About the Whitman Education

The Whitman experience develops skills that prepare our students to succeed in a challenging work environment:

• analytical thinking
• the ability to solve problems
• the ability to communicate effectively
• strong research skills
• the ability to work independently or as a member of a team
• self-direction
• the motivation to succeed in a competitive environment

Some facts about the excellence of Whitman College and its students:

• The Princeton Review’s Best 331 Colleges rated Whitman’s faculty most accessible to students than any other faculty in the nation.
• Forty-four different majors are offered along with 35 additional minors .
• Whitman's 1,450 students come from 40 states and 25 countries. Our student-faculty ratio is 10-1 and average class size is 14.
• More than 100 students present their findings at the Whitman Undergraduate Conference-- the most successful one-college student research conference in the west.
• About 60% of each incoming first-year class graduated in the top 10% of their high school class.
• Each year, over 40% of the junior class participates in study abroad programs. Whitman is affiliated with over 30 program locations worldwide.
• All Whitman seniors complete comprehensive examinations, which include an oral and/or written test centered around their areas of study and/or senior research, artistic, or thesis projects.
• Whitman is one of the few colleges in the nation with a required comprehensive full-year core curriculum of "great books" for first-year students.
• Whitman values excellence in teaching, personal growth, and promotion of scholarship, character, and leadership.

Recognition and Points of Achievement

• Highest retention rate of any Northwestern college or university.
• Whitman College has the highest graduation rate of any Northwest college or university (recently about 86%) and among the top handful west of the Mississippi River.
• National leader in number of students garnering Thomas J. Watson Fellowships.  
• U.S. Collegiate Ski Association Alpine and Nordic Champions (1995, 1996, 1997, 1998 & 1999).
• Whitman College is the only Top Tier national liberal arts college in the Northwest and among the top four coed liberal arts colleges in the West.  (U.S. News and World Report, 2005)
• Ranked in the top 20 schools for the best overall academic quality, best quality of life, and within the top 10 among all colleges for happiest students.  (Princeton Review Guide to Best Colleges, 2004)
• Whitman College was the only school in the country to have both a Rhoades Scholar and a Truman Scholar. We have had 24 Fulbright scholars in the past 5 years.  Nearly 50 percent of Whitman students studied abroad during the 2004-2005 school year.

Whitman College Majors

Whitman offers departmental major study programs in the areas listed below. Departments also may provide an option for emphasis within the major:

Please visit this link for the most current list of Whitman college majors and minors: http://www.whitman.edu/admission/majors/

Whitman also offers combined programs in conjunction with several prestigious institutions throughout the United States:

3-2 programs in engineering with California Institute of Technology, Columbia University, Duke University; University of Washington, and Washington University;

a 3-2 program for students interested in international business in conjunction with Monterey Institute of International Studies leading to an MAIA or an MBA in international business;

3-2 programs in forestry and environmental management with Duke University, leading to a Master of Environmental Management or an MBA degree;

a 3-2 program in oceanography at University of Washington, leading to a Whitman B.A. and a U. of Washington B.S. in Oceanography;

a 4-1 combined program in elementary education with the Bank Street College of Education in New York City, culminating in a bachelor's degree from Whitman, a master's degree from Bank Street, and the requirements for teaching certification.

Whitman College Academic Calendar