Washington State University vs. University of Washington

UW is much harder. It admitted about 41.7% of applicants in its most recent cycle, while Washington State admitted 86.6%, roughly double the share. UW also weighs state residency as a very important factor and admits in-state applicants at about 47% against 39% out of state, so non-residents face an even steeper climb in Seattle. Washington State applies no residency penalty at all.

UW holds the clear edge for computer science. Computing is its single most-conferred major at about 13% of degrees, home to the well-known Paul G. Allen School, with engineering adding another 9%. At Washington State, computer science accounts for about 5% of degrees and engineering 10%, inside a university that leads with business and marketing at 19%. A student aiming squarely at CS fits UW's strengths better, though admission to that program is the hard part.

No. Washington State rates standardized test scores 'not considered' and decides admission on your high school GPA and course rigor, so you can apply without scores. It still publishes ranges for the small share who submit: roughly 1010–1280 on the SAT and 18–27 on the ACT among enrolled first-years. UW goes a step further and is fully test-free, meaning it ignores scores even if you send them.

They run nearly even for Washington residents: about $13,406 in tuition and fees at UW against $13,888 at Washington State. Aid is where they part. Washington State awards need-based grant aid to about 53% of first-years with an average package near $15,166, while UW reaches about 34% with a larger average package near $22,538 and meets about 74% of demonstrated need to Washington State's 64%. For out-of-state students the gap widens sharply, since UW charges about $44,640 against Washington State's $30,994.

UW is the larger school, enrolling about 40,996 undergraduates to Washington State's 21,455, nearly twice as many. UW runs a 21:1 student-faculty ratio against 13:1 at Washington State, so classes tend to feel more crowded in Seattle. Washington State houses a higher share of first-years on campus, about 80% to UW's 70%, part of a tighter feel in a small town.

Yes, by a wide margin. Washington State admitted about 87.8% of out-of-state applicants for Fall 2024, slightly above its in-state rate, and lists residency as 'not considered,' so where you live carries no weight. UW admits non-residents at about 39% and weighs state residency as a very important factor, which makes out-of-state admission noticeably tougher there. Only about 29% of UW first-years come from outside Washington, against 15% at Washington State.