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College · Catholic life on campus

Western Washington University

  • LocationBellingham, WA
  • Type and sizePublic · 4-year · 14,651 students
Official website

Western Washington University is not a Catholic college. This rating measures Catholic life on campus: campus ministry, priests, Mass and confession, student groups, and nearby parishes.

The Archdiocese of Seattle lists the Newman Catholic Campus Ministry for Western Washington University at 714A North Garden Street in Bellingham, directed by Emma Fisher. The archdiocese lists a Wednesday Mass and Wednesday confession and adoration from 4:00 to 5:00 PM.

Mass, confession, and adoration

Confirm with the parish

Mass 1

  • Wednesday5:00 PMNewman Catholic Campus Ministry

Confession 1

  • Wednesday4:00 PMNewman Catholic Campus Ministry · Listed from 4:00 to 5:00 PM.

Adoration 1

  • Wednesday4:00 PMNewman Catholic Campus Ministry · Listed from 4:00 to 5:00 PM.

Times come only from official parish, chaplaincy, or school pages, and can change with the season. Last verified Oct. 12, 2026.

Sources for these times (1)
  1. Newman Catholic Campus Ministry at Western Washington | Archdiocese of Seattlearchseattle.org/parish/newman-catholic-campus-ministry-at-western-washington-bellingham-98225 · verified Oct. 12, 2026
    “Mass - Wednesday 5:00 pm”
    The archdiocese lists a Mass on Wednesdays at 5:00 pm.
    “Reconciliation - Wednesday 4:00 pm-5:00 pm”
    The archdiocese lists reconciliation on Wednesdays from 4:00 to 5:00 pm.
    “Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament - Wednesday 4:00 pm-5:00 pm”
    The archdiocese lists adoration of the Blessed Sacrament on Wednesdays from 4:00 to 5:00 pm.

Catholic churches nearby

Map of Western Washington University, its Catholic center and nearby Catholic churches1 mi2 mi3 miSacred Heart Catholic Church: 1.3 mi1Church of the Assumption: 1.5 mi2Newman Catholic Campus Ministry: 0.2 miWestern Washington University (campus)N1 mi
CampusCatholic centerCatholic church (numbered below)Open a street map ›
  1. Sacred Heart Catholic Church — 1.3 mi · 1110 14th Street
  2. Church of the Assumption — 1.5 mi · 2116 Cornwall Avenue

Within 3 miles, as mapped by OpenStreetMap contributors. The map may be incomplete. Confirm with the parish or diocese.

Catholic life scorecard

Each line is one thing we looked for. A check means yes, a half means partly, a dash means no. “Not enough information” means official sources did not say.

BCatholic life on campus: Good (grade B): 70 to 100 points out of 100 on what official sources document. Grades need sources for at least 60% of the checklist.

Catholic life on campus

70 of 100 points on what we could document.

  • Yes: the school meets this item and earns its full points.
    Catholic campus ministry serving this campus (Catholic center, campus ministry, or chaplaincy)Yes
    Sources (1)
    1. College Campus Ministry | Archdiocese of Seattlearchseattle.org/living-catholic/young-adults/young-adults-encounter-christ/campus-ministry · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “Western Washington University Newman Catholic Campus Ministry 714A North Garden Street Bellingham, WA 98225”
      The archdiocese lists the Newman Catholic Campus Ministry for Western Washington University at 714A North Garden Street, Bellingham.
      “Contact: Emma Fisher Director of Campus Ministry”
      The archdiocese names Emma Fisher as Director of Campus Ministry.
  • Yes: the school meets this item and earns its full points.
    Dedicated Catholic center or chapel on or next to campusYes (The Newman Catholic Campus Ministry center at 714A N. Garden St. is about a quarter mile from the university's address.)
    Sources (1)
    1. College Campus Ministry | Archdiocese of Seattlearchseattle.org/living-catholic/young-adults/young-adults-encounter-christ/campus-ministry · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “Western Washington University Newman Catholic Campus Ministry 714A North Garden Street Bellingham, WA 98225”
      The archdiocese lists the Newman Catholic Campus Ministry for Western Washington University at 714A North Garden Street, Bellingham.
      “Contact: Emma Fisher Director of Campus Ministry”
      The archdiocese names Emma Fisher as Director of Campus Ministry.
  • Partly: the school meets some of this item and earns part of the points.
    Priest chaplain assigned to campus ministryPart-time or shared priest (A Mass schedule is published; the listed contact is a director of campus ministry.)
    Sources (1)
    1. Newman Catholic Campus Ministry at Western Washington | Archdiocese of Seattlearchseattle.org/parish/newman-catholic-campus-ministry-at-western-washington-bellingham-98225 · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “Mass - Wednesday 5:00 pm”
      The archdiocese lists a Mass on Wednesdays at 5:00 pm.
  • Partly: the school meets some of this item and earns part of the points.
    Weekday Mass at the campus ministry1–4 weekdays (Only a Wednesday Mass is listed on the diocesan page.)
    Sources (1)
    1. Newman Catholic Campus Ministry at Western Washington | Archdiocese of Seattlearchseattle.org/parish/newman-catholic-campus-ministry-at-western-washington-bellingham-98225 · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “Mass - Wednesday 5:00 pm”
      The archdiocese lists a Mass on Wednesdays at 5:00 pm.
  • Not enough information: official sources do not document this, so it is left out of the grade rather than counted as a no.
    Sunday Mass at the campus ministry or a campus chapelNot enough information: not found in official sources.
  • Yes: the school meets this item and earns its full points.
    Scheduled confession at the campus ministryWeekly or more often (Reconciliation is listed on Wednesdays from 4:00 to 5:00 PM.)
    Sources (1)
    1. Newman Catholic Campus Ministry at Western Washington | Archdiocese of Seattlearchseattle.org/parish/newman-catholic-campus-ministry-at-western-washington-bellingham-98225 · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “Reconciliation - Wednesday 4:00 pm-5:00 pm”
      The archdiocese lists reconciliation on Wednesdays from 4:00 to 5:00 pm.
  • Not enough information: official sources do not document this, so it is left out of the grade rather than counted as a no.
    Catholic student groups and missionary outreach (e.g., FOCUS, Saint Paul's Outreach, Knights of Columbus, Bible studies)Not enough information: not found in official sources.
  • Not enough information: official sources do not document this, so it is left out of the grade rather than counted as a no.
    Formation programs (retreats, OCIA/RCIA, service, small groups)Not enough information: not found in official sources.
  • Partly: the school meets some of this item and earns part of the points.
    Catholic church within walking distance (computed from OpenStreetMap)Within 3 milesComputed from OpenStreetMap church locations.
  • Partly: the school meets some of this item and earns part of the points.
    Published weekly schedule of Mass, confession, and adoration1 to 5 times a week (3 weekly times documented: 1 Mass, 1 confession, 1 adoration.)Computed from the verified Mass, confession, and adoration times listed on this page (each day a time is offered counts once).

Grades come from the documented indicators under the published rubric. “Not enough information” does not mean the school lacks it.

Strengths

  • The archdiocese lists a Catholic campus ministry serving Western Washington University, with a weekly scheduled confession time.
    Sources (2)
    1. College Campus Ministry | Archdiocese of Seattlearchseattle.org/living-catholic/young-adults/young-adults-encounter-christ/campus-ministry · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “Western Washington University Newman Catholic Campus Ministry 714A North Garden Street Bellingham, WA 98225”
      The archdiocese lists the Newman Catholic Campus Ministry for Western Washington University at 714A North Garden Street, Bellingham.
    2. Newman Catholic Campus Ministry at Western Washington | Archdiocese of Seattlearchseattle.org/parish/newman-catholic-campus-ministry-at-western-washington-bellingham-98225 · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “Reconciliation - Wednesday 4:00 pm-5:00 pm”
      The archdiocese lists reconciliation on Wednesdays from 4:00 to 5:00 pm.

Concerns

None recorded.

Know something we missed? Suggest a correction.

The Catholic center

Newman Catholic Campus Ministry

  • Address: 714A North Garden Street, Bellingham, WA 98225
  • Distance from campus: 0.2 mi (straight line from the campus point in federal IPEDS data)

View on map ↗

Source: archseattle.org, verified Oct. 12, 2026, archseattle.org, verified Oct. 12, 2026

Catholic campus ministry

Sources (1)
  1. College Campus Ministry | Archdiocese of Seattlearchseattle.org/living-catholic/young-adults/young-adults-encounter-christ/campus-ministry · verified Oct. 12, 2026
    “Western Washington University Newman Catholic Campus Ministry 714A North Garden Street Bellingham, WA 98225”
    The archdiocese lists the Newman Catholic Campus Ministry for Western Washington University at 714A North Garden Street, Bellingham.
    “Western Washington University Newman Catholic Campus Ministry 714A North Garden Street Bellingham, WA 98225”
    The archdiocese lists the Newman Catholic Campus Ministry for Western Washington University at 714A North Garden Street, Bellingham.
    “Contact: Emma Fisher Director of Campus Ministry”
    The archdiocese names Emma Fisher as Director of Campus Ministry.

Reach out

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Academic Excellence

CAcademic Excellence: Mixed (grade C): 55 to 100 points out of 100 on what official sources document. Grades need sources for at least 60% of the checklist.
70 of 100
From federal data, on fixed published scales.

Each measure counts for the share shown.

  • Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.65%
  • First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.79%
  • Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.SAT 1,289 · ACT 27.5
  • Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.18 to 1
  • Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$13,138

Bars show points on each measure’s scale. How Academic Excellence is computed.

Source: College Scorecard (College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026))

Cost and value

Federal data, shown separately. Cost, debt, and earnings are never part of any grade.

Undergraduate students
Fall enrollment (IPEDS)
13,704
Total students14,651
Average net price (per year)
After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid
$21,193
Cost of attendance (per year)$30,359
Median federal debt at graduation$18,500
Graduation rate
First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time
65%
First-year retention79%
Median earnings 10 years after entry$62,569
Admission rate93%
Students receiving Pell grants21%
Admission test scores (middle 50% of admitted students who submitted scores)
Average SAT1289
SAT reading & writing590–710
SAT math560–680
ACT composite24–31
Test policyConsidered but not required

Value index: 65 / 100 (how it’s computed)

Sources: College Scorecard · IPEDS College Navigator · Net price calculator
College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026); IPEDS 2024-25 directory and institutional characteristics; fall 2023 enrollment.

Local Church

Archdiocese of Seattle

The Most Reverend Paul D. Etienne, Archbishop of Seattle

Formal address: “Your Excellency”

Source: archseattle.org, verified Oct. 7, 2026.

Diocese determined from the county using NCES Catholic school records. Confirm with the diocese.

About this school’s data

Questions families ask

Is Western Washington University a Catholic college?
No. Western Washington University is not a Catholic college. Catholic School Compass rates the Catholic life on its campus instead. Catholic students are served by Newman Catholic Campus Ministry.
What is Western Washington University’s Catholic Life Score?
70 out of 100 (grade B). It measures Catholic life on campus: campus ministry, priests, Mass and confession, student groups, and nearby parishes, together with academics.
Where is Mass celebrated at Western Washington University?
Mass is listed at Newman Catholic Campus Ministry. Days and times are on this page; please confirm with the parish or campus ministry before you go.

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