City University of Seattle
A good fit for students who want small classes and close faculty access. no major red flags in the data. a private nonprofit school with 1,137 students.
About This School
City University of Seattle is a private nonprofit institution located in Seattle, Washington with approximately 1,137 undergraduate students enrolled. Typical graduates earn $53,400 within 10 years of enrollment.
The City University of Seattle (CityU) is a private, non-profit university in Seattle, Washington, United States. City University was founded in 1973 as City College by a group of business leaders and educators in the Seattle area led by Michael A. Pastore with an original mission dedicated to providing higher education for working adults. In 1982, City College changed its name to City University of Seattle. Since then, the university has grown to consist of undergraduate and graduate programs across six areas: the School of Management; the Albright School of Education; the Division of Arts and Sciences; the Division of Doctoral Studies; the International College; and the Washington Academy of Languages. In 2013, CityU became affiliated with National University System, a private nonprofit university system.
The numbers here tell a concerning story — a 17% graduation rate and a 0% freshman retention rate are serious red flags that suggest most students who start here don't finish, which should give any prospective student pause. On the brighter side, median debt at graduation is a relatively low $14,091, and the school has a long-standing focus on working adults seeking flexible, career-oriented education. Worth considering only if you have a very specific program in mind and a clear plan to stay enrolled — but compare your options carefully before committing to the $35,049 average annual cost.
Popular Programs
Percentage of degrees awarded. Source: College Scorecard.
Admissions
SAT Scores
ACT Scores
Cost & Financial Aid
Financial Aid
After Graduation
Earnings 6 Years After Enrollment, by Gender
Gap: 31% less for female graduates. National avg ~16%.
What Each Major Actually Earns
Median earnings four years after graduation, by major, next to the national median for that same major at every college. The school-wide average hides this: at most schools the spread between the best- and worst-paying majors is far wider than the gap between schools.
City University of Seattle graduates earn most above the national rate in Curriculum and Instruction ($80,194 vs $63,399 nationally).
| Major | Grads | Here | National | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Curriculum and Instruction | 72 | $80,194 | $63,399 | +$16,795 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 66 | $107,564 | $103,485 | +$4,079 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | 31 | $71,341 | $59,916 | +$11,425 |
U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard field-of-study data. Median earnings of graduates working and not enrolled four years after completing a master's degreehere. Majors with too few graduates to report are omitted for privacy, so this is not the school's full program list.
Will This School Pay Off?
Solid return. Earnings outpace debt, though major choice matters.
Earnings data from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. These are means across all graduates, not specific to any major.
Student Body
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (1,137 undergraduates).
Contact & Location
Official Links
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See How Colleges Compare
City University of Seattle is one of thousands of colleges in our data studies, each built from the same U.S. Department of Education data shown on this page. Compare schools head to head:
Sources & Methodology
Primary data source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Accessed via automated sync. Latest values may come from different reporting years depending on the metric.
School overview from Wikipedia. Used for context only, not as a primary data source for admissions, cost, or outcomes claims.
- Earnings figures are institution-level averages, not major-specific.
- Some metrics are based on Title IV financial aid recipients only.
- Some values may be privacy-suppressed or rolled up by the Department of Education.
- Contact the school directly for current admissions requirements and costs.
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