UW Tacoma’s Highlights of 2025
As 2025 comes to a close, the Tacoma Huskies community has much to reflect on and celebrate.
From the launch of cutting-edge labs and captivating museum exhibits to inspiring gatherings and transformative campus developments, this year was marked by milestones that reflect the spirit of UW Tacoma — a place rooted in purpose and powered by community.
Explore some of the moments that made UW Tacoma's 35th year truly unforgettable.
Building Momentum for the Future
This year, UW Tacoma celebrated a five-year high in enrollment — a student headcount of 5,059, reflecting 2% growth over the previous year. The campus also saw a record number of first-year admissions applications and significant interest in its graduate education programs, a signal that interest in UW Tacoma continues to rise.
As the university continues its upward trajectory, it has set bold plans for the future. This summer, UW Tacoma finalized a new master plan — a roadmap for expansion designed to support its long-term goal of growing enrollment to 10,000 students.
Early aspects of the master plan are already underway. In November, the university received the green light from the UW Board of Regents to advance its student housing and dining development project to the request-for-proposals stage. With a targeted opening in late 2029, the project includes plans for UW Tacoma’s first traditional dining hall and space for an additional 500 students to live on campus, increasing the number of residential students to approximately 15 percent of the overall student body.
Other notable additions to campus this year include a new SAP Lab in the Milgard School of Business, giving students hands-on experience with an enterprise software platform trusted by many of the world’s leading companies, and a Miyawaki microforest planted by students, faculty, and staff. The microforest will feature more than 600 trees, shrubs, and ground covers, offering shade, cleaner air, and a peaceful space to connect with nature in the heart of downtown Tacoma.
Bridging Campus and Community
In his early days as the UW's 34th president, Dr. Robert J. Jones headed south to visit UW Tacoma and introduce himself to the South Sound community. While on campus, President Jones shared his vision for the UW’s future and applauded UW Tacoma for its vital role in advancing the region.
Throughout the year, Tacoma Huskies championed their ties to the community and led initiatives that created a lasting impact.
In August, the university established the Strickland Fellowship for Career Pathways, named in honor of Congresswoman Marilyn Strickland's contributions to education and workforce development in Tacoma and the South Sound. Launched through a partnership with the City of Tacoma, Tacoma Public Utilities and Degrees of Change, the fellowship gives engineering students experience working on municipal projects in city departments, helping them prepare for meaningful careers close to home.
UW Tacoma faculty have received national attention for their expertise in critical areas, including Dr. Carolyn West’s research on intimate partner violence and sexual assault, and Dr. Eric Madfis’s work on violence prevention and threat assessment in schools.
Faculty also made meaningful contributions to Tacoma’s arts and culture scene. Dr. Danica Sterud Miller, an associate professor of American Indian Studies and a leader of the tri-campus Center for American Indian & Indigenous Studies (CAIIS), helped curate "This is Native Land," a new exhibition that opened this fall at the Washington State History Museum. Four years in the making, the project invites visitors to explore the region’s past and future through the lens of Indigenous sovereignty, identity and storytelling.
UW Tacoma also hosted several community celebrations that united students, alumni and friends alike in showing their Husky Pride. Highlights included Paint the Park Purple — the university’s annual night at the Tacoma Rainiers — and Husky Fest, a yearly block party that invites thousands to visit campus, explore academic programs and celebrate together in the heart of downtown.
Tacoma Huskies Shine Bright
Our students and alumni continue to be recognized for their leadership and impact — both in the classroom and beyond.
A mix of students studying biomedical sciences, accounting, social work and computer science make up this year’s UW Tacoma contribution to the Husky 100, a tri-campus recognition that celebrates those who strived to make the most of their Husky Experience. A total of nine UW Tacoma students were a part of this year’s cohort.
At the university’s 35th annual Commencement, nearly 1,800 degrees were awarded across all levels — including 1,393 bachelor’s degrees, 350 master’s degrees, 12 Educational Specialist degrees and three doctoral degrees. The Class of 2025 included the first graduates of the School of Education’s Bachelor of Arts in Education program and the first three participants in UW Tacoma’s Husky Post Prison Pathways program.
Other notable student honors include School of Social Welfare and Criminal Justice student Kailey Lawless receiving the Governor’s Student Civic Leadership Award from the Washington Campus Coalition for the Public Good, and UW Tacoma alumnus and former student body president Vincent Da receiving a prestigious Fulbright U.S. Student Program scholarship, which took him to the Philippines to study the migration of Filipino nurses to the United States healthcare workforce.
UW Tacoma Earns National Recognition
In 2025, UW Tacoma was recognized in several national lists for its commitment to student success and providing a strong return on investment for its graduates.
The university ranked No. 1 in Washington across three lists published in Washington Monthly’s 2025 College Guide and Rankings. The recognition underscores UW Tacoma’s commitment to expanding access to world-class education, delivering strong value for students and preparing them for successful careers.
- Best Bang for the Buck in the West — 19 (No.1 in Washington)
- Top Master’s Universities in the Nation — 19 (No.1 in Washington)
- Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars — 92 (No.1 in Washington)
For the third consecutive year, UW Tacoma retained its position as the top regional university in the Pacific Northwest for advancing the social mobility of its graduates, as measured in U.S. News & World Report’s annual list of top performers on social mobility.
In November, UW Tacoma climbed to its highest position ever in Military Times’ “Best for Vets” college rankings, the largest and most comprehensive list of schools for veterans and military service members.
The new rankings also recognize the campus as the best in Washington and the Pacific Northwest for supporting service members and their families — a reflection of a campus-wide effort to support the nearly 1 in 5 students at the university who are military-affiliated.
Looking Ahead to the New Year
As we turn the page on an extraordinary year, we’re grateful for every student, alumni, faculty member, staff colleague and community partner who helped make 2025 one to remember. Stay tuned as 2026 promises new stories, possibilities, and plenty of Tacoma Husky adventures ahead.
Visit UW Tacoma’s social media accounts to explore more highlights from throughout the year.