Best Colleges in Seattle

Questions About Going to College in Seattle

How are the career opportunities for college graduates in Seattle?

Just graduated? Pack that umbrella and head for the Pacific Northwest, because there’s a lot more green than just the foliage waiting for you. Seattle has a low unemployment rate of 3.3%* and a median income around $57,000**. Plus, one of the highest average incomes for recent college graduates at $50,578***. In Seattle, you’ll find yourself among the highly educated, with 58.9% of the 25 years and older population holding a bachelor’s degree or higher**.

What major companies/industries are hiring what type of graduates/skills in Seattle? Growing industries?

You’ll be surprised how many people call the Emerald City home to their company’s headquarters. Amazon, Microsoft, Starbucks, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Costco, and Boeing are some of the major players that have become household names. But you aren’t limited to gaining an engineering or computer science degree to find a job — not only are the opportunities diverse in these companies, there are also plenty of opportunities in health care and clean technology. About 55.8%* of all Seattle jobs are in business, management, science or the arts. And Seattle is also home to one of the largest ports in the world, the Port of Seattle, acting as a gateway for trade with Asia and a passage for people cruising to Alaska. Jump aboard the next ship to your career in trading or tourism!

Is Seattle more of a college town or a great place to start a career and family? Which communities are best?

A little more than 20% of Seattle’s population consists of twenty-year-olds, and they have their fair share of things to do. Seattle’s University District consists of bars, cheap restaurants, used bookstores, and the University of Washington. Stroll around the green grounds and visit “The Ave” (University Way) for funky shops and one-of-a-kind dives. Or expand your knowledge by visiting the Henry Art Gallery and Burke Museum. Students looking for a day outdoors can be found kayaking on Lake Union, biking the Burke-Gilman trail, or cheering on their team at Husky Stadium. Five other schools bring college students to the city, and many students often stay around for the career:

• Seattle University
• Seattle Central Community College
• Seattle Pacific University
• Cornish College of the Arts
• Art Institute of Seattle

And young professionals stick together here. Though it’s a city of 600,000 people, you’ll find a lot of people know one another. The city offers plenty of career opportunities for family-level incomes. Professionals can enjoy an average commute of 30 minutes, and with the high percentage of cloudy days, you won’t have to worry about sunglasses. Families can find refuge from the college kids, the night life and the crime in neighborhoods like Sunset Hill, Ballard, Magnolia, and Wallingford.

What do the locals in Seattle like to do for fun?

The Emerald City may not have a wizard but it offers plenty of natural beauty to satisfy the outdoorsiest of them all — hiking, camping, rock climbing, kayaking, biking, you name it. All that rain has to be good for something, right? Locals also spend weekends at Greenlake watching the runners, the hipsters, and the dog-walkers. They join the tourists on the ferries to take in the great views of the cityscape. Seattlelites head to the water at the Center for Wooden Boats and go to sea on spirit boats, schooners, and yachts. They buy local and fresh from the Ballard Farmers Market or Pike Place, downtown. Some may say it’s a very organic community.

In the wet winter months, most locals either bundle up to cheer on the Seattle Seahawks or hide inside coffee shops, like Starbucks, Tully’s, or Seattle’s Best Coffee. Only a few hours away you can find snowboarding or cross-country skiing. And when you’re stuck in the gloom most of the year, it’s no wonder that a strong microbrew and wine scene have popped up. You have to find something to do while reminiscing about that thing that used to glow in the sky and touch your skin with warmth.

What’s the dating scene like in Seattle? Will I meet my perfect mate?

The gray scenery begs for you to find a mate to snuggle with in your classic Pacific Northwest flannels. And likely, as most Seattle locals have an outdoor bone, your love interest will take dates to the outdoors — like to overlook the water at Golden Gardens Park, canoe on The WAC, or watch a stellar sunset from Volunteer Park Water Tower. Of course you may run into that “Seattle Freeze,” but once the ice is broken, you’ll find a beer crawl works as a perfect date. And with the big name companies nearby, it’s likely your mate will already be started on their career path to success.