The University of Washington is located in Seattle, in an urban setting on 700 acres of land. Founded in 1861, the research university is one of the oldest public schools on the West Coast. A large amount of federal funding is dedicated to research. Along with the operating expenses, the school has a budget of over $7 billion. University of Washington is actually the largest public university recipient of federal research. The school also supports research through its annual Undergraduate Research Symposium, where it presents its research to the public. Over 32,000 undergraduate and 15,000 postgraduate students are enrolled at the university. Graduate students can take part in programs through the well-known School of Medicine, College of Engineering, or Michael G. Foster School of Business.
The most popular majors for undergraduates are social sciences; business/marketing; biological/life sciences; engineering; and computer and information sciences. The student to faculty ratio is around 21 to 1 and about 29% of classes have fewer than 20 students.
Outside of the classroom, there are more than 850 student-run clubs and organizations. There’s an active Greek scene with nearly 70 chapters; around 14% of men are affiliated with a fraternity and 15% of women with a sorority. The types of clubs offer a wide variety of topics, including academic, environmental, political, and religious groups. Some of the most popular organizations are the Student Philanthropy Education Program, Rural Health Education (RHE), and Washington Public Interest Research Group (WashPIRG). Another service-oriented group is the Beta chapter of Phrateres for women (which was founded in 1929).
Many groups on campus focus on the importance of sustainability and the environment. Clubs include Students Expressing Environmental Dedication (SEED), the UW Earth Club, and the UW Farm (which actually grows crops on campus). The University of Washington campus is known more for being a commuter school, but those that do live on campus are encouraged to conserve energy and recycle. Students can also get involved with the publication of The Daily of the University of Washington (which is the second largest daily newspaper in all of Seattle). The Daily also offers a weekly television show called “The Daily’s Double Shot” on UWTV.
The University of Washington students compete as the Huskies or Montlake because the campus is located near Montlake Boulevard. The teams participate in the NCAA Division I Pac-12 Conference. The sports presence is active, but is not the biggest influence of the social scene on campus. Students interested in a wide variety of study options and social activities should look into the programs at University of Washington.
Freshmen Admissions
Number of 2020 (Class of 2024) applicants: 48,734
Enrolled: 8,520
Yield: 29.6%
Acceptance rate: 51.8%
In-state acceptance rate: 63%
Transfer Admissions
Number of transfer applications: 5,269
Transfer applicants admitted: 2,463
Transfer acceptance rate: 46.7%
Academic Qualifications
Average GPA: 3.81
Middle SAT Range (25 to 75 Percentile)
SAT Composite: 1240-1440
SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing: 600-700
SAT Math: 620-770
Middle ACT Range (25 to 75 Percentile)
ACT Composite: 27-33
ACT English: 25-35
ACT Math: 26-33
SAT/ACT not required
Writing portion not required
SAT Subject Tests not required
Graduation Rates
4 years: 66.4%
5 years: 82.0%
6 years: 84.2%
Loan default rate: 2.2%
Total Rhodes Scholars: 37
Salary after attending: $57,700
R&D Expenditures: $1.348 billion
Campus Safety
Sex offenses: 17
Robberies: 5
Aggravated assaults: 2
Burglaries: 41
Car thefts: 9
In-state tuition, room and board (2019-2020): $23,666
Total Estimated Cost of Attendance (2019-2020)
In-state: $28,732
Out-of-state: $55,433
Net Cost (in-state)
Average: $10,292
By income
$0 to $30,000: $7,850
$30,001 to $48,000:$7,467
$48,001 to $75,000: $9,694
$75,001 to $110,000: $18,110
$110,001 and more: $24,879
Graduates with student debt: 33%
Average student debt at graduation: $19,198
Student to Faculty Ratio: 21.3 to 1
Women: 54%
Undergraduate Class Sizes
Under 20: 29%
20 to 39: 38%
40 to 99: 21%
100+: 12%
Student Population
Total: 47,554
Undergraduate: 32,046
Student Residence
In State: 63%
Out of State: 21%
International: 16%

- 1400 NE Campus Parkway Seattle, WA 98195
- (206) 543-2100
- https://www.washington.edu