The University of Washington (commonly referred to as UW, simply Washington, or informally "U-Dub") is a large, public flagship research university in Seattle, Washington, established in 1861. 

Washington is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast. It has three campuses, with the oldest and largest being located in the University District of Seattle and two others in Tacoma and Bothell. The university is among the most reputable and most competitive within the United States. Overall, Washington encompasses 500 buildings and over 20 million gross square footage of space, including over 26 university libraries, the UW Tower office building, art centers, museums, lecture halls, laboratories and conference centers. 

Washington is a member of the Association of American Universities and is consistently ranked among the top 15 universities in the world by a variety of international publications. The University offers bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees through its 140 departments, organized into various colleges and schools. Its alumni, faculty and students include Nobel Prize laureates, Pulitzer Prize winners, Fulbright Scholars, Rhodes Scholars, Marshall Scholars, as well as members of distinguished institutions. Washington is home to the best medical school in the U.S., as well as some of the nation's top schools in business, computer science, engineering, law, pharmacy and statistics. In athletics, the university competes in the NCAA Division I Pac-12 Conference (Pac-12). Its athletic teams are called the Huskies.
Is it a private school?
is a large, public flagship research university