Discover Antioch University Seattle

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Uniting Passion and Purpose

Antioch University- Stairs

At Antioch University’s Seattle campus, we offer programs to help you realize your career goals and gain a holistic understanding of how to create the change the world needs. Our programs are rooted in social, environmental, and economic justice to unite your passion with purpose. Come learn in an environment that encourages collaboration and exploration. The Seattle campus is located in the heart of Belltown in a modern, sustainable building that embodies our values of inclusion and self-guided education.

Explore the Seattle campus

Find Your Fit with Our Program Finder

Whether you want to achieve the goal of obtaining or completing your bachelor’s degree or expand your career with a master’s degree, explore all available online programs on our program finder and find the program that fits your goals and your life.

Explore the Program Finder

Academic Advising

We’re here to support you throughout your time at AU Seattle and beyond. You’ll be assigned an advisor committed to empowering you to complete your degree and succeed in your coursework. One of the hallmarks of Antioch University is how committed we are to individual attention for every single student. Contact admissions today.

Transfer Students

We are committed to reducing the cost and time it takes to earn your bachelor’s degree. We accept transfer credits up to the equivalent of three full-time years (80 semester units/120 quarter units and up to 135 quarter units if at least 15 credits are upper-division). Ask about transferring today.

Life-Work Experience Credit

You’ve worked hard for the experience you already have, so leverage it by asking AU Admissions advisors about life-work experience credit. In some cases, your technical training, military experience, or work experience can be applied to your education. We want to help you re-enter college and finish your degree as quickly, easily, and successfully as possible. Contact Admissions for more details today.

Narrative Assessment

Antioch University’s learning philosophy has always been based on individual evaluation and synthesis of what you’ve learned into demonstrated knowledge. At AU, we use narrative assessment, rather than letter grades, to provide a meaningful, actionable evaluation of what you’ve learned. Letter grade equivalencies for graduate school applications or employer tuition reimbursement are available upon request. Our “no tests, no grades” philosophy appeals to some and differs from tradition for others, but we believe it accommodates people with different learning styles and better prepares you for a career in professional settings where success is often measured by presentations and written communication. AUS coursework values demonstrated learning over test scores, further preparing you for a successful career ahead.

Tuition & Financial Aid

Financial Aid & Scholarships

Financing an education is a priority for every student, and we’re here to help. AUS financial aid advisors will guide you through options such as federal and state grants, federal loans, alternative loans, the Yellow Ribbon Program, and more. Learn more about types of financial aid here.

Race and Equity Center

Anti-Racism Value Statement

We recognize that confronting and combating racism is life-long work for all members of the Antioch University Seattle community. As a university community, we must be vigilant in our learning, listening, and action to advance change. We pledge to measure our progress as we act on our values of becoming an anti-racist, intersectional, and equitable culture on our campus where every member of the community, regardless of race, religion, gender, disability status, or socio-economic status, can thrive. This work belongs to everyone – University Provost, Campus C.E.O., Administration, Faculty, Staff, and Students (Antioch University Seattle, May 2022).

Learn more about our work.

Student Services

Antioch University’s student services are flexible and individualized. Explore our current student resources to get an idea of how we support students throughout their time at AUS and beyond.

  • Disability Support Services – To request assistance or learn more, your first step is to contact our Disability Support Services office. We work with you to assess reasonable accommodations to optimize your learning experience.
  • Antioch University Bookstore – Discounted pricing, fast shipping, and free shipping for orders of $50 or more.
  • Library Services – In addition to an on-campus library, AUS uses We Deliver to make library materials available to you from the largest library catalogs in the world. Electronic material is sent to your Antioch Gmail account, and books are mailed either directly to a location of your choice or held for pick up at the campus library — your choice. Learn more about library services.
  • Virtual Writing Center – Knowing how critical good writing is to your success at AUS, in the workplace, and in life in general, offer writing support services from start to finish. AU writing tutors are available to help you with academic writing to succeed in your coursework.

Is Antioch University accredited? Yes. Antioch University is a nonprofit, private institution accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.

Ready to take the next step? Let’s talk.

Not sure where to start or what program is the best choice for your goals? Connect with Admissions! Our advisors are happy to help you through the process. Call 206-268-4202 or send an email to [email protected].

History

Antioch University’s history began in 1852 when our first campus opened in Ohio, USA. Founder Horace Mann had a vision that a well-educated populace was essential to a strong democracy and that education should be accessible to all people. Since then, Antioch University’s programs have been built on a foundation of social, economic, and environmental justice. Get to know why Antioch University stands out as a leader in progressive education.

AUS cap hill campus

Antioch University’s Seattle campus got its start in true Antioch tradition as an experiment by Antioch College West, located in San Francisco, California. Inspired by the University Without Walls movement of the late ’60s, the Seattle campus was one of over 35 satellite Antioch College locations created to bring education to non-traditional students where they lived, which in Seattle’s case is the city.

The experiment to discover if a new location could succeed in Seattle began in the Fremont neighborhood, the Center of the Universe, in 1975 with 15 students, three programs, and a vision that slowly grew into the thriving community it is today. It was based on the belief real change in the broader community comes from a more profound understanding of how communities function and of the people who inhabit them.

We began our offerings with Bachelor’s Completion, Psychology, and Urban Studies. After two years of sustained growth, the Seattle campus was officially made a Regional Center on July 1, 1977. The following year we moved into a mansion on Capitol Hill to house our expanding curriculum and student body, which reached 231 that year. Our campus actively lives our 165-year-old values of social and environmental justice, and throughout our time, we contribute heavily to the Seattle community and beyond.

In 2002, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation awarded us a $3 million grant to create early college high schools for Native American students, and in 2004 we received a second grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for $6.1 million to create an additional ten early college high schools across the nation to serve Native American youth, total we started 13 schools all across the country.

Antioch University requires students to get involved with the Seattle community through volunteerism, internships, and various projects. Many students, however, go beyond our requirements and, with our support, start new projects that give back to Seattle, the country, and the world.

By 2005 our student body reached 1,339 and was the largest in the Seattle campus’ history, making it the biggest campus within the Antioch University system. We kept growing, and our experimental curriculum and inclusive values set us apart from our competition. We invited speakers like Ursula K. LeGuin and other authors of note to give workshops at our campus, which were open to the public, providing Seattle with new opportunities to connect with learned minds.

Besides community service, inclusion and forward-thinking are also in our DNA, and in July 2007, Dr. Cassandra Manuelito-Kerkvliet became the first Native American woman to ascend to the presidency of an accredited university outside the tribal college system. Seattle has welcomed our brand of radical thinking and community involvement, and Antioch University has embraced all that is Seattle.

An experiment that began 40 years ago in the Center of the Universe proved itself successful time and again. We’ve moved five times in 40 years, but always we’ve stayed accessible to our students. Today, we’ve relocated to a technologically advanced space embodying our values of sustainability, collaboration, and commitment to positive change. We’ve reaffirmed our original commitment to the Seattle community to stay where we’re needed most in the heart of the city. We’re here to stay. 

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