Washington State University Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids
Washington State University

Former names	Agricultural College, Experiment Station and School of Science of the State of Washington (1890–1905) State College of Washington (1905–1959)
Type	Public land-grant research university
Established	March 28, 1890; 134 years ago (1890-03-28)
Endowment	$1.29 billion (2021)
President	Kirk Schulz
Academic staff	2,261
Students	28,581 – (Total) 20,286 – (Pullman) 1,616 – (Spokane) 1,937 – (Tri-Cities) 222 – (Everett) 3,546 – (Vancouver) 3,007 – (Global Campus/WSU Online)
Undergraduates	24,728 – (Total) 17,329 – (Pullman) 615 – (Spokane) 1,372 – (Tri-Cities) 2,823 – (Vancouver)
Postgraduates	4,269 – (Total)
Doctoral students	947 – (Total)
Location	Pullman , Washington , United States 46°44′N 117°10′W / 46.73°N 117.16°W / 46.73; -117.16
Campus	College Town, 1,742 acres (7.05 km²)
Newspaper	The Daily Evergreen
Colors	Crimson Gray
Nickname	Cougars
Sporting affiliations	NCAA Division I FBS – Pac-12
Mascot	Butch T. Cougar

Washington State University (Washington State, WSU, or Wazzu) is a public land-grant research university with its flagship, and oldest, campus in Pullman, Washington. Founded in 1890, WSU is also one of the oldest land-grant universities in the American West. With an undergraduate enrollment of 24,278 and a total enrollment of 28,581, it is the second largest institution for higher education in Washington state behind the University of Washington. It is classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research activity".

The WSU Pullman campus stands on a hill and is characterized by open spaces and a red brick and basalt material palette—materials originally found on site. The university sits within the rolling topography of the Palouse in rural eastern Washington and remains closely connected to the town and the region. The university also operates campuses across Washington at WSU Spokane, WSU Tri-Cities, and WSU Vancouver, all founded in 1989. In 2012, WSU launched an Internet-based Global Campus, which includes its online degree program, WSU Online. In 2015, WSU expanded to a sixth campus at WSU Everett. These campuses award primarily bachelor's and master's degrees. Freshmen and sophomores were first admitted to the Vancouver campus in 2006 and to the Tri-Cities campus in 2007.

WSU's athletic teams are called the Cougars and the school colors are crimson and gray. Six men's and nine women's varsity teams compete in NCAA Division I in the Pac-12 Conference. Both men's and women's indoor track teams compete in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation.

Notable alumni and faculty

Main page: List of Washington State University people

The University has 196,257 living alumni in fall 2015, according to WSU Quick Facts.

Among the 39 WSU alumni to receive the Regents' Distinguished Alumnus Award since 1962 are recipient of the 2004 Nobel Prize in Chemistry Irwin Rose, broadcaster Edward R. Murrow, journalist Ana Cabrera, Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, astronaut John M. Fabian, cartoonist Gary Larson, action movie star Dolph Lundgren, molecular evolutionist Allan Wilson, banking executive Phyllis J. Campbell, painter and pioneer of Abstract Expressionism Clyfford Still, Canadian Football League player and champion George Reed, Entrepreneur Clint Hedin, sociologist William Julius Wilson, author and film director Sherman Alexie, veterinary researcher John Gorham, wheat breeder Orville Vogel, physicist Philip Abelson and physician Neva Abelson.

1984 Olympic gold medalist in men's double sculls, Paul Enquist, started his rowing career at Washington State.

Medal of Honor recipients Colonel James P. Fleming and Staff Sergeant Ronald Shurer are both Washington State University alumni. Colonel Fleming entered the Air Force after receiving his commission through ROTC at Washington State in 1966. Staff Sergeant Shurer attended Washington State from 1997 to 2002 earning a bachelor's degree in business administration and starting an MBA before enlisting in the US Army.

Counterculture icon Timothy Leary received a graduate degree from Washington State in the mid-1940s.

Musician Krist Novoselic earned a BSc in social sciences from Washington State University Global Campus in 2016.

Edmund Schweitzer, founder of Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories (SEL), graduated with his Ph.D. from Washington State in 1977. He received the IEEE Medal in Power Engineering in 2012, and was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2019.