Education is a family affair for Ayva Thomas. Her mother and grandmother are teachers who instilled in Thomas a love of learning.
When the time came for the Mill Creek resident to pursue her college dreams, she wanted a school that taught beyond the classroom. University of Washington Bothell was the clear winner.
“It’s great going to a school that values students, their passions and connects them with the larger community,” Thomas says. “They really step up the quality of education with small class sizes and affordability.”
Money magazine agrees. For this year’s “Best Colleges” rankings, UW Bothell was No. 1 in the state for best educational value. Of 736 schools nationally, UW Bothell earned the 36th spot besting big names such as University of Notre Dame and Georgetown University.
“It has a small, private-school feeling, but under the umbrella of the University of Washington and all of its available resources,” says Jeff Hanley, member of the UW Bothell Advisory Board.
The school celebrated its 25th anniversary this year. Since 2010, enrollment has increased around 63 percent to more than 5,000 students.
In the past seven years, 33 new majors were added, including undergraduate degrees in physics and education this year. In 2013, the UW Board of Regents approved founding the School of STEM — Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics — the first of its kind in the state. It brings together disciplines ranging from cybersecurity engineering to chemistry, biology, mathematics and more.
“UW Bothell is very flexible and creative,” Hanley says. “There is a lot of openness to listen to people from the community and businesses about suggestions they have relative to curriculum and types of student programs.”
Hanley brings 25 years of experience working at Boeing. He personally has bridged business and UW Bothell through longtime intern placement and recruiting efforts.
The school attracts a highly diverse student body. Approximately 28 percent are 26 years and older.
Around 41 percent of undergraduates are first-generation college students. Many are working professionals who can pursue a degree thanks to an extensive program of night classes.
“I paid my way through college. and part of my decision to attend UW Bothell was the flexibility so I could keep working while obtaining a degree,” says Thanh Dinh, 2006 graduate in business administration management and current procurement manager for Boeing Commercial Airplanes.
An estimated half of undergraduates complete their degrees with no debt — an increasing rarity in higher education.
It allows students to start planning their futures earlier and with more certainty.
“My mom has been able to pay my tuition from the profession of teaching (middle school),” Thomas says. “It takes the pressure and stress off not just me as a student, but the entire family.”
Commuting from home also defrays costs and Thomas contributes through tutoring at UW Bothell’s Writing and Communication Center. She is entering her junior year pursuing a Community Psychology degree and hopes to eventually earn a Ph.D.
Upward of 90 percent of students are from Washington and most stay in the Puget Sound region after graduation.
The average undergraduate class size is 30 students, which allows for more interaction and networking between peers and professors. There is an emphasis on translating textbook learning to real-world applications.
Thanh’s student experience included creating business plans for JetBlue and City of Kirkland, which students actually presented and received feedback.
“When I graduated, I was ready to enter the workplace with confidence,” Thanh says. “Many classes required us to work as teams, which was huge training for the real world. You can be a rock star as an individual contributor, but you also need to know how to collaborate.”
UW Bothell’s statistics are impressive, but it’s the intangibles that leave the biggest impression. The heart of the school’s mission remains a well-rounded education that benefits students beyond career goals.
“We are community focused and want students thinking about issues they face in their daily lives. The local is a building block for the global,” says Karam Dana, assistant professor of Middle East, Global and Policy Studies. “We teach life skills not just to function in the office setting or factory, but to think in a philosophical sense and interact with the world around you. We teach through a lens of empathy.”
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