Western Washington University

05/09/2025 | News release | Archived content

WWU ranked third nationally in number of graduates who go on to earn doctorates

WWU ranked third nationally in number of graduates who go on to earn doctorates 

May 9, 2025

WWU is ranked third in the U.S., second in the West, and atop the Pacific Northwest among master's-granting universities for the number of graduates who go on to earn doctoral degrees, according to the most recent Survey of Earned Doctorates.   

Western's approach to undergraduate research uniquely prepares students with hands-on experience, unmatched mentorship and an emphasis on collaboration. Western students work directly with professors to solve real-world problems - from climate change to healthcare to conservation.   

"Through these high-impact experiences, Western students are both inspired and rigorously prepared to succeed in graduate school," said Western Washington University's Dean of the Graduate School David Patrick. "The fact that so many Western students go on to earn doctorates is a testament to them, our approach to hands-on education at Western and the faculty that encourage and support them to pursue further education."  

In addition to being ranked third across all disciplines among master's-granting universities, Western's Chemistry Department ranked #1 nationally in the number of doctorates eventually earned by its undergraduate alumni.  

The Survey of Earned Doctorates is a national survey sponsored each year since 1957 by the federal government that gathers information about educational histories, funding sources and post-doctoral plans from approximately 50,000 new research doctorate graduates from U.S. universities.   

Western Washington University published this content on May 09, 2025, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on May 12, 2025 at 17:25 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at support@pubt.io