Walla Walla, WA, 99362, United States

Campus activities are a big part of student life at Whitman College, a liberal arts institution in the rural small town of Walla Walla, Washington. Students come out in droves for intramural sports - about 70 percent compete on some team - and Greek life. Though the school only has a handful of sororities and fraternities, about a third of the student body is involved in the Greek system. About 20 percent of students compete on the Whit varsity sports teams, all members of the NCAA Division III Northwest Conference. If going Greek or playing sports isn’t your thing, there are more than 100 other student clubs and organizations to check out, too. The campus has an indoor rock climbing facility, where students can climb for fun or for course credit. Outdoor recreation lovers can also earn academic credits in unique courses such as glacier mountaineering, kayaking or wilderness skills. The student Outdoor Program coordinates just-for-fun recreation trips, too, like moonlight sea kayaking and whitewater rafting. Students at Whitman can also take advantage of the school’s western location by enrolling in the unique Semester in the West program, a three-month journey through Oregon, Nevada, California, Utah and Idaho in a converted horse trailer.Freshmen and sophomores must live on campus, which is three blocks from downtown Walla Walla. The town is rich in local charm and home to the popular Walla Walla Balloon Stampede, an annual parade of hot air balloons. Located in southeastern Washington, Walla Walla is not in close proximity to any major towns, but students can get to Spokane, Washington., in 2.5 hours; Portland, Ore., in four hours; and Seattle in 4.5 hours. Students begin and end their education at Whitman in unique fashion: All freshmen must take a two-semester transition program into a liberal arts education called Encounters, and all seniors must complete an assessment before graduation which typically includes an oral component.In addition to the 45 majors offered through the college, Whitman students can earn a combination undergraduate/graduate degree at select prestigious universities across the country. Interested students complete three years at Whitman before transferring to Duke University, for example, for a two-year graduate program in forestry or environmental management. Notable alumni include actor Adam West of "Batman" fame; John Markoff, a New York Times journalist; and Matthew Ames, director of research at the Mayo Clinic.