Washington State University vs. University of Washington
Washington puts you in the middle of Seattle, a few light-rail stops from Amazon and Microsoft, where the tech pull is real and the competition for a spot in the Allen School runs hot. You'd chase computer science or the health sciences on a huge campus that admits a fraction of who applies, and you'd grind for it. Washington State plays the opposite hand. Pullman sits four hours east in the rolling Palouse farmland, a small crimson college town where the Cougars, Greek life, and football Saturdays set the rhythm, and where land-grant strengths like veterinary medicine and the Murrow communication school anchor the place. The door opens far wider in Pullman, and out-of-state students get no residency penalty walking through it. They share a state and the Apple Cup, nothing else about the daily experience. Decide whether you want a Seattle research machine you have to fight your way into, or a remote college town that takes most of who applies and lets you breathe.
Want to compare other schools? Open the interactive comparison tool →
Acceptance Rate
Overall acceptance rate, plus the in-state and out-of-state admit rates the school reports separately.
Admit rate by residency
% admittedEarly Admissions
Washington State does not offer an Early Decision or Early Action plan; all applicants apply through Regular Decision.
Standardized Tests
Washington State is currently test-optional — you may apply without submitting scores.
SAT Accepted?
ACT Accepted?
Test Optional?
SAT Scores
ACT Scores
Admissions Factors
How Washington State weighs each part of your application.
Rigor of High School Record
Academic GPA
Standardized Test Scores
Application Essay
Recommendations
Extracurricular Activities
Character / Personal Qualities
Talent / Ability
First Generation
Level of Applicant's Interest
Class Rank
Volunteer Work
Work Experience
Geographical Residence
State Residency
Alumni Relation
Racial / Ethnic Status
Religious Affiliation
Cost of Attendance
Estimated full-time annual cost from Washington State's Common Data Set. Only tuition changes with residency.
Out-of-state students pay $17,106 more — entirely in tuition. Room, board, and other costs are identical regardless of residency.
Financial Aid
Need-based aid statistics for full-time first-year students.
Major Distribution
Bachelor's degrees awarded in the past year by academic major.
Student Diversity
Racial and ethnic breakdown of enrolled undergraduate students.
Student-Faculty Ratio
The number of students for every one faculty member, indicating the average level of access students have to instructional staff.
Campus Life
On-campus housing and Greek life participation rates.
Enrollment by Gender
Since some students did not report gender, totals may not fully reflect the student body.
Acceptance Rate
Overall acceptance rate, plus the in-state and out-of-state admit rates the school reports separately.
Admit rate by residency
% admitted~1.2× higher admit rate for in-state applicants.
Early Admissions
UW does not offer an Early Decision or Early Action plan; all applicants apply through Regular Decision.
Standardized Tests
UW is test-free — SAT and ACT scores are not considered in admissions.
SAT / ACT scores are not used
UW does not review SAT or ACT scores for admission, even if you submit them. Applicants are evaluated on GPA, coursework, essays, and activities instead.
Admissions Factors
How UW weighs each part of your application.
Rigor of High School Record
Academic GPA
Standardized Test Scores
Application Essay
Recommendations
Extracurricular Activities
Character / Personal Qualities
Talent / Ability
First Generation
Level of Applicant's Interest
Class Rank
Volunteer Work
Work Experience
Geographical Residence
State Residency
Alumni Relation
Racial / Ethnic Status
Religious Affiliation
Cost of Attendance
Estimated full-time annual cost from UW's Common Data Set. Only tuition changes with residency.
Out-of-state students pay $31,234 more — entirely in tuition. Room, board, and other costs are identical regardless of residency.
Financial Aid
Need-based aid statistics for full-time first-year students.
Major Distribution
Bachelor's degrees awarded in the past year by academic major.
Student Diversity
Racial and ethnic breakdown of enrolled undergraduate students.
Student-Faculty Ratio
The number of students for every one faculty member, indicating the average level of access students have to instructional staff.
Campus Life
On-campus housing and Greek life participation rates.
Enrollment by Gender
Since some students did not report gender, totals may not fully reflect the student body.
Writing your Washington State or UW application essay?
Esslo gives you line-by-line feedback on your Common App and supplemental essays — so your application stands out at Washington State, UW, and beyond.
Washington State vs. UW: frequently asked questions
Is it harder to get into UW or Washington State?＋
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.
Is UW or Washington State better for computer science?＋
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.
Does Washington State require SAT or ACT scores?＋
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.
Is UW or Washington State cheaper in state?＋
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.
Is UW or Washington State bigger?＋
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.
Is it easier to get into Washington State than UW out of state?＋
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.
Source: Washington State University Common Data Set 2024-2025. Figures transcribed 2026-06-10. Esslo aggregates publicly reported data and is not affiliated with Washington State. Banner photo by Joe Mabel, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0).
Source: University of Washington Common Data Set 2025-2026. Figures transcribed 2026-06-06. Esslo aggregates publicly reported data and is not affiliated with UW. Banner photo by Joe Mabel, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).