BOTHELL — Enrollment at University of Washington Bothell continues to grow, thanks in part to Henry M. Jackson High School.
It is the top feeder high school in the state for the branch campus just south of the Snohomish County line.
This fall, Jackson sent 89 graduates from the Class of 2016 to the Bothell campus, according to school records. That’s from a class of roughly 500 graduates.
UW Bothell has 820 new first-year students and 858 transfer students, according to fall enrollment statistics released by the university earlier this week. It is the college’s largest class to date. All told, there are 5,735 students attending the suburban university campus.
UW Bothell opened in 1990, initially only accepting upperclassmen. This is the 11th straight year of continuous growth since the university began accepting freshmen in 2006.
Besides Jackson, other top feeder high schools are Inglemoor, Bothell, Lynnwood and Shorewood.
The popularity of UW Bothell among Jackson graduates comes as no surprise to Marianne Allen. She has spent 17 years as a career counselor at Jackson, helping students explore options after high school.
She has 50 students signed up for a Dec. 9 field trip of the UW Bothell campus.
Allen said there are several reasons UW Bothell is the right option for Jackson graduates.
For many, they are either not ready to leave home or would like to save money by commuting. The university also has a strong Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics program.
“I have a lot of students who apply there for STEM,” she said.
Nearly a third of UW Bothell students have declared a major in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields.
UW Bothell also attracts interest from students wanting to pursue nursing careers. It also has a solid track record for internships among different majors, she said.
UW Bothell now offers 46 degrees, 21 minors and nine certificates.
International students make up 10 percent of the undergraduates and 15 percent of the university’s 622 graduate students.
Eric Stevick: 425-339-3446; stevick@heraldnet.com.
