Fact Sheet

WSU Vancouver students walking on campus with Mt. St. Helens in the background

Washington State University began offering courses in Southwest Washington in 1983 as part of the Southwest Washington Joint Center for Education. In 1989, the University formally established Washington State University Vancouver as a branch campus of the state’s land-grant institution. The Salmon Creek campus opened in 1996.

Mission

Key to WSU Vancouver's mission of teaching, research and service is providing access to a world-class education in partnership with the communities we serve.

  • Enrollment (Fall 2009): 2,984 Students; 2,319 FTE (full-time equivalent)
  • Female: 57%, Male: 43%
  • Students of color represent 13.8% of total enrollment
  • More than 130 fulltime, Ph.D. faculty
  • 15,600 area WSU alumni, nearly 8,000 of whom graduated from WSU Vancouver
  • More than 186,000 alumni worldwide

Location and Facilities

  • 351-acre campus
  • 10 miles north of the Columbia River
  • 12 buildings
  • More than 6 miles of bicycle and pedestrian trails
  • Landmark Firstenburg Family Fountain
  • Hillside amphitheatre
  • Art sculptures and galleries
  • 200-seat lecture hall
  • 14 computer labs
  • A comprehensive library
  • Fitness center
  • Outdoor sports court adn sports fields
  • Coffee bar and cafe

Non-resident Tuition Opportunity

The state of Washington's "Border Bill" is a program that allows Oregon residents who live in specified counties to attend WSU Vancouver part-time (8 credits or less per semester) and pay resident tuition rates.

Campus Resources

WSU Vancouver's library has more than 800 journals in hardcopy; over 9,000 fulltext online journals andA student browsing through books in the WSU Vancouver library newspapers; a more than 20,000 books; access to more than 100 major bibliographic databases; and knowledgeable research support. It also houses the Environmental Information Cooperative Library. Ten laboratories include student computer stations, fine arts, circuits and microprocessing, computer-aided drafting, group instruction, two teaching labs, two open student labs and a writing center. Twenty science and engineering labs foster campus research. The Videoconference Services allow WSU Vancouver to send and receive classes and meetings throughout the WSU system and at other locations.

Ten laboratories include student computer stations, fine arts, circuits and microprocessing, computer-aided drafting, group instruction, two teaching labs, two open student labs and a writing center. Videoconference Services allows WSU Vancouver to send and receive classes and meetings throughout the WSU system, as well as across the state at other locations.

Academic Programs

WSU Vancouver offers 16 Bachelor's degrees*, 10 Master's degrees+, 1 Doctorate degree# and more than 36 fields of study.

Co-Admission Program with Local Community Colleges

Clark College and Lower Columbia College students may start their studies at the community college and transfer to WSU Vancouver their junior year. They may be granted co-admission as early as the start of their freshman year if they meet all requirements.