The University of Washington is recognized as a premier institution for pursuing medicine, engineering, and various sciences, and is a R1 research university. Although the University of Washington used to be an easier school to get accepted into, it now ranks in the top 20-25% of public universities.
The History of UW
Founded in 1861, UW became a public university located in downtown Seattle and is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast. In the 1890s, UW began to grow from just 30 students enrolled in their undergraduate program to 300 students. This development meant a new campus in central Seattle in the university district. The University of Washington opened additional campuses in Bothell and Tacoma, and in 1990, evolved into a 4-year university. Now, Seattle’s location has 33,000 undergraduate students enrolled.
Bothell and Tacoma Locations
UW Bothell and Tacoma were created to have Washington residents have a more attainable 4- year education that can not commute and live farther away. Currently, 6,000 students are enrolled at UW Bothell and 4,980 students are enrolled at UW Tacoma. The other locations have great opportunities for students, just like the main campus in Seattle, but with a smaller and more personalized learning style. UW Tacoma has an acceptance rate of 83% and UW Bothell has an acceptance rate of 91-92%. Both campuses offer accessible resources but UW Tacoma has stronger programs in art and social sciences. UW Bothell has a stronger focus on STEM majors such as science, computer science, and engineering.
Undergraduate Admissions
As years pass by, UW has become more selective with its admission, increasing its prestige and allure for applicants. In 2017, the University of Washington had 44,877 applicants and 20,833 admissions. By 2023, the school had 62,428 applicants and 26,552 admissions. With the number of applicants increasing, the acceptance rate decreased from 48.7% to 39.5%.
The University of Washington’s admissions do not require a submission of SAT or ACT scores, but the scores of admitted students average from 1280-1490, and an ACT score of 30 to 34. Finally, the average GPA to be accepted is 3.82, along with great academic performance and extracurricular activities.
Why UW?
The University of Washington has incredibly strong academic programs, many research opportunities, and a great student life based on its location in Seattle.
The strong academic programs UW offers are computer science and engineering, which have been highly ranked. Majoring in biology benefits students because of the strong research focus and connections to healthcare. The University of Washington has a medical school widely known for its research and a high focus on primary care. UW’s medical school has a close tie with many hospitals and clinics around the area, creating great opportunities for students. Lastly, UW also has its own dentistry and law school.
