President
Deana L. Porterfield, EdD
Mission
ɬÀï·¬ is a Christian university fully committed to engaging the culture and changing the world by graduating ɬÀï·¬ of competence and character, becoming ɬÀï·¬ of wisdom, and modeling grace-filled community.
Denominational affiliation
SPU is a private university founded in 1891 by the Free Methodist Church of North America. It remains a private nonsectarian institution of Christian higher education affiliated with The Free Methodist Church USA. Responsibility for the governance and control of ɬÀï·¬ rests exclusively with the Board of Trustees, which elects its own members. One-fourth of the trustees must be members of a Free Methodist church but vote as independent individual board members, consistent with other board members and their fiduciary duty.Location
SPU’s 43-acre city campus is located in a residential neighborhood on the north slope of Queen Anne Hill, only 10 minutes from the heart of downtown ɬÀï·¬. SPU also owns and operates a wilderness campus and field station on Blakely Island in the San Juan Islands.
Enrollment
(Based on Autumn Quarter 2025)
Total enrollment: 2,101
Undergraduate enrollment: 1,657
Post-baccalaureate enrollment: 16
Graduate enrollment: 428
(Sept. 2024–Aug. 2025)
Continuing education enrollment: 747
Academic programs offered
Undergraduate majors: 37
Undergraduate minors: 44
Undergraduate concentrations: 55
Master’s degree programs: 13
Doctoral degree programs: 5
Graduate certificates: 17
Students
(Undergraduate through doctoral)
Average age of students
Undergraduate: 21
Post-baccalaureate: 34
Master’s: 33
Doctoral: 35
Student-faculty ratio
15:1 (Based on Common Data Set definition)
Undergraduate information
Class size
80% of Autumn Quarter 2025 classes had enrollments of 30 or less.
Denominations
Students represent 59 Christian faith traditions and denominations.
Ethnic diversity
53% (undergraduate ethnic minority students)
Financial Aid
100% of students receive some type of financial aid.
First-generation students
43% of students are the first in their family to attend a university or college.
Gender
Men: 35%
Women: 65%
Retention rate
73% (based on first-year persistence)
States/Countries
Students come from 21 states and 18 countries.
Top 10 undergraduate programs
(By number of students enrolled Autumn Quarter and accepted into a major)
- Psychology
- Nursing
- Honors
- Business Administration
- Computer Science
- Physiology
- Mechanical Engineering
- Exercise Science
- Biology
- Apparel Design
More information
For more information and facts about ɬÀï·¬, you can visit these sites:
Updated Nov. 3, 2025