University of the West

At UWest, we believe in educating the whole person. We were founded in 1991 as an alternative to the conventional university experience, integrating liberal arts traditions with a global perspective and drawing from Buddhist wisdom to create a community of collaboration and cooperation. Our graduates meet the challenges of an increasingly complex and globally interdependent world with creativity and compassion.

We are a community committed to learning with, from, and on behalf of others. UWest students seize the opportunity to develop their personal values and determine a personalized path to academic success. We think your education should be as unique as you.

We believe that the bigger our ambitions and the wider our perspective, the smaller the world gets. The immense diversity of our students and faculty provides endless opportunities to learn about the world outside our campus. With over 44 countries represented in our student body, we like to say that UWest is “the entire globe on 11 acres.”

UWest is a nonprofit and WASC accredited liberal arts university just outside of Los Angeles, committed to providing a whole-person education, nourishing mind, body, and spirit, and facilitating cultural understanding and appreciation between East and West. This unique approach underlies all of our academic offerings, and gives UWest its unusual character. We believe in learning with, from, and on behalf of others, and encourage our students to forge their own path. We’re excited that you’ve gotten here, now let us help you take your next step toward success!

The mission of University of the West is to provide a whole-person education in a context informed by Buddhist wisdom and values, and to facilitate cultural understanding and appreciation between East and West.

You’ve got big plans for your future, but you want to decide how you get there. You don’t want to be beaten onto the beaten path. You want to blaze your own trail to a life that is rich and enriching. You need a school that understands your unique character and supports your individual path to success. You seek passionate and compassionate colleagues committed to learning with, from, and on behalf of others. You’ve come to the right place.

UWest is a small school with big ideas. We blend Western liberal arts traditions with Eastern wisdom and a global perspective to create graduates ready to shape and participate in a brighter future. We believe in whole-person education, nourishing mind, body, and spirit. And we think that your education should be as unique as you are. We believe in the value of small, from our low tuition and class sizes to our campus, which we view as “the entire globe on 10 acres.” We teach differently because we think differently.

UWest prides itself on its academic programs—we’re a university, right? All of our course offerings are designed to provide knowledge and skills relevant to the discerning student and the discerning employer, satisfying your present interests and preparing you for your future ambitions. We encourage our students to see the whole campus as their classroom, learning with, from, and on behalf of others. Our small class sizes allow for a more personalized and effective learning environment. And our emphasis on whole-person education highlights where the intellectual, spiritual, emotional, and creative converge. At UWest, we don’t just want to produce outstanding graduates, we want to cultivate outstanding human beings.

UWest’s undergraduate programs provide you with a wide range of fundamental principles to help you on your path toward success. Whatever degree you pursue, we want to ensure that you graduate with skills and knowledge that you can use every day.

UWest’s graduate programs provide an advanced level of knowledge and skills to help you on your path toward success. Whether your goal is advancing your career or continuing along your academic path, UWest helps you tailor your learning experience to your specific objectives. When they aren’t driving UWest’s exemplary academics, our faculty keep themselves busy performing groundbreaking research in a number of important areas.

UWest’s campus is a reflection of our core values: diverse, vibrant, contemplative, and joyful. The grounds are spacious, but intimate, perched on a lush hillside looking out on the San Gabriel Mountains.

If you are looking for a quiet place to reflect, meditate or study, UWest’s campus has tons of perfect spots. Just make sure you find two or three, so you always have a backup! And if you really want to meditate, UWest even has a Meditation Center and Buddhist Shrine.

One of the most frequently heard comments about UWest is “The people here are soooo nice!” And it’s true. UWest is an unusually welcoming, friendly place. Our untraditional approach to life and learning leads to an especially congenial attitude of cooperation and camaraderie. And then there is the Office of Student Life. Its goal is to make UWest the best possible place to study, research, and live.