Two Howard Hughes Medical Research units and the Regional Primate Research Center are housed in the Health Sciences complex. Other facilities include the Burke Museum on campus, the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in downtown Seattle, and the Friday Harbor Laboratories, a premier marine biology facility located in the nearby San Juan Islands. An extensive library system, computer network, and sophisticated laboratory equipment are accessible to students. The UW offers quality instruction to approximately 34,000 students each year, with about 14,000 students on campus in the summer. The campus of 680 acres houses more than 100 buildings and is located in a residential area near the heart of Seattle, bordering on Lake Washington and Lake Union, with Puget Sound on the horizon.
Cultural activities are plentiful on campus and within the city.
As a major public institution, the UW annually hosts hundreds of guest lectures, conferences, concerts, and special events - many free or offered at a discount to students. Seattle enjoys a Pacific Rim outlook while maintaining small town friendliness. Outstanding restaurants, well-known art galleries and museums, quality live theatre and concerts, and colorful local and regional art fairs and festivals provide a variety of entertainment options. As a result, outdoor activities such as hiking, camping, fishing, bicycling, sailing, and white-water rafting are popular. Applicants need not have prior research experience.