Living in Seattle

Graduate Student Housing

UW Housing & Food Services has a few options for university housing reserved specifically for graduate students, as well as some for families (there are often waiting lists for these - apply early!). See Graduate Student Housing. 

Applications for the 2025-2026 academic year open April 3, 2025. 
Application Process

Off-Campus Housing

There are several places to look for off-campus apartment rentals, room shares, etc. from The Daily's "DawgHouses" list to the UW Housing Facebook group. FIUTS, the organization for international students provides a list of resources for looking for off-campus housing (only some of it is specific to international students - most applies to anyone moving to Seattle).

Off-Campus Housing Resources (by FIUTS)

Dawg Houses list (by The Daily  campus newspaper)

Seattle Neighborhoods

There's a lot to consider when choosing where to live in a new city. You'll want to think about your preferred lifestyle (do you want to be near nightlife, or in a quieter neighborhood, etc.) as well as accessibility to campus and other necessities of life. Here is some information to get you started. 

Seattle Neighborhood Guide

25 Things to Know Before Moving to Seattle

Hall Health 

Hall Health Center offers a wide range of in-person, virtual and telephone medical services including primary care, nurse advice, mental health, immunizations, pharmacy, lab, radiology and specialty care (including women's health, travel medicine, and physical therapy/sports medicine). 

Outreaching Grads

The Outreaching Grads (OG) Program is a comprehensive and collaborative outreach and recruitment tri-campus program housed in GSEE of the Graduate School.  The OG Program launched a few years ago with 30 masters and doctoral students of color trained to assist the GSEE,, graduate departments, UW Bothell, UW Tacoma, and undergraduate registered student organizations in their efforts to expand graduate education and increase racial diversity at the University of Washington.

Graduate Funding Information Service

GFIS works with current and admitted UW graduate students, helping them identify and locate funding opportunities for graduate school-related expenses including tuition, research, conference and research travel. GFIS hosts workshops and works with UW departments to design discipline-specific workshops and resources for their graduate students.

As one would expect in a large city, there are many ways to get around Seattle and its environs. Here are a few options.

U-PASS

The U-PASS is a “bus pass plus more,” and is just for members of the University of Washington. The pass is added to your UW “Husky Card” (UW ID card) and is automatically activated starting on the first day of each quarter if you are registered for classes enough in advance. This pass gives you unlimited access not only to local Seattle buses and Light Rail, but also Community Transit buses, and several other regional transit options (including water taxi!).

King County Metro Transit

King County Metro Transit is the major transit system of King County (in which Seattle is located). This includes mainly bus networks throughout Seattle and surrounding areas. The University District is a major hub for transit, so if you are able to find somewhere to live that is on a direct line via bus or light rail, that can be a good option. King County Metro’s site has a handy trip planner that you can use to evaluate how well different potential living areas are connected to the University of Washington, as well as other areas that might be of importance to you.

Link Light Rail

Link Light Rail runs from just south of Sea-Tac Airport all the way to the University of Washington Husky Stadium. If you live near a Light Rail stop, it makes for a reliable commute to campus. Three new stops are scheduled to open in 2021: University District, Roosevelt, and Northgate.

Community Transit

Community Transit serves Snohomish County (north of King County). They have express buses that connect Snohomish Country to Seattle.

Sound Transit

Sound Transit serves commuters in the Central Puget Sound area. Their site includes a map of the Puget Sound area on which you can track transportation lines from all around the region (including King County Metro and Community Transit).

Sound Transit also owns the Light Rail system, although King County Metro operates the Central Link Line, which currently runs between UW campus and Sea-Tac airport (SEA), with stops in the Capitol Hill neighborhood and downtown as well as many neighborhoods in South Seattle on the way to the airport).

Commute by Bicycle

UW Transportation Services provides lots of information for bicycle commuters at the University of Washington. They help plan routes, and even have a bike buddy program to pair new bicycle commuters in Seattle with those more experienced with the routes and traffic.

Park & Ride Lots

For some, it might make sense to combine driving and public transportation on the commute to campus (because parking on campus is quite expensive). Park & Ride Lots are designed to facilitate this type of commute, by giving commuters a place to store their vehicle at a locations that are public transportation hubs. If want to own a car (certainly not a requirement in Seattle) and you choose to live further out from campus, you might look into this option.

UW Parking Services

Parking at the University of Washington is quite expensive due to limited space and as a way of encouraging alternative forms of transport. Check the UW Parking Services site for more information about parking options on campus.

Sea-Tac Airport

The Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (Sea-Tac) is located just south of Seattle and is the major airport in our area. Link Light Rail offers easy, affordable transportation (free with an active U-PASS) from the airport to the University of Washington.