University of Wisconsin-Madison & University of Washington (Seattle)
Source: uwmadison_uwseattle.md
University of Wisconsin-Madison & University of Washington (Seattle)
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Overview
- Type: Public flagship (Big Ten)
- Location: Madison, WI
- Category: flagship_public
Admissions (Fall 2024)
- Total applicants: 45,941 (record high, up 4.6% YoY)
- Acceptance rate: ~49% overall (73% for WI residents, 53.8% for non-residents)
- Class size: 7,306 freshmen enrolled
- Yield rate: 29%
Academic Profile
- SAT middle 50%: 1370-1490 (avg ~1400)
- ACT middle 50%: 29-33 (avg ~31)
- Average GPA: 3.90 unweighted (52.7% had 4.0, 33.4% had 3.75-3.99)
- Top 10% of HS class: 54%
- Testing policy: Test-optional
Application Rounds
- Early Action: Nov 1 deadline, decisions by end of January (non-binding)
- Regular Decision: Feb 1 deadline, decisions by end of March
- No Early Decision
Demographics (Undergraduate)
| Group |
Pct |
| White |
65% |
| International |
13% |
| Asian |
7% |
| Hispanic |
6% |
| Multiracial |
3% |
| Black |
2% |
| Women |
53% |
- Total undergrad enrollment: ~38,040
- International students from 110 countries (China, India, South Korea top 3)
Financial Aid / Net Cost by Income
| Income Bracket |
Net Price |
| $0-$30,000 |
$4,367 |
| $30,001-$48,000 |
$6,860 |
| $48,001-$75,000 |
$13,227 |
| $75,001-$110,000 |
$21,860 |
| Over $110,000 |
$24,574 |
Athletics
- 23 Big Ten varsity sports
- 889 student-athletes (~2.3% of undergrad enrollment)
Notable
- Wisconsin Guarantee: top 5% of WI high school grads guaranteed admission starting 2025-26
- Strong programs in STEM, business, social sciences, agriculture
- Research powerhouse with $1.4B+ annual research expenditures
Sources
- College Factual diversity data
- UW-Madison DAPIR admissions data
- Common Data Set 2024-2025
- GoodGoblin/NextGenAdmit admissions profiles
University of Washington (Seattle)
Overview
- Type: Public flagship (Big Ten, joined 2024)
- Location: Seattle, WA
- Category: flagship_public
Admissions (Fall 2024)
- Total applicants: 74,603
- Acceptance rate: 39.5%
- Class size: 7,195 freshmen (8,774 total new undergrads incl. transfers)
- Yield rate: 26%
Academic Profile
- SAT middle 50%: 1330-1500 (avg ~1410)
- ACT middle 50%: 28-33 (avg ~30)
- Average GPA: 3.83 unweighted (middle 50%: 3.75-3.98)
- Top 10% of HS class: ~50%
- Testing policy: Test-optional (returning to test-required for 2025-26)
Application Rounds
- Single deadline: November 15 ($80 fee)
- No Early Action or Early Decision
- Decisions released March 15, deposit due May 1
Demographics (Undergraduate)
| Group |
Pct |
| White |
40% |
| Asian |
22% |
| International |
16% |
| Hispanic |
8% |
| Multiracial |
7% |
| Black |
3% |
| Women |
52% |
- Total undergrad enrollment: ~40,684
- International students from 120 countries
- 2024 entering class described as most diverse in 164-year history
- 20.2% historically underserved students
Financial Aid / Net Cost by Income
| Income Bracket |
Net Price |
| $0-$30,000 |
$7,850 |
| $30,001-$48,000 |
$7,467 |
| $48,001-$75,000 |
$9,694 |
| $75,001-$110,000 |
$18,110 |
| Over $110,000 |
$24,879 |
Athletics
- 22 varsity sports (Big Ten)
- 709 student-athletes (~1.7% of undergrad enrollment)
Notable
- Direct-to-major system: CS and engineering admission is highly competitive (30% WA residents, 2% non-residents for CS)
- Returning to test-required for fall 2026 admissions cycle
- Strong CS, engineering, health sciences, and biomedical programs
- 75K applicants — one of the most applied-to public universities in the US
Sources
- College Factual diversity data
- UW Office of Admissions "By the Numbers"
- Common Data Set 2024-2025
- UW News: "2024 entering class is most diverse"
Comparison
| Metric |
UW-Madison |
UW-Seattle |
| Acceptance rate |
49% |
39.5% |
| Total applicants |
45,941 |
74,603 |
| Class size |
7,306 |
7,195 |
| Yield |
29% |
26% |
| SAT mid-50% |
1370-1490 |
1330-1500 |
| ACT mid-50% |
29-33 |
28-33 |
| Avg GPA |
3.90 |
3.83 |
| Early rounds |
EA (Nov 1) |
None |
| International % |
13% |
16% |
| Asian % |
7% |
22% |
| White % |
65% |
40% |