Seattle University: A Parent's Guide to Admissions, Cost & Outcomes
Seattle, Washington · Private nonprofit · Open access · CDS 2024-2025
Seattle University is a private nonprofit university in Seattle, Washington that admits about 76% of applicants, making it a open access school. The average family pays about $34,802 a year after financial aid, which matters more than the published sticker price. It is best known for Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing, Psychology, General and Finance and Financial Management Services, its largest undergraduate programs by number of graduates. Its most recent Clery Act report shows roughly 13.3 criminal offenses per 1,000 students.
Seattle University is a private institution located in Seattle, Washington. For the most recent reporting cycle, Seattle University admits the majority of qualified applicants, with an overall admission rate of 76%. Admitted students typically post an average SAT of 1266 and an ACT composite around 28. The average net price after grants and scholarships is $34,802 per year, which is the figure most families actually pay rather than the published sticker price. For parents weighing whether Seattle University is realistic for their teenager, the most useful planning step is comparing your child's current GPA and most recent SAT or ACT against these admitted-student ranges — not the headline acceptance rate alone.
What GPA does my child need for Seattle University?
Seattle University has a broadly accessible admissions profile, and most students who complete a standard college-prep curriculum with a 3.0 GPA or higher are competitive for admission. Parents tracking their child's GPA toward this tier of school can use Solyo's free calculator to see weighted, unweighted, and college-recalculated numbers side by side.
What does Seattle University weight in admissions?
Seattle University reports the following factor importance in its Common Data Set (2024-2025). These are the criteria the admissions committee weighs when reviewing applications.
- • Rigor of secondary school record
- • Academic GPA
- • Application essay
SAT and ACT scores Seattle University typically admits
The middle-50 SAT Math range is 560–680, with an EBRW midpoint near 605. The middle-50 ACT composite range is 23–30. Many applicants here submit scores; even slightly below the average can be competitive when combined with a strong GPA and curriculum.
How much does Seattle University actually cost?
Published tuition is $54,285 for in-state students and $54,285 for out-of-state, before grants and scholarships. Room and board adds roughly $14,748 annually. After need-based and merit aid, the average family pays a net price of $34,802 per year — the number that actually matters for budgeting. Roughly 22% of students receive Pell Grants, a useful indicator of how much need-based aid the school distributes.
Most popular majors at Seattle University
The most popular undergraduate programs at Seattle University, measured by the number of students who actually graduate each year, are Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing, Psychology, General and Finance and Financial Management Services. Across all programs, Seattle University confers roughly 666 bachelor's degrees a year. Graduates of its Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing program report a median income of about $91,519 five years after entering college. Major popularity is a practical signal of where a school concentrates its teaching strength and where your child will find the deepest course offerings and peer community.
| Major | Graduates / year | Median earnings (5 yrs out) |
|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | 232 | $91,519 |
| Psychology, General | 90 | $59,587 |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | 89 | $83,378 |
| Computer Science | 75 | $132,713 |
| Marketing | 47 | $79,251 |
| Biology, General | 46 | $62,523 |
| Mechanical Engineering | 44 | $101,374 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 43 | $77,071 |
Is Seattle University safe? Campus crime & safety
In its most recent Clery Act report (2024), Seattle University disclosed 54 total criminal offenses across its campus and surrounding public property, about 13.3 per 1,000 students. That figure includes 10 violent offenses and 2 reported sexual assaults or VAWA offenses. Per-1,000-student rates matter more than raw counts when comparing schools, because larger universities mechanically report more incidents. Under the federal Clery Act, every college that receives federal aid must publish these numbers annually.
Other colleges in Washington parents ask about
How parents track GPA toward selective schools like Seattle University
Solyo helps parents track grades pulled directly from school emails, calculate GPA the same way colleges like Seattle University recalculate it, and ask an AI college counselor specific questions about their teen's odds. The platform is built for parents — not students — and turns what's usually a fragmented planning process into a single dashboard.
Common questions parents ask about Seattle University
What GPA do I need for Seattle University?
Seattle University has a broadly accessible admissions profile, and most students who complete a standard college-prep curriculum with a 3.0 GPA or higher are competitive for admission.
What SAT or ACT score does Seattle University typically admit?
The middle-50 SAT Math range is 560–680, with an EBRW midpoint near 605. The middle-50 ACT composite range is 23–30.
How much does Seattle University actually cost after financial aid?
The average net price at Seattle University after grants and scholarships is $34,802 per year. That figure is more useful for budgeting than the published sticker price, because it reflects what families actually pay after aid is applied.
Is Seattle University realistic for my child?
Compare your teen's current unweighted GPA and most recent SAT or ACT against the ranges above. If both numbers fall inside the school's middle-50, Seattle University is a target school. If both fall below the 25th-percentile mark, treat it as a reach and balance the application list accordingly.
What is the acceptance rate at Seattle University?
Seattle University accepts about 76% of applicants. It admits the majority of qualified applicants.
What does Seattle University look for in applicants?
Seattle University rates course rigor and GPA as "very important" in its Common Data Set. These are the factors the admissions committee weighs most heavily when reviewing an application.
Is Seattle University a public or private school, and where is it located?
Seattle University is a private nonprofit institution located in Seattle, Washington.
What are the most popular majors at Seattle University?
The largest undergraduate majors at Seattle University by annual graduates are Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing, Psychology, General and Finance and Financial Management Services. The school awards about 666 bachelor's degrees a year in total. These figures come from federal IPEDS completion data.
Is Seattle University safe? What is its campus crime rate?
Seattle University reported 54 total criminal offenses in its most recent Clery Act disclosure (2024), roughly 13.3 per 1,000 students. Compare the per-1,000 rate rather than the raw total, since larger schools report more incidents.
Data sourced from the 2024-2025 Common Data Set submitted by Seattle University, the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS, and Clery Act campus safety disclosures. Solyo extracts admissions data from official Common Data Set publications and refreshes it annually.