See how your profile ranks among thousands of other students using CollegeVine. Calculate your chances at your dream schools and learn what areas you need to improve right now — it only takes 3 minutes and it's 100% free.
Founded in 1861, the University of Washington (UW) is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast and has grown into one of the world’s preeminent institutions of higher education, ranking 16th on the 2020 Academic Ranking of World Universities . UW is known for its cutting-edge research and innovation—bubble gum, vinyl, synthetic rubber, and the process that brought about color television were all invented on campus (as was “the wave,” in which people in a stadium rise and cheer in a pattern that resembles a wave).
The University of Washington received 43,778 applications for its Seattle campus and accepted just 24,467 students, resulting in a 56% overall acceptance rate. Although UW admissions are competitive, your actual chances of getting in are tied to the strength of your profile.
CollegeVine can help you better understand your odds of acceptance at UW. Our free admissions calculator uses a variety of factors—such as your grades, test scores, and extracurriculars—to estimate your likelihood of admission and to provide tips to improve your profile.
The average high school GPA of the University of Washington – Seattle’s Class of 2025 is 3.79 .
The middle 50% SAT score for the University of Washington – Seattle’s Class of 2025 is 1220-1430 . The middle 50% ACT score is 27-33 .
The University of Washington doesn’t publish the average class rank of its accepted students, but you can be sure that those admitted to UW are likely to have graduated at, or near, the top of their class. A little more than 12% of UW’s Class of 2025 graduated high school with a 4.0 GPA.
The University of Washington is a public institution and being a resident of the state will give your admissions odds a boost— 74% of UW’s student body are Washington residents and all 39 of the state’s counties are represented on campus . In-state applicants are admitted at a higher rate than those from out-of-state ( 60% vs. 51% ). Out-of-staters are in the minority, however, students from all 50 states study at UW, and international students make up 12% of the student population.
UW practices holistic admissions and takes numerous factors into consideration when making admissions decisions. That said, like other highly selective schools, the university places significant weight on academic performance and favors students who pushed themselves in high school by seeking out challenging coursework.
According to their 2020-2021 Common Data Set, the University of Washington considers the following factors “very important” :
These factors are “important” :
These are “considered” :
And these are “not considered” :
Our free chancing engine takes into account your history, background, test scores, and extracurricular activities to show you your real chances of admission—and how to improve them.
GPA is “very important” to admissions at the University of Washington—its Class of 2025 had an average high school GPA of 3.79 . Academic preparation and performance are of primary importance to the UW admissions process and are indicated by “an overall strong level of academic achievement, as demonstrated by grades and rigor of curriculum.” For serious consideration at UW, you’ll need to earn all, or mostly all, As in the most challenging coursework available to you. Students applying to top-tier schools like UW have commonly completed between five and 12 AP classes.
Selective schools that receive large numbers of applications, like UW, use a tool known as the Academic Index to facilitate admissions decisions. Academic Index is the distillation of your entire academic performance into a single numerical score. If your Academic Index doesn’t meet a school’s standards, you risk being viewed as academically unqualified and your application will not receive a thorough review.
If your GPA is low, and you’re a freshman or sophomore, you have time to raise it—check out our tips for increasing your GPA . If you’re a junior or senior, it’s harder to increase your GPA, and the best method to improve your Academic Index is with a higher test score.
Essays are the only factor outside of GPA and course rigor that the University of Washington deems “very important.” All applicants are required to respond to an essay prompt and a short-answer prompt. UW also provides an optional space to include more information about yourself or your circumstances, such as:
A persuasive college essay shows a college why you belong on its campus and how they’ll benefit from having you there. Essays allow you to show a school who you are and how you’re different from other applicants, so write in your unique voice and be authentic. For more tips on acing the UW essay, check out our article, “ How to Write the University of Washington Essays 2021-2022 .”
UW views extracurricular activities as “important” to admissions. How does a college value your activities outside of the classroom? The four tiers of extracurriculars provide useful insight:
While you probably don’t need a Tier 1 (national-level) activity for UW, having a few Tier 2 or 3 (regional- and school-level) activities will demonstrate your drive.
The University of Washington practices test-optional admissions, and promises that students “ will not be disadvantaged for sending low scores or for not sending scores. ” Curriculum quality and performance in courses are the primary ways UW judges your academic preparedness. That said, UW may consider high test scores (1400 SAT/31 ACT or above) for students who may not otherwise be admitted.
UW superscores both the SAT and ACT and a high score can help push you over the top if you’re a borderline applicant. Sitting for either the SAT or ACT two or three times is a smart strategy to maximize your superscore. To improve your SAT/ACT score, check out these free CollegeVine resources:
The University of Washington has just one admissions process—it doesn’t offer Early Decision or Early Action admissions. Applications are due by November 15.
The University of Washington accepts the Coalition Application. Other requirements include:
Interested in learning more about the University of Washington? Check out these other informative articles:
