UW: the complete school report for parents
UW rates 4 of the 18 admission factors Very Important, among them course rigor, GPA and the essay. A second tier of extracurricular activities, talent and first-generation status carries real weight too. It does not consider test scores, legacy and demonstrated interest, so campus visits and emails will not move the decision. With a 41.8% admit rate and 76% of enrolled students at a 3.75 GPA or above, the transcript is the entry ticket and scores are optional but help when they are strong. Major matters more than the name on the diploma here: five years out, Computer Engineering graduates earn a median $223,690 against $38,699 for Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities.
UW is officially University of Washington-Seattle Campus, also known as Udub or Uw Seattle. Admissions figures below come from its 2025-2026 Common Data Set (see the source), with the admission-factor grid re-read from that file on 2026-09-20.
Is UW a reach, target or safety for your student?
Enter a GPA and course load and the calculator places UW against the figures above. No account needed.
What does UW actually weigh in admissions?
UW rates 4 of the 18 factors "Very Important": course rigor, GPA, the essay, state residency. It does not consider 8 of them at all. Every college reports these weights in section C7 of its Common Data Set; below is UW's 2025-2026 answer, read from the grid in its own file.
| Factor | How UW rates it |
|---|---|
| course rigor | Very Important |
| GPA | Very Important |
| test scores | Not Considered |
| the essay | Very Important |
| extracurricular activities | Important |
| recommendations | Not Considered |
| personal qualities | Considered |
| talent | Important |
| class rank | Not Considered |
| demonstrated interest | Not Considered |
| the interview | Not Considered |
| legacy | Not Considered |
| first-generation status | Important |
| geography | Not Considered |
| state residency | Very Important |
| volunteer work | Important |
| work experience | Important |
| religious affiliation | Not Considered |
Does UW consider how hard my child’s courses were?
Yes. It is one of the most important factors. The senior-year schedule should keep its AP, IB or honors depth rather than lighten.
Does UW consider GPA?
Yes. It is one of the most important factors.
Does UW consider SAT or ACT scores?
No. UW does not consider it. Scores are not read even if you send them, so testing budget is better spent elsewhere.
Does UW consider the application essay?
Yes. It is one of the most important factors. The essay is doing as much work as the transcript.
Does UW consider extracurricular activities?
Yes. It is an important factor.
Does UW consider recommendation letters?
No. UW does not consider it.
Does UW consider character and personal qualities?
Yes, but only as a secondary factor.
Does UW consider a special talent or ability?
Yes. It is an important factor.
Does UW consider class rank?
No. UW does not consider it. A school that does not rank its students is not a disadvantage.
Does UW consider demonstrated interest?
No. UW does not consider it. Campus visits, emails and info sessions do not move the decision.
Does UW consider an interview?
No. UW does not consider it. There is no interview to prepare for.
Does UW consider legacy status?
No. UW does not consider it. A parent or grandparent who attended gives no advantage.
Does UW consider being first-generation?
Yes. It is an important factor.
Does UW consider where we live?
No. UW does not consider it.
Does UW consider state residency?
Yes. It is one of the most important factors. Residency changes the odds materially.
Does UW consider volunteer work?
Yes. It is an important factor.
Does UW consider work experience?
Yes. It is an important factor.
Does UW consider religious affiliation?
No. UW does not consider it.
What GPA do admitted students actually have?
76% of enrolled students had a 3.75 GPA or above. The average was 3.84 on a 4 scale, reported for 99.87% of the entering class. This is the school’s own distribution, not an estimate from its admit rate.
| High school GPA | Share of enrolled students |
|---|---|
| 4.0 | 18.12% |
| 3.75–3.99 | 58.07% |
| 3.50–3.74 | 18.08% |
| 3.25–3.49 | 4.42% |
| 3.00–3.24 | 1% |
| 2.50–2.99 | 0.24% |
| 2.00–2.49 | 0.07% |
What is the UW waitlist really like?
UW offered a place on its waiting list to 15,363 applicants and 8,350 accepted one. 2,252 were ultimately admitted. That is 27.0% of those who waited.
Is transferring in easier than applying as a freshman?
UW admitted 42.4% of 5,830 transfer applicants, against 41.8% of first-year applicants. The two routes are similarly competitive here. The minimum college GPA considered is 2.
When do we apply, and does timing change the odds?
UW offers neither Early Decision nor Early Action, so there is no early round to strategize about and every applicant is read in one pool.
| Regular application deadline | November 15 |
|---|---|
| Decisions released | March 15 |
| Reply / deposit deadline | May 1 |
| Early Decision offered | No |
| Early Action offered | No |
| Application fee | $80 |
| Fee waiver available | Yes |
| Deferred admission offered | No |
What does my child need to take in high school?
UW requires 16 academic units. A college-preparatory program is required.
| Subject | Required | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| English | 4 years | Not stated |
| Mathematics | 3 years | Not stated |
| Science | 3 years | Not stated |
| of which lab science | 2 years | Not stated |
| Foreign language | 2 years | Not stated |
| Visual / performing arts | 0.5 years | Not stated |
What will UW actually cost us?
Families pay an average of $14,091 a year at UW after grants and scholarships, against a published in-state tuition of $12,260. The published price is not what most families pay. The university reports meeting 74% of demonstrated need on average. It also gave 628 merit awards averaging $4,399 to first-years with no demonstrated need.
What families at each income level actually paid:
| Family income | Average net price per year |
|---|---|
| Under $30,000 | $6,384 |
| $30,000–$48,000 | $7,039 |
| $48,000–$75,000 | $8,110 |
| $75,000–$110,000 | $14,328 |
| Over $110,000 | $30,019 |
26% of UW graduates borrow, leaving with an average of $19,384 in debt, which the federal data puts at about $155 a month in repayment. UW’s net price calculator gives your own figure.
Does a degree from UW pay off?
Graduates earn a median $78,466 ten years after entering, and $62,979 at six years. 86% out-earn a typical high school graduate within six years. 79% are actively paying down their loans three years in.
Four-year net cost against that earnings premium:
| Family income | Four-year net cost | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|
| Under $30,000 | $25,536 | 0.7 |
| $30,000–$48,000 | $28,156 | 0.8 |
| $48,000–$75,000 | $32,440 | 0.9 |
| $75,000–$110,000 | $57,312 | 1.7 |
| Over $110,000 | $120,076 | 3.5 |
A scale, not a forecast: it assumes aid and earnings hold steady.
$223,690 to $38,699, depending on the major. Median earnings five years out at UW:
| Major | Median earnings, 5 years | Graduates a year |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Engineering | $223,690 | 49 |
| Computer Science | $162,117 | 494 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | $121,341 | 565 |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | $108,406 | 226 |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | $106,265 | 295 |
| Mathematics | $96,036 | 200 |
| Economics | $92,399 | 328 |
| Marketing | $81,356 | 188 |
| Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology | $72,792 | 290 |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | $57,124 | 184 |
| Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies | $42,372 | 42 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | $38,699 | 10 |
College Scorecard, by field of study; highest and lowest shown.
Will my child actually graduate?
95% of first-years return for a second year. 75% graduate within four years and 85% within six (2019 cohort).
How big are the classes?
29% of class sections have fewer than 20 students, while 12% have 100 or more. The student-faculty ratio is 20:1, and 80% of faculty are full-time. Both are true at once: 12% of sections seat 100 or more, and those are the introductory lectures. Accredited by Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities.
What is life at UW like?
40,996 undergraduates, 28.63% of first-years from out of state. 70% of freshmen live in university housing, falling to 24.4% across all undergraduates. Greek life is small: 6.76% of men join a fraternity and 9.13% of women a sorority. 33% of students are the first in their family to attend college, and the median family income is $69,752.
What this means for your student
- Course rigor is rated Very Important here, so the senior-year schedule should hold its AP, IB or honors depth rather than lighten.
- 76% of enrolled students are at a 3.75 GPA or above, averaging 3.84. Below that line the rest of the application has to carry real weight.
- Skip demonstrated-interest tactics here. Visits and emails are not tracked, so save that effort for schools where they count.
- The waitlist is live but thin: 2,252 of 8,350 who waited were admitted, about 27%.
- Its highest-earning major returns $223,690 five years out against $38,699 at the other end, a gap wider than the one between most schools.
- See where your student actually stands: calculate their GPA and compare it against the distribution above.
Common questions about UW
What GPA do you need for UW?
76% of enrolled students at UW had a high school GPA of 3.75 or above, and the average was 3.84, according to its 2025-2026 Common Data Set.
Does the UW waitlist move?
8,350 students accepted a place on the UW waiting list and 2,252 were admitted in the 2025-2026 cycle.
What do UW graduates earn?
UW graduates earn a median $78,466 ten years after entering, and 86% out-earn a typical high school graduate within six years.
Other schools families compare with UW
Where these numbers come from
Admissions figures: UW’s 2025-2026 Common Data Set, published here, factor grid re-read from it on 2026-09-20. Earnings, debt, net price and graduation rates: College Scorecard (2022-2023). Unreported values show as “Not reported”.