UW-Seattle vs. UIC vs. Washington State vs. Minnesota

Should I go to University of Washington Seattle Campus or University of Illinois at Chicago? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if UW-Seattle or UIC 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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University of Washington Seattle Campus vs. University of Illinois at Chicago vs. Washington State University vs. University of Minnesota Twin Cities comparison
University of Washington Seattle Campus University of Illinois at Chicago Washington State University University of Minnesota Twin Cities
University of Washington Seattle Campus University of Illinois at Chicago Washington State University University of Minnesota Twin Cities
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Overview

 UW-Seattle UIC Washington State Minnesota
Location Seattle, WA Chicago, IL Pullman, WA Minneapolis, MN
Setting Large City Large City Distant Town Large City
Enrollment 55,620 33,522 26,490 54,890
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #85 #198 #385 #150
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit Non-profit Non-profit
Website washington.edu uic.edu wsu.edu umn.edu
Team Colors                                        

Costs

 UW-Seattle UIC Washington State Minnesota
Tuition (In State) $11,524 $11,178 $10,976 $14,496
Tuition (Out of State) $40,878 $26,200 $27,052 $34,410
Room & Board $17,982 $14,600 $13,131 $13,028
Avg Net Price $11,023 $11,499 $18,155 $16,730
Avg Grant Aid $14,390 $15,421 $10,370 $11,807
% Receiving Grant Aid 43% 72% 87% 62%

Admission

 UW-Seattle UIC Washington State Minnesota
Applied 62,428 25,420 26,166 39,863
Admitted 26,552 19,955 22,335 30,705
Acceptance Rate 42.5% 78.5% 85.4% 117.3%
Enrolled % 26.4% 23.3% 19% 30.2%
Avg High School GPA 3.82 3.41 3.5 3.75
Typical High School Grades A- B+ B+ A-
Admissions Standards Exceptional Very High Moderate Very High
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 27/33 25/32 20/26 27/31
SAT Range 1200/1453 1120/1340 1020/1210 1310/1480
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Nov 16, 2025 Feb 1, 2026 Jan 31, 2026 Jan 1, 2026

Academics

 UW-Seattle UIC Washington State Minnesota
Student to Faculty Ratio 20:1 17:1 15:1 16:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (19%)
  • Business (11%)
  • Biology (10%)
  • Engineering (8%)
  • Communication (6%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Psychology (13%)
  • Biology (11%)
  • Social Sciences (10%)
  • Engineering (9%)
  • Business (18%)
  • Social Sciences (16%)
  • Health Professions (8%)
  • Engineering (8%)
  • Communication (7%)
  • Social Sciences (20%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Engineering (14%)
  • Biology (12%)
  • Psychology (10%)

Outcomes

 UW-Seattle UIC Washington State Minnesota
Graduation Rate 80% 54% 67% 70%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $65,800 $61,900 $54,400 $58,200
Making Student Loan Payments 76% 68% 71% 74%
Median Student Loan Debt $15,000 $18,750 $20,429 $20,185
Median Loan Payment $155 $193 $211 $208

Diversity

 UW-Seattle UIC Washington State Minnesota
% Men 13% 14% 7% 12%
% Women 16% 20% 10% 16%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High Medium Medium
HBCU No No No No
% White 42% 34% 63% 70%
% Black 3% 8% 3% 4%
% Hispanic 7% 28% 13% 4%
% Native American 0% 0% 1% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0% 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 7% 3% 8% 4%
% International 15% 2% 5% 9%
% Unknown Race 1% 2% 2% 1%

Students

 UW-Seattle UIC Washington State Minnesota
% In-State 60% 89% 83% 66%
% Out-of-State 24% 4% 15% 26%

Campus

 UW-Seattle UIC Washington State Minnesota
Campus Housing Yes Yes Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes Yes No No Yes
Daycare Facility Yes Yes Yes Yes
Learn More Details Details Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • University of Washington Seattle Campus is larger than than UIC based on total student enrollment (55,620 students vs. 33,522 students)

UW-Seattle vs. UIC Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UW-Seattle or UIC?

  • University of Washington Seattle Campus is 3.1% more expensive to attend than UIC for in-state tuition ($11,524.00 vs. $11,178.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 56% higher at UW-Seattle than University of Illinois at Chicago ($40,878.00 vs. $26,200.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of Washington Seattle Campus than UIC ($11,023 vs. $11,499)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Illinois at Chicago are 23.2% lower than costs at University of Washington Seattle Campus ($14,600 vs. $17,982)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of Illinois at Chicago than University of Washington Seattle Campus (72% vs. 43%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of Illinois at Chicago students is 7.2% larger than aid received University of Washington Seattle Campus ($15,421 vs. $14,390)

UW-Seattle vs. UIC Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of Washington Seattle Campus (1258) is 166 points higher than at UIC (1092)
  • Incoming UW-Seattle students have a 5 point higher average ACT score (29) than students at UIC (24)
  • Accepted freshman UW-Seattle students have a 0.41 point higher average high school GPA (3.82) than students at UIC (3.41)
  • UIC has a higher acceptance rate (78.5%) than UW-Seattle (42.5%)

UW-Seattle vs. UIC Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UW-Seattle or UIC? 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 UIC and UW-Seattle.

  • The graduation rate at UW-Seattle is higher than University of Illinois at Chicago (80% vs. 54%)
  • Graduates from University of Washington Seattle Campus earn on average $3,900 more per year than UIC graduates after ten years. ($65,800 vs. $61,900)
  • University of Washington Seattle Campus students graduate with a $3,750 lower median federal student loan debt than UIC graduates. ($15,000 vs. $18,750)
  • UW-Seattle graduates are paying $38 less per month on federal student loans than UIC graduates. ($155 vs. $193)
  • More UW-Seattle graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UIC students, three years after graduation. (76% vs. 68%)

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