In-state vs. out-of-state tuition at Washington
The University of Washington charges $12,973 a year in published tuition and fees for Washington residents, about $6,486 a semester, and $43,209 a year for students from other states, about $21,604 a semester, a difference of $30,236. About 36% of first-year students came from out of state. You may pay less if receiving grants or scholarships. Compare out-of-state tuition at 100 public universities →
What makes Washington different
- Computing. The Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering and informatics programs connect students with Seattle's tech industry.
- Health sciences. UW Medicine and strong public health and biochemistry programs support pre-health students.
- A city campus with views. The campus sits on the water in Seattle, with Mount Rainier visible on clear days.
What Washington students study
The most common bachelor's degrees (class of 2024): computer science (515), psychology (462), informatics (365), communication (304), public health (270), biochemistry (270) and finance (257). Source: IPEDS Completions, first majors only.
You may thrive at Washington if…
- You're interested in computing, health or the sciences.
- You want a big university inside a major city.
- You'd enjoy the Pacific Northwest's outdoors.
Worth asking about
- How competitive is it to get into computer science, and can you be admitted directly?
- How does the quarter system affect your course load?
How Washington compares with the other Big Ten schools
Washington is one of the conference's four newest members and one of its big-city campuses. See how the 18 Big Ten schools differ.
FAQ
What is the University of Washington's acceptance rate? 41.7% for fall 2025: 30,446 of 72,933 first-year applicants were admitted, according to its Common Data Set 2025–26. Source For fall 2024 it was 39.1%.
What is the University of Washington's out-of-state acceptance rate? 42.2% for fall 2025, compared with 45.7% for Washington residents. The University of Washington admitted 18,813 of 44,619 out-of-state applicants and 6,980 of 15,260 Washington residents, according to its Common Data Set 2025–26. Source International applicants are counted separately. Out-of-state tuition and fees are $43,209 a year before aid; you may pay less if receiving grants or scholarships. Compare out-of-state acceptance rates at public universities →
Is the University of Washington part of WUE? No. UW isn't on WICHE's September 2026 list of Western Undergraduate Exchange colleges. Washington State, Western Washington, Central Washington and Eastern Washington are. See the full WUE list →
Is Washington in the Big Ten? Yes. Washington joined the Big Ten in 2024.
How much does the University of Washington cost? Published tuition and fees are $12,973 a year in-state and $43,209 out-of-state, before any aid.
How much is UW tuition per semester? About $6,486 a semester for Washington residents and $21,604 for out-of-state students, based on published yearly tuition and fees of $12,973 and $43,209 before aid.
Is UW an R1 university? Yes. In the 2025 Carnegie Classifications, the University of Washington is an R1 university, the group with the highest research spending and doctoral degrees. What R1 means →
How many students go to UW? About 31,900 undergraduates (fall 2024).
Curious whether computing fits you?
Lens's Major Ideas suggest which areas may suit your interests and strengths. Start with Lens →