TL;DR: The Washington out-of-state acceptance rate was 42.2% for fall 2025: the University of Washington Seattle admitted 18,813 of 44,619 nonresident first-year applicants, against 45.7% of Washington residents (6,980 of 15,260) and 35.6% of international applicants, per the UW Seattle Common Data Set 2025-2026 (by our calculation). The gap is far larger at the major level: UW reports 3-year average direct-to-major admit rates for computer science and computer engineering of 30% for Washington residents and 2% for nonresidents (UW does not say which three years). UW has no early round: for autumn 2027 entry, the deadline is November 15, 2026, decisions are released March 1 to 15, 2027, and for most applicants reviewers do not see test scores. For out-of-state families weighing UW, Oriel Admissions builds the major and application strategy together: schedule a consultation.
How Competitive Is the Washington Out-of-State Acceptance Rate?
For fall 2025, UW Seattle received 15,260 first-year applications from Washington residents, 44,619 from nonresidents and 13,054 from international students, per its Common Data Set 2025-2026, and admitted 45.7%, 42.2% and 35.6% of them. Overall, 30,446 of 72,933 applicants were admitted, a 41.7% rate. These rates are our calculations from the published counts. UW’s own by-the-numbers page reports 3-year average admit rates of 47% for Washington residents and 39% for nonresidents, so the gap at the university level runs several points, and nonresidents are the largest applicant group by a wide margin. Yield is where residency shows most clearly: 4,595 of 6,980 admitted Washington residents enrolled for fall 2025 (65.8%), against 1,843 of 18,813 admitted nonresidents (9.8%) and 691 of 4,653 admitted international students (14.9%), by our calculation.
What Were the UW Seattle Admission Rates by Residency for Fall 2025?
| Applicant group | Applications | Admitted | Admit rate | Enrolled |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington residents | 15,260 | 6,980 | 45.7% | 4,595 |
| Nonresidents (out of state) | 44,619 | 18,813 | 42.2% | 1,843 |
| International | 13,054 | 4,653 | 35.6% | 691 |
| All first-year applicants | 72,933 | 30,446 | 41.7% | 7,129 |
Source: University of Washington Seattle Common Data Set 2025-2026, Section C1, fall 2025 first-year applicants. Rates are computed from the published counts.
Why Is the Major the Real Gate for Out-of-State Applicants at UW?
The university-level number comes with a catch. UW says the first-choice major on the application serves as the primary admission point for direct-to-major or direct-to-college options in computer science, computer engineering, the College of Engineering and the Foster School of Business. Its by-the-numbers page reports 3-year average admit rates (UW does not say which three years) for direct-to-major computer science and computer engineering of 30% for Washington residents and 2% for nonresidents, and for direct-to-college engineering of 43% and 37%. For a nonresident whose plan depends on computer science, the planning number is therefore 2%, not 42.2%. In the view of Oriel Admissions, the first-choice major on the application is itself a positioning decision and deserves as much thought as the essay. Our University of Washington acceptance rate guide covers the university-wide picture in more depth.
What Does UW Cost for Out-of-State Students, and When Are Decisions Released?
For 2026-27, the UW Finance office lists nonresident undergraduate tuition of $44,580 at the Seattle campus, or $45,546 with mandatory fees, against $12,664 in resident tuition. The admissions office estimates a nine-month nonresident cost of attendance of $67,800, while the Finance office cost of attendance sheet totals $69,596 including a one-time new student fee. UW offers no Early Decision or Early Action: per its dates and deadlines, the application deadline for autumn 2027 entry is November 15, 2026, and decisions are released during March 1 to 15, 2027, with a May 1 reply date in the Common Data Set. In our view, the absence of an early round raises the stakes on essays and rigor relative to schools such as Michigan where an early round shapes the calendar.
How Should Out-of-State Applicants Approach UW?
UW reports a middle 50% high school GPA of 3.75 to 3.98 for admitted students in autumn 2025, and enrolled first-years for fall 2025 averaged a 3.84 GPA, per the Common Data Set. For most applicants, testing does not factor in: UW permanently removed the SAT and ACT requirement, and its admissions office says reviewers will not see test scores, though UW also says high scores (1400 SAT or 31 ACT or above) may be considered for a handful of students who may not otherwise be admitted, and home-schooled applicants and applicants from schools without letter or numeric grades must still submit scores. The wait list is large: for fall 2025, UW offered 15,363 applicants a place, 8,350 accepted one and 2,252 were admitted. In our experience, the strongest nonresident applications show the most rigorous courses available through senior year, a personal statement built around one sustained commitment rather than a list of activities, and a first-choice major selected with the direct-to-major numbers in mind, plus a realistic second-choice major, which UW uses to review the application for general admission but not for direct-to-major placement. Families building a flagship-heavy list should read this alongside our out-of-state acceptance rates overview to see where the UW residency gap fits in the national picture.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Washington Out-of-State Acceptance Rate
For fall 2025, UW Seattle admitted 18,813 of 44,619 nonresident first-year applicants, a 42.2% rate by our calculation, against 45.7% for Washington residents and 35.6% for international applicants, per its Common Data Set 2025-2026. UW reports 3-year average rates of 47% for residents and 39% for nonresidents, without naming the three years.
At the university level, modestly: 42.2% for nonresidents against 45.7% for residents in fall 2025. At the major level the gap can be extreme. UW reports a 3-year average direct-to-major admit rate for computer science and computer engineering of 2% for nonresidents against 30% for Washington residents.
For 2026-27, the UW Finance office lists Seattle nonresident tuition of $44,580, or $45,546 with mandatory fees. The admissions office estimates a nine-month nonresident cost of attendance of $67,800, and the Finance office sheet totals $69,596 including a one-time new student fee.
No. For autumn 2027 entry, UW Seattle has a single first-year deadline of November 15, 2026, releases decisions during March 1 to 15, 2027, and sets a May 1 reply date. In our view, with no early round to capture, rigor, essays and the choice of major carry the full weight of the application.
Not for most applicants. UW permanently removed the SAT and ACT requirement, its admissions office says reviewers will not see test scores, and scores are not required or considered for admissions scholarships. UW also says high scores (1400 SAT or 31 ACT or above) may be considered for a handful of students who may not otherwise be admitted, and home-schooled applicants and applicants from schools without letter or numeric grades must still submit scores. In our view, most out-of-state applicants should put that effort into course rigor and the written application instead.
UW reports a middle 50% high school GPA of 3.75 to 3.98 for admitted students in autumn 2025, and fall 2025 enrolled first-years averaged a 3.84. Oriel Admissions advises nonresident applicants to pair a GPA in that range with maximum course rigor and a carefully chosen first-choice major.
Very hard. UW reports a 3-year average direct-to-major admit rate of 2% for nonresidents applying to computer science or computer engineering, against 30% for Washington residents. Direct-to-college engineering is less extreme, at 37% for nonresidents and 43% for residents.
Yes. For fall 2025, UW Seattle offered 15,363 applicants a place on the wait list, 8,350 accepted a place and 2,252 were admitted, per its Common Data Set 2025-2026. The filing does not break wait list admits down by residency.
Sources: University of Washington Seattle Common Data Set 2025-2026; UW Office of Admissions, First-Year Students by the Numbers; UW Office of Admissions, Test Scores; UW Office of Admissions, Dates and Deadlines; UW Finance, 2026-27 Annual Tuition and Fees; UW Finance, 2026-27 Cost of Attendance; UW Office of Admissions, Cost of Attendance.
About Oriel Admissions
Oriel Admissions is a college admissions consulting firm advising families nationwide on elite university admissions strategy, with offices in Princeton, New Jersey and New York. Our team brings deep expertise across every dimension of the application, and our distinctive 360 approach develops strategy, positioning, activities, essays, and interviews as one coherent whole. To discuss your strategy, schedule a consultation.
