University of Washington

For Fall 2025, 72,933 first-year students applied to UW, 30,446 were admitted and 7,129 enrolled: an acceptance rate of 41.7%.

Source: UW Common Data Set 2025-2026 (Seattle) (opens in a new tab), section C1. Read Oct 1, 2026.

By residency, first-year applicants, Fall 2025

Source: UW Common Data Set 2025-2026 (Seattle) (opens in a new tab), section C1, residency table. Read Oct 1, 2026.

By school or major. UW publishes three-year average admit rates by residency, not one year's counts. Overall: 47% for Washington residents and 39% for nonresidents. Engineering, Direct to College: 43% and 37%. Computer science and computer engineering, Direct to Major: 30% and 2%.

Source: UW Admissions, First-year students by the numbers (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.

Early plans. UW has no early decision or early action plan. It makes admission decisions only after every first-year application has been reviewed.

Source: UW Admissions, First-year (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.

For students applying in fall 2026, entering fall 2027

Most UW students enter their major after they enroll. Some majors admit first-year students directly, and only the major you list first counts for that:

• Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering. List computer science or computer engineering as your first-choice major to be considered for Direct to Major admission; listing it second does not count. Most UW computer science and computer engineering students are admitted this way, and UW says getting into these majors later is improbable.
• College of Engineering. List any engineering major (or engineering undeclared) first to be considered for Direct to College admission. If admitted, you start as engineering undeclared and are guaranteed placement in an engineering major other than computer engineering once you meet the requirements. Getting in later is competitive and space may be limited.
• Foster School of Business. List Business Administration first to be considered for Direct to College admission. If admitted, you start as a general business major. Entry to Foster after the first year is capacity constrained and not guaranteed.
• Music. Guitar, jazz studies, music education, orchestral instruments, organ, piano, strings and voice admit first-year students directly, and most music majors also require an audition on your primary instrument.
• Other direct-admit majors. Architectural studies, biochemistry, construction management, informatics, neuroscience and statistics also admit some students directly as first-years. Outside business, computer science and engineering, only a small share of students enter a major this way.

A second-choice major lets UW consider you for general admission if your first choice is full, but it is never used for direct admission.

Source: UW Admissions, Admission to majors (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.

118 majors across 13 schools. Every undergraduate major on the UW Office of Admissions majors list for the Seattle campus, grouped by the college or school that offers it. The list names a degree only for some music majors; the rest are left blank. Minors, certificates and graduate programs are left out.

Source: UW Admissions, Admission to majors (opens in a new tab), for the extra requirements. Read Oct 1, 2026.

For students applying in fall 2026, entering fall 2027

The application opens August 15. Test scores, if you send them, are due December 31, and the UW FAFSA and WASFA priority date is February 1. Most admitted students confirm by May 1; your offer letter gives UW's own date for the enrollment deposit.

Source: UW Admissions, Dates and deadlines (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.

For students applying in fall 2026, entering fall 2027

UW permanently dropped the SAT and ACT requirement and calls itself technically test-optional: reviewers do not see your scores when they read your application, and you are not disadvantaged for sending low scores or none. High scores (1400 SAT or 31 ACT and above) may be considered for a handful of students who would not otherwise be admitted. Scores give no advantage for direct admission to computer science or engineering, or for the Honors Program.

Source: UW Admissions, SAT/ACT scores (first-year) (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.

The Common Data Set goes further and marks the SAT and ACT as not considered for admission, even if submitted, for fall 2027 applicants.

Source: UW Common Data Set 2025-2026 (Seattle) (opens in a new tab), section C8. Read Oct 1, 2026.

For students applying in fall 2027, entering fall 2028

Not announced yet. When we checked UW's admission pages on October 1, 2026, we found no announced changes for fall 2028 entry. The deadlines and rules above are for fall 2027 entry.

Source: UW Admissions, Dates and deadlines (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.

The published cost of a year at UW, 2026-2027:

The aid office's budget for an undergraduate living on or off campus, not with family, for the academic year. Its out-of-state total, $69,129, is $2 more than the sum of its own items, shown here.

Source: UW Student Financial Aid, Cost of Attendance (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.

Average net price per year, by family income, 2023-24:

What first-year, full-time, in-state students who received federal aid paid after grants and scholarships, by family income, in 2023-24, the latest year the Department of Education publishes. Your own price comes from UW's aid offer.

Source: College Scorecard, U.S. Department of Education (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.

Chosen for how close each is to University of Washington on acceptance rate, public or private, location and majors offered.

• University of California, DavisDavis, CA · Public44.3% admitted$14,741 average net price
• California State University, Long BeachLong Beach, CA · Public45.4% admitted$10,440 average net price
• University of California, Santa BarbaraSanta Barbara, CA · Public38.2% admitted$16,109 average net price
• San Diego State UniversitySan Diego, CA · Public37.4% admitted$15,364 average net price
• University of Central FloridaOrlando, FL · Public42.8% admitted$10,411 average net price

Admitted: each school's latest first-year acceptance rate, so the year can differ from school to school; each school's page names its year and source. Average net price: what federal aid recipients paid per year after grants, 2023-24, and the in-state figure for a public university.