the Office of Experiential Learning Programs.
We offer more than 100 study abroad programs in 40 different countries during the summer and academic year. We also offer a variety of faculty-led short-term study abroad programs each year. Students participating in spring, fall, and full academic year programs can apply all of their financial aid (except for work-study awards) to their study abroad programs.
About 45% of Puget Sound students participate in study abroad. We have more than 100 programs around the world. Students can study abroad in Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, the Middle East, Australia, and Oceania.
Around 90 to 100 students receive grants to conduct research projects each year as a part of the Summer Research Program at Puget Sound. Some students also work with faculty on independent research projects during the fall and spring semesters. Overall, more than 40% of our students work with a faculty member on a research project.
All current Puget Sound students are eligible to apply for a Puget Sound summer research grant to conduct a research, scholarship, or creative project. First-year students have applied for and received research grants to conduct research the summer after their first year, and some students engage in research during more than one summer. Additional research opportunities occur in select upper-division courses or by partnering with faculty members.
Approximately 1,000 students hold on-campus positions each year—that’s almost half of Puget Sound students who gain valuable work experience without having to leave campus! Some on-campus student staff members utilize a federal or state work-study award (a component of their financial aid package), but many positions are available for any student to apply, regardless of work-study eligibility.
There are a large variety of employment opportunities available, with career-related work available to students across nearly every department on campus. Opportunities range from functional support to program development and peer leadership. Students who work in campus employment are not only gaining valuable work experience and earning a paycheck, but also building their support system and network with supervisors who invest deeply in the learning and development of their student staff members.
Students employed on campus are regularly encouraged to reflect on their student employment experiences through the Compass Puget Sound program, a series of brief, structured, reflective conversations between student staff members and their supervisors. These conversations are designed to help students connect the skills and knowledge they gain at work with their classroom experiences, cocurricular activities, and career goals.
Students with a federal or state work-study award in their financial aid package will receive email correspondence from Career and Employment Services in the summer before their first semester (or winter, for students starting in the spring) with instructions on how to apply for on-campus work-study employment. Students who complete the application will be referred to interview for a best-fit role when they arrive on campus for Passages, Puget Sound's orientation program for new students.
Most students work an average of nine hours a week, and many decide to stay with the same department year-to-year (there are promotional opportunities in many departments). All students also have the opportunity to explore new employment opportunities year-to-year until they find the career-related meaningful work experience that is a fit for them.
Students who are not awarded work-study positions as part of their financial aid packages can view all open positions on the job board of Handshake, Puget Sound’s one-stop career development and employment resource.
Campus is located in Tacoma, Washington, which was named one of the 50 best college towns in the U.S. by Best College Reviews.
There are so many natural wonders on Tacoma’s doorstep!
Point Defiance is less than 15 minutes from campus and features a giant forest and park with hiking trails and water views. Dune Peninsula is a more urban waterfront/walking area; Titlow Beach has beautiful beach access; and Chambers Bay has golfing and miles of saltwater shoreline to walk along. Ruston Way and Point Ruston offer miles of pedestrian pathway and green spaces, plus fun shops and restaurants.
You’re also a ferry ride from the San Juan Islands, and the Cascade and Olympic mountains are close enough for day trips and backpacking. Check out Puget Sound Outdoors for guided trips!
Tacoma has many vibrant neighborhoods, each with a different flavor!
The Proctor District has cute shops, bowling, and a farmer’s market on the weekends. Browse locally made goods and art, trendy boutiques and consignment shops, family-owned restaurants, and the quirky Blue Mouse Theater, which shows classic and independent films.
Ruston Way connects Point Defiance to downtown Tacoma along the waterfront. Enjoy the beautiful drive or take to the paved pedestrian pathway! You can visit the boardwalk, eat at one of many fabulous seafood restaurants, sit in a park, or go to Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium.
6th Avenue is a haven for students with trendy vintage shops, record stores, affordable restaurants, and bars. The street is lined with excellent coffee shops for studying and getting together.
Tacoma has seven museums in its Museum District: the Tacoma Art Museum, the Museum of Glass, the Washington State History Museum, the LeMay American Car Museum, the Foss Waterway Seaport, the Children’s Museum of Tacoma, and the Chihuly Bridge of Glass.
For more about Tacoma from a student’s point of view, check out this interview with student Miguel, where he shares his favorite spots in Tacoma, aka the City of Destiny!
There is pretty good public transportation around campus and in Tacoma. A lot of people use the bus system, and students can even get a free bus pass through ASUPS (student body government), which also works on ferries. The bus can also take you up to Seattle!
There are many hotel options in Tacoma, including the Silver Cloud Inn, McMenamins Elks Temple, the Holiday Inn, and the historic Geiger Victorian.
Favorite Hotels in Tacoma | Move to Tacoma
There are also Airbnb options, including rooms in historic houses and entire apartments and homes. Do some exploring with the links below!
Tacoma has nicer and rougher parts, like any other city, but our students report feeling safe. If you are ever nervous, Puget Sound offers 24/7 services including security escorts to and from locations on and off campus. If you are uncomfortable taking public transportation at certain hours, take a Puget Sound Zipcar!
High-end, casual, family-friendly, waterfront... Tacoma’s got it! You’ll find Mexican, Cajun, Korean, Japanese, American, seafood, steakhouse, and many more types of cuisine. Check out these roundups for some popular recommendations.
Best Tacoma Restaurants | Eater Seattle Best restaurant openings of 2021 in Tacoma & Pierce County
There are activities for everyone in Tacoma. Of course, there are many bars and restaurants to check out, but there are also plenty of all-ages events, such as the Tacoma Night Market, which features local makers and their art, clothing, jewelry, and more. Watch an independent film at The Grand Cinema. Grab some friends and go bowling or mini golfing, or check out some of the many activities on campus!
Tacoma is one of the most racially diverse cities in Washington state: Nearly 40% of people living in Tacoma are Latino, African American, Asian and Pacific Islander, multiracial, or Native American.
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