Cal Poly vs. UW-Seattle

Should I go to California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo or University of Washington Seattle Campus? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Cal Poly or UW-Seattle is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.
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California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo vs. University of Washington Seattle Campus comparison
California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo University of Washington Seattle Campus College 3 College 4
California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo University of Washington Seattle Campus
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Overview

 Cal Poly UW-Seattle
Location San Luis Obispo, CA Seattle, WA
Setting Small Suburban Large City
Enrollment 22,000 52,319
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #155 #87
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website calpoly.edu washington.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Cal Poly UW-Seattle
Tuition (In State) $5,742 $11,189
Tuition (Out of State) $17,622 $39,687
Room & Board $16,449 $16,068
Avg Net Price $19,184 $10,603
Avg Grant Aid $10,065 $14,731
% Receiving Grant Aid 42% 44%

Admission

 Cal Poly UW-Seattle
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 58,774 52,488
Admitted 17,885 24,942
Acceptance Rate 30.4% 47.5%
Enrolled % 28.6% 29.6%
Avg High School GPA 4.0 3.82
Typical High School Grades A/A+ A-
Admissions Standards Very High Exceptional
Applicant Competition High Low
ACT Range 26/32 27/33
SAT Range 1220/1410 1200/1453
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind)
Application Deadline Nov 30, 2023 Nov 16, 2023

Academics

 Cal Poly UW-Seattle
Student to Faculty Ratio 20:1 21:1
Popular Majors
  • Engineering (24%)
  • Business (15%)
  • Agriculture (15%)
  • Architecture (8%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (5%)
  • Social Sciences (19%)
  • Business (11%)
  • Biology (10%)
  • Engineering (8%)
  • Communication (6%)

Outcomes

 Cal Poly UW-Seattle
Graduation Rate 75% 80%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $69,400 $65,800
Making Student Loan Payments 85% 76%
Median Student Loan Debt $18,666 $15,000
Median Loan Payment $193 $155

Diversity

 Cal Poly UW-Seattle
% Men 51% 47%
% Women 49% 53%
Racial Diversity High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 57% 42%
% Black 1% 3%
% Hispanic 16% 7%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 7% 7%
% International 2% 15%
% Unknown Race 5% 1%

Students

 Cal Poly UW-Seattle
% In-State 83% 60%
% Out-of-State 16% 24%

Campus

 Cal Poly UW-Seattle
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No Yes
Daycare Facility Yes Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • University of Washington Seattle Campus is larger than than Cal Poly based on total student enrollment (52,319 students vs. 22,000 students)

Cal Poly vs. UW-Seattle Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Cal Poly or UW-Seattle?

  • University of Washington Seattle Campus is 94.9% more expensive to attend than Cal Poly for in-state tuition ($11,189.00 vs. $5,742.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 125.2% higher at UW-Seattle than California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo ($39,687.00 vs. $17,622.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of Washington Seattle Campus than Cal Poly ($10,603 vs. $19,184)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Washington Seattle Campus are 2.4% lower than costs at California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo ($16,068 vs. $16,449)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of Washington Seattle Campus than California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo (44% vs. 42%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of Washington Seattle Campus students is 46.4% larger than aid received California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo ($14,731 vs. $10,065)

Cal Poly vs. UW-Seattle Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Cal Poly or UW-Seattle? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between UW-Seattle or Cal Poly .

  • The average SAT score at California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo (1259) is 1 points higher than at UW-Seattle (1258)
  • Incoming Cal Poly students have at the same average ACT score (29) as students at UW-Seattle (29)
  • Accepted freshman Cal Poly students have a 0.18 point higher average high school GPA (4.0) than students at UW-Seattle (3.82)
  • UW-Seattle has a higher acceptance rate (47.5%) than Cal Poly (30.4%)

Cal Poly vs. UW-Seattle Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Cal Poly or UW-Seattle? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between UW-Seattle and Cal Poly.

  • The graduation rate at UW-Seattle is higher than California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo (80% vs. 75%)
  • Graduates from California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo earn on average $3,600 more per year than UW-Seattle graduates after ten years. ($69,400 vs. $65,800)
  • University of Washington Seattle Campus students graduate with a $3,666 lower median federal student loan debt than Cal Poly graduates. ($15,000 vs. $18,666)
  • UW-Seattle graduates are paying $38 less per month on federal student loans than Cal Poly graduates. ($155 vs. $193)
  • More Cal Poly graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UW-Seattle students, three years after graduation. (85% vs. 76%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/