WWU Review

My alma mater. So many great memories that I relive each and every month when I pay my student loans.

Reviews are VERY HELPFUL!!!
3-4 NEGATIVE reviews for every 1 POSITIVE review. Seriously, almost ALL the positives were on how SCENIC views and how BEAUTIFUL it is there.... ..Really? Of course, it's beautiful, but that is NOT why we are paying thousands of $$$$ for!!!

Just another example of a failed, hateful, and intolerant left leaning institution. Please avoid at all costs.

I loved every minute of going to Western! An excellent faculty and beautiful campus with lots of ways to get involved. It's definitely somewhere that people from all backgrounds can feel welcome. It has excellent classes with incredibly supportive professors. The undergraduate classes are small enough that there is a lot of individual attention. I regret nothing about going here!

Anti-white racist institution of lower learning that only the scum of the earth would attend.

Came here for a tour of the University so I cannot pass judgement on the quality of Education however the school is located in a beautiful area.

Impressive Campus, I had the opportunity to visit it to follow up on an Engineering Project, magnificent Installations

This school felt the most homey to me. The trees and wildlife is awesome and beautiful. The people are nicer than at most universities out there. I like how they have a lot of healthy options available to eat. This is my third year there and I can't wait to go back. I like their philosophies on campus as well.

What a gorgeous campus for year-round! And I have seen it in all the seasons. Everytime I go there, it's captivating. The fresh breeze from Puget sound were rolling in on Friday afternoon on overcast day in May for peaceful walk around the north side of campus near Mathis, Eden and Nash halls.

I ve never been a student here but I was looking at the colleges in Whatcom county such as BTC, WCC and here and haven t found a college that has Carpentry classes. I read a lot of the reviews about greed, money, fees, etc; so many negative reviews but I may be saving myself money by not going here. The Top Rating colleges is where I thought would be the best place to go. BTC is cheap but doesn t have what I m looking for.

A reasonably good university with an attractive campus.

I'd say the quality level of instruction is better than most mid sized universities. The ratio of students actually trying to get an education vs just goofing off seems better than most too.

As far as price, as near as I can tell, it's about mid range. All colleges are getting way expensive. "Universities" more so.

I'd probably give it four stars... But it gets a bonus star due to the nature of a couple of the negative reviews:

The ones about WWU picking on the "white minority" etc... The student body is 73% white for one thing... (For the math impaired: That means not a minority)

RE: "Liberal" etc... Yep like 99% of colleges, from the University of Kansas to BYU: WWU has a rep as being "liberal".

I don't think those negative reviewers are going to be happy with any university north of the Mason-Dixon line or west of the Rockies, so unless they rate them all 1 star it's a bit unfair to WWU.

I suspect those folks haven't been within a hundred miles of the place.

Its a pretty great place! but i have 1 question.... when was the last time this was updated on google maps?

The campus is beautiful but that's all Western has going. The school is greedy and designed to milk money out of the students the most that they can. It's gotten to the point where you're forced to take over 100 credits of general university requirements in addition to the 100+ credits needed for your major. Only graduate students teach lower level math classes and all of the required English 101 classes. The registrars office is severely understaffed and stretched thin so sometimes paper transcripts are not even sent when requested. Students are charged ridiculous and unnecessary fees such as gym access even when they don't use it. Parking alone this year went up $100 compared to last year. So it's up to somewhere around $400 for a student annual permit that's not even guaranteed a spot because of the way the waitlist works.

The newer professors often times have no idea what they are doing and do not have actual teaching degrees, just degrees in their subject. So you can end up with someone who makes exams way harder than the actual content and who does lecture 100% based off of the textbook instead of explaining concepts in a way that students can understand.

Housing is a whole other issue. Dorms are usually small and have no air conditioning often with out dated heaters and such. They're overly pricey for what they are. In community style dorms once the soap dispenser runs out of soap in the middle of the week it will not be refilled until the beginning of the following week.

The cafeteria costs way too much for what it is.The food quality is horrible. Sometimes you can end up with wilted and mold spotted veggies and/or burnt and under-cooked meat. It only improves for a short time when guests are expected for things like campus tours. Dishes are often not clean and do not look sanitary.

Now, on to registration. You are not told how to register after your summer orientation. So you have to figure that out on your own and are expected to research what classes you need for your major. Priority goes on a credit and last name basis.

I do not recommend going to this school. They are overall greedy and only care about money, not the students and staff. The school is designed to make students fail several times or hold them back by not providing enough space in the required classes required for their majors. So degrees usually take well over 5 years to complete.

We visited here without any preconceived notions and were totally blown away. The setting is absolutely stunning, with public art throughout the campus. The grounds are beautifully maintained and they even have a rose garden without rival. We talked to dozens of students who report receiving a quality education at reasonable tuition and fees. Western is now atop our list.

Loved attending Western, learned a lot, and am happy to say that the career services department is very helpful. Called for help with job transition 6 years after graduating, and customer service is fantastic. Nothing but positive things to say about Western. Great school!

From my initial "confirmation fee" all the way to my final quarter, the biggest thing I learned at Western Washington University is that they are motivated by greed. I detest how WWU fancies themselves humanitarian and progressive, yet will screw over one of their own students in favor of convenience or more money. They often had grad students pose as professors for Math, which quite obviously stems from the universities attempt to save money. One of them was the worst the teacher I ever had. The education was overly experimental and didn't do anything more for me that youtube could. Despite being so money hungry, they fork out millions for a basketball gym. This inconveniences all students who have to pay for the building and squeeze past construction on the daily. But who benefits besides the universities image? Going to Western was literally the worst decision of my life, now that I see all this student debt.

A fabulous university and one of the leaders in graduate programs nation wide. You will fall in love with the campus but be proud of the education you receive. As an alumni, who went on to receive a doctorate, I am proud to be a WWU Viking.

I absolutely loved going to school here. There are so many amazing people at WWU and in Bellingham. I would go back if I could.

Beautiful campus with really nice students. It is a charming campus.

I wish my son jac a grandiose year here at Western Washington University.

I loved this school wish it was cheaper for me or i would have gone!

As a student who paid for western themselves i can truly appreciate the experience if you want to go to a college that tries to provide new outlooks and create a sense of community then western is a solid choice. Many of the professor and groups on campus really seem to care about you and it shows. Bellingham is also a beautiful place and has a community that shows much of westerns values. Now the institution of western is everything opposite they will fine you for outrageous reasons and provide such little levels of care it took 3 months for them to return an appeal and it was only returned because i went in to talk personally to the person in charge. If you can at all cost avoid housing/dining/parking they all exist solely to take money from students for no apparent reason other then they can.

Posting as the spouse of a former professor and myself as a former employee.

Parking on campus is a nightmare. If you re a guest, you have to prepay by the hour (which is currently $2 an hour, ridiculous!). One lot is so big that between walking from your car to the pay station, a pudgy parking enforcement officer could write a ticket before you get a chance to pay. I highly suggest taking the bus to campus. What I did was park near a blue line bus stop off campus (in areas where there is no parking enforcement) and ride the bus to campus. The catch is to find a spot early on before the street fills up with cars. Don t leave valuables in plain view in your car because someone will break into it, even during daylight hours. Or, walk to a bus stop near where you live. All of the routes meet at the downtown station and then you can transfer to a bus to campus.
Food on campus is expensive and gross. Bring your own food. During breaks, the campus is a ghost town. And yet, pudgy parking enforcement officers are still out on the hunt. The area surrounding campus is beautiful. You can see the bay from the viking union.
I like the fact that they send Western alerts by text and email. Sometimes the messages are ridiculous, such as the many cases of voyeurism. Campus police must have nothing better to do than look for a suspicious person masturbating outside someones window or in their own car.

The professors are great. The education is top notch. The curriculum is good. The campus is beautiful.

I've taken classes of various sorts from western almost all of my life. When I was a child, I attended science camps there. When I was a teenager, their SPAN program allowed me to take classes as a non-matriculated student. After returning from some time studying on the East Coast, I finished out my undergraduate degree here in the East Asian Studies Program. This program exposed me to both the history and chinese language department in depth and I will say that I was astounded at the depth and quality of our instruction after comparing it to other schools. Because Bellingham is so beautiful, many extremely talented teachers are drawn here despite it's relative anonymity. The school is a pastiche of bulidings from different eras, but many quite cool. The staff support is very high. And the food is shockingly good for a campus establishment. I am so grateful for WWU.

Nice campus and good for walks in the spring and winter!

It's amazing, highly educated individuals with PHD's promoting racism and hatred toward fellow man. You should all be arrested for racial hate crimes towards the white minority.

Note that I am a visitor, not a student, and my rating is based on my treatment by the staff.

I came up for a music festival my high schooler was participating in. Though a bit short, the security was very helpful in helping me find where to park (unlike 8 years ago when I was scouting for my own education! Get out of here, you can park here! But where can I... . NO! Get out of here NOW! Yeah. Didn t bother after that garbage).

They charge by the hour for parking, and if you discover you need more time than you originally paid for, you have to repay for the time you ve already paid for and then any extra you might need..

The internal staff were not very friendly or helpful. Ask for directions? Yeah, forget it. The exception was the food court staff, everything an employee should be if they want to encourage you to come back and the volunteer(?) at the fron desk.

Not very warm and inviting, and parking is a pain. Honestly I will be trying to steer my teens away when the time comes.

I don't go here but I love it because the chicks are super hot.

The school is literally copying the fake UW, but not quite enough to copy the education system yet.

The administration is incompetent, the quality of education is poor... There isn't much else to say. If you enjoy being taught someone's opinion and being constantly frustrated by the idiot run bureaucracy that is the administration, then this is the school for you. Don't even get me started on Western's social scene.

Edit: This place in unworthy of the title of school. I withdrew weeks ago and I am STILL in the process. These people are incompetent and still have the audacity to be rude to you when you are angry because of their incompetence.

This school is like a second home to us, multi-generational Viking family. Absolutely love it here. One of the most accepting atmospheres I've ever experienced (the racial nonsense in some previous reviews is complete BS) - happily recommend this school!

I studied abroad.
I belong to the tennis club but I am a good member

Parking services is ridiculously expensive , not friendly, and completely useless. Parking is not expensive in Bellingham.

Food is poor on campus and dorms are small and expensive.

The faculty and advisors have some real issues it would appear. Not a safe learning environment.

I worked at here for 25.5 years, having worked under President Jerry Flora who had an outstanding administrations often referred to the "six pack." Dr. Flora remained in Whatcom County until he was injured in an automobile accident 2 or 3 years ago. Such a great man. All of us who worked closely with him considered ourselves blessed to have had him in our lives. He was always interested in his staff and what was going on in their lives. We all knew that he cared. Bosses like him do not come along often.

Parking on the weekends is horrible thanks to parking enforcement. We were penalized for parking for less than 30 minutes for the purpose of getting our daughter from her dorm room and then leaving. After looking at the ticket, we noticed that within minutes of parking, they marked the tire and gave us a ticket. Never saw a sign for parking, need permit, don't need a permit. Had to pay 36 dollars. Then to make matters worse, I got another bill from them for a late fee. Geez when will it end. Have to remember this when I get a call asking for a donation.

This university has terrible facilities, terrible liberal professors, terrible staff, and conceited liberal students.

First, know that I had a completely typical experience there and there was no single instance making me go passive aggressive. This institution simply embodies the definition of hypocrisy and cares ONLY about their bottom line, and it's my job as a human to let you know. Now, a list. yay for lists!
-They fee you to death and stop being nice the minute you enroll. for example, they make you pay an extra $1000-$1250 bucks to take a course online.... HA! (I can't name the source, but I know that at a meeting, the president said that students "can be looked at as debit cards" in that the only thing you need to do to get money from them is request it.) It does no good to fight any matter of injustice there because if you don't cooperate, they don't let you register or will withhold your degree.
-When there was a "riot" at which no students were arrested, they actively searched for students to condemn and expel in the name of saving face instead of trying to help anyone.
-Degree and class designs are centered around maximum profit, not preparation for the real world. (This includes using class time (and even entire classes, at times) to sell students on majors they're not in.) The average graduation time there is over 5 years.. this is largely because they loooove making classes which aren't offered year-round pre-requisites, making you take less credits/qtr.
-The classes they say they'll accept from other institutions and the ones they actually do accept are entirely different things. If you get stuck here, go to the department heads who don't have as much to gain from you taking more classes than you must.
-Like most institutions, they continue to use textbooks despite their out-of-date nature and the department of education's stance that they should no longer be used as they are. The difference here is that western says "sustainability is at the heart of what we do here" and even charges student 5 cents per page to print under this "conviction."
-Many, MANY more things (namely everything). I could go on forever about the policies regarding parking, cafeteria, you name it. If you get involved here, you will pay. through. the. nose, and they are anything but upfront. Happy shopping!

(oh yeah, and if you're at the point of college consideration, know there are many online schools cropping up that use industry certifications as rather large portions of degree requirements. Conventional universities are on their way out so if you don't have ulterior motives for going there, just don't.)

This is on behalf of my son who is trying to finish up here. I agree with the reviewers who said the school ONLY cares about money. They are also very unclear about what courses are required, and totally rip you off if you transfer--even from an in-state school. I can't tell you how pissed off the entire experience has made me. In addition to that, the education is mediocre at best.

The campus is definitely the best thing about the school. It gets an F overall. Please don't send your children here or go here yourself!

Western Washington University is one of six public universities in the U.S. state of Washington. It is located in Bellingham, and is the northernmost university in the United States. Bellingham is a beautiful place. The professors are very helpful.

Did not attend. Yet visited the library several times. For history and communication (rhetoric) and quality fiction, the stacks portend a great library.

Though there is the sense this university exists to pay itself at student expense.

Why WA-state has a four tiered state university system, I dunno:
- U of W
- WSU
- Western, Central, and Eastern Washington Universities.
- The spate of community colleges state wide.

Despite what others are saying, WWU is a white-majority campus that promotes the acceptance of other cultures with open arms. Western supports of the Ethnic Student Counsel, a small student government body promoting cultural awareness and community support for Koreans, blacks, Japanese, Chinese, Filopinos, and more. As a Chinese-American, this support eased the transition of living within a white-majority community.

The teachers of WWU's business school are friendly and helpful. The curriculum is rigorous and the professors work constantly to align their lessons to the quickly evolving work environment.

WWU's students are warm, open-minded people that focus on interdependence and harmony instead of competition. Attending WWU will challenge your perspective of the world, intellectually and socially. I would recommend this school to anybody who wishes to develop their strengths and understand their place in this melting pot we called the United States of America

I attended WWU for 5 years and have nothing but good things to say. Great location in Bellingham to be a college kid! Professors are great, facilities are great as well. If you are considering a more affordable school and wanting to stay in the beautiful northwest, I highly recommend you take a look!

My alma matar and school of choice where I played collegiate golf at. The school is absolutely "beautiful"! The campus provides one of the top dormitory systems in the country that is conveniently located and in phenomenal shape. There are multiple cafeterias on campus for convenient food runs. The school is highly regarded for their business program, design, and teaching. The school is smaller than UW but provides a community of very nice people that support each other. If you are into the nightlife scene, you can frequent at the Nightlite for 80's music or the Royal which is a bit more on the hip-hop side. If you like the outdoors, you'll have to make trips to boulavard park as well as the whatcom lake for really cheap "$3" rentals on kayaks, canoes and other water rentals. Go exploring!

This University sucks as a student you are charged far too much for a low quality institution in terms of amenities. The teachers are great in most departments but this school seriously tries make a student broke. This school charges a More

As a graduate of Western, I cannot say enough about this place. The faculty is amazing and challenged me every step of the way intellectually. The campus is without equal -- and Bellingham is a great place to live! WWU is a real gem that is tucked away on a hillside that has gorgeous views of the Sound; it is, simply put, and amazing place to study and grow! My son is now attending Western -- and my daughter will soon. Parents, check this place out as a GREAT value and an outstanding education.

I have never been to a Chinese restaurant so over priced $22k and the parking was terrible.

Never a student, but have attended many events there. A cool campus with great views.

It can be a little confusing finding specific buildings, when in search of an event, which may be more the fault or responsibility of the event coordinator, than the University.

But the campus map are not as helpful as the should be either.

Have visited the library on several occasions, seems to have a very impressive collection of books and other holdings. Staff can be helpful, yet it is sometimes abundantly clear when you are dealing with a student employee rather than a seasoned, trained librarian.

Back in the day Western Washington University was a distant second to the University of Washington. Boy have things changed! I didn t know how this choice would work out, but I m very happy we made it for our daughter. The biology program is top-notch. It is way more competitive than it used to be, and a degree from Western Washington University says a lot to employers. I am certainly glad our daughter insisted Insisted on Western Washington University. We would recommend the school to anyone

Overall, I am pleased with WWU. My daughter has thrived there, but she was able to find her niche. My niece did not, & chose to earn her degree elsewhere after her first year. Right now, I am frustrated. My daughter works on campus as a student academic advisor during the summer. During the school year, she is the manager for Choral dept.
She had to be on campus over the summer, during student advising, so, living in her on campus apartment. Advising ended yesterday. She HAD to move out TODAY, however, she has to go back in FOUR DAYS to turn in her equipment because the 2 departments don't seem to talk to eachother. In TWO weeks, she has to be back to start her managerial job.
They would not grant early move in.
One would think an accredited university would be able to coordinate the logistics of move out & equipment turn in.
Also, having to move out for TWO WEEKS IS RIDICULOUS! To say I am frustrated is an understatement.

Western has been a great experience that, while being a smaller school, excels at its sense of community and focus on academics. The only downside is it may not have the best selection of programs for those looking into technical fields. However, I can say their Computer Science program has been awesome.

WWU has a real family feel to this small college town, just take a big step foreword and the world is yours if your willing to take it. WWU has that type of potential, the extinguished graduates from here can vouche. Plus, can't beat the low tuition price in WA.

Love this college. Atmosphere is excellent, academics rigorous, beautiful campus, friendly people, decent food, etc.

Incredibly racist institution that oppresses its students of color while trying to use concepts of 'diversity' to improve their own self image and power. The most racism I ever endured and the most silenced I ever felt in my life was in the Woodring College of Education. They use words like 'unprofessional' to label students of color who complain about racism. While at Western, I was told that if I spoke out about the racist comments I heard from my co-operating teacher, I would be expelled from Woodring. Well, I graduated, so I can't be expelled now. While the professors will preach tremendously about how they value 'diversity,' they only want people of color for their value in marketing.

This school has a great philosophy, and everyone here makes me feel so welcomed. As soon as I arrived here for the first time ever, the campus felt comfortable and homey. The food is fresh and deliciously farm-like. There's plenty of healthy options that taste amazing. Soft serve vending machines. The professors have plenty of time to help you out when you need help. Bellingham hills are beautiful in the sun, and there's plenty of trails to run on! The Rec Center is a great place to pump iron and rock climb. Biking around to downtown Bellingham is easy, where you can take a bus to the Bellis Fair Mall. The students are very strong-willed and we all have our own cause to fight for. Try this school our, become involved, and you won't regret it.

First off, the education quality here is extremely poor. I've had several professors who just copy and paste text from books and journals into slides and lecture as if they wrote it. (plagiarism!?) Many of the professors contribute very little to the course, making it pointless to attend class. Online classes would be ideal if they didn't cost $500 extra per credit. Many of the professors are also very condescending, and make for a hostile learning environment. Most of the classrooms are over crowded due to the greed of the school taking in more students than it can facilitate. Their solution to more students is having a large number of classes being taught by undergraduate students. I had previously been under the impression that paying for a university education means getting taught by a PROFESSOR, not a fellow student. The fees and rates for just about everything keep on going up. Overall, it's been a very disappointing education experience.

Best years of my life! I love how the VU overlooks Bellingham Bay.