University of Washington - Tacoma

What University of Washington - Tacoma does

University of Washington Tacoma is a public regional campus of the University of Washington system, established in 1990 and located at 1900 Commerce Street in Tacoma, Washington. The institution serves undergraduate and graduate students across seven academic schools: Education, Engineering & Technology, Interdisciplinary Arts & Sciences, Milgard School of Business, Nursing & Healthcare Leadership, Social Work & Criminal Justice, and Urban Studies. It also operates an Office of Undergraduate Education and a Professional Development Center for continuing-education learners.

The institution delivers instruction through on-campus programs at its Tacoma urban campus and through the Canvas learning management system for online and hybrid course delivery. An institutional research repository, Digital Commons (hosted by Elsevier), historically showcased scholarly output but is no longer accepting new submissions, with content migrating to UW ResearchWorks. Specialized mission-driven programs include the Office of Indigenous Engagement (with sub-programs syayəʔadiʔ Family Room, Cedar Circle, and an Indigenous Speaker Series) and the 80-hour Lushootseed Language Institute supporting Indigenous language revitalization for Coast Salish tribes.

UW Tacoma operates as a state public institution under the University of Washington Board of Regents and the UW Tacoma Chancellor, currently led by Dr. Mark Pagano. Revenue is generated through a mix of state appropriations, tuition, grants, and donations rather than disclosed commercial revenue. Pricing for prospective students is structured around non-refundable application fees ranging from $60 to $90 depending on applicant type (first-year, graduate, international, returning). The institution maintains a formal tribal sponsorship with the Puyallup Tribe of Indians and is preparing for compliance with the DOJ Title II ADA digital accessibility rule by April 24, 2026.

Name

University of Washington - Tacoma

Legal name

University of Washington Tacoma

Website

https://tacoma.uw.edu

Company type

Public

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

University of Washington Tacoma is a public regional campus of the University of Washington system, founded in 1990, serving undergraduate and graduate students in Tacoma, Washington, across seven academic schools. It is currently led by Chancellor Dr. Mark Pagano and maintains a formal tribal sponsorship with the Puyallup Tribe of Indians.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Tacoma

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

University of Washington Tacoma is a public university offering undergraduate and graduate degree programs across seven academic schools: Education; Engineering & Technology; Interdisciplinary Arts & Sciences; Milgard Business; Nursing & Healthcare Leadership; Social Work & Criminal Justice; and Urban Studies. Instruction is delivered through on-campus and online/hybrid modalities using Canvas LMS, with research outputs disseminated via a Digital Commons institutional repository, and supplemental offerings including the Lushootseed Language Institute, Office of Indigenous Engagement, and Professional Development Center.

Product overview

UW Tacoma is a public university offering undergraduate and graduate degree programs across multiple academic divisions. Its digital product portfolio includes the Digital Commons institutional research repository and the Canvas learning management system. The institution operates specialized programs including the Office of Indigenous Engagement (with Family Room, Cedar Circle, and Indigenous Speaker Series), the Lushootseed Language Institute for language revitalization, and a Professional Development Center. The university is organized into seven academic schools: School of Education, School of Engineering & Technology, School of Interdisciplinary Arts & Sciences, Milgard School of Business, School of Nursing & Healthcare Leadership, School of Social Work & Criminal Justice, and School of Urban Studies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Office of Indigenous Engagement: Dedicated office committed to increasing Indigenous student recruitment and retention, coordinating with local tribes to promote initiatives on campus.
• syayəʔadiʔ (Family Room)
• Cedar Circle
• Lushootseed Language Institute

Products and services

• School of Education Academic school at UW Tacoma offering education degree programs and teacher preparation, serving students preparing for careers in K-12 and postsecondary education in the Pacific Northwest.
• School of Engineering & Technology Academic school offering engineering and technology degree programs, providing applied and technical training for students pursuing STEM careers.
• School of Interdisciplinary Arts & Sciences Academic school offering interdisciplinary arts and sciences degree programs with flexible cross-disciplinary curricula for undergraduate and graduate students.
• Milgard School of Business Business school within UW Tacoma offering undergraduate and graduate business degree programs, including the MBA, for students pursuing business careers in the Pacific Northwest.
• School of Nursing & Healthcare Leadership Academic school focused on nursing and healthcare leadership education, preparing students for clinical and administrative roles in healthcare delivery.
• School of Social Work & Criminal Justice Academic school offering social work and criminal justice degree programs, including the MSW, for students entering public-service and justice-related careers.
• School of Urban Studies Academic school offering urban studies and related degree programs with applied community engagement and urban planning curricula.
• Lushootseed Language Institute An 80-hour language program designed for beginning to intermediate Lushootseed language learners, focused on language revitalization for the indigenous language of Coast Salish tribes in Western Washington.
• Office of Indigenous Engagement Campus office dedicated to Indigenous student recruitment and retention, coordinating with local tribes (notably the Puyallup Tribe) to promote initiatives supporting Native students, including the Family Room cultural space, the Cedar Circle student leadership team, and the Indigenous Speaker Series.
• Professional Development Center Continuing education and professional development programs providing non-degree courses and certifications for working professionals in the South Puget Sound region.
• Disability Resources for Students Student support service providing accommodations under Title II of the ADA and Section 508, ensuring accessible course content for students with disabilities in compliance with the U.S. DOJ digital accessibility rule effective April 24, 2026.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Puyallup Tribe of IndianscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial tribal sponsor of UW Tacoma. The Puyallup Tribe is recognized as the first Indigenous nation to formally take part in the FIFA World Cup, and UW Tacoma students are contributing to related initiatives. The campus exists on land of the Puyallup people, and the tribe supports the Lushootseed Language Institute for Indigenous language revitalization.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• The Evergreen State College: Public liberal arts college in Olympia, WA with an interdisciplinary, non-traditional instructional model. While differentiated in pedagogy, it competes with UW Tacoma for Washington-resident undergraduates and operates as a peer in the state's public higher-ed funding framework.
• Eastern Washington University: Public regional university in Cheney, WA offering applied undergraduate and graduate programs including business, engineering, and health sciences. Comparable in scale and mission to UW Tacoma as a non-flagship public institution serving a defined regional population.
• University of Puget Sound: Private liberal arts university in Tacoma's North End that competes with UW Tacoma for high-achieving local undergraduates and shares overlapping programs in business, education, and sciences. Its residential liberal-arts model and scholarship-funded positioning make it a differentiated but same-market rival.
• Western Washington University: Public regional university in Bellingham, WA serving the Pacific Northwest with applied and liberal arts programs. Operates as a comparable public regional institution within the state higher-ed system, sharing funding pools and competing for similar non-traditional and transfer students.
• Central Washington University: Public regional university in Ellensburg, WA with a portfolio weighted toward business, education, and applied professional programs — closely paralleling UW Tacoma's school structure. Operates university centers across the state that directly compete for place-bound learners in the Puget Sound region.
• Pacific Lutheran University: Private faith-based university located in Tacoma's Parkland neighborhood, directly competing with UW Tacoma for Pierce County undergraduates. Offers overlapping business, nursing, and education programs and has a longer-standing local brand and donor base, making it the most proximate private competitor in the same metro.
• Seattle University: Private Jesuit university in Seattle with professional and graduate programs in business, law, nursing, and engineering that overlap with UW Tacoma's academic schools. Competes for similar Puget Sound commuter and graduate student markets with a values-based positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Washington State University: Washington's other major public research university and the principal statewide peer to the UW system. Operates multiple campuses (Pullman, Vancouver, Tri-Cities, Everett, Spokane) with an applied, workforce-aligned portfolio that closely parallels UW Tacoma's regional-campus strategy, competing for the same state appropriations and non-traditional student pools.
• University of Washington (Seattle): Flagship campus and parent institution of UW Tacoma. Operates broadly across all academic disciplines with a far larger research portfolio and student body; UW Tacoma's degrees are granted under UW Seattle's authority and many programs mirror those offered at the flagship, making it the structural incumbent against which UW Tacoma's regional model is positioned.

Direct peers

• University of Washington Bothell: Sister regional campus of UW Tacoma within the University of Washington tri-campus system. Offers overlapping undergraduate and graduate programs in the Seattle metro region, shares the same Canvas LMS, admissions infrastructure, and parent governance, making it the most directly comparable institution in scale, mission, and operating model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/UWTacoma
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/university-of-washington-tacoma
• Facebookfacebook.com/uwtacoma

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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