Applicants, Acceptance Rate, Yield Trends at UW

The average acceptance rate at UW over the past 10 years is 48.36%, and the most recent acceptance rate is 39.15%. Compared to the previous year, it became slightly more competitive to gain admission to UW in 2025.

The acceptance rate has decreased each year for the past 4 years, indicating increasing selectivity.

The average yield (enrollment rate) over the period is 30.10%, and the 2025 yield is 26.58%. Overall, the yield has decreased by 23.09% from 2015 to 2025.

The number of UW applicants increased by 10.79% (6,738 applicants) compared to the previous year. Over the entire 10-year period, applicants increased by 87.75% overall.

Trends by Subject

Key Takeaways: UW Admission Metrics

Acceptance Rate Overview

The current acceptance rate for the 2025 admission cycle is 39.15%, representing an increasingly selective admissions process. This indicates that UW has become more competitive over the past decade, as the institution receives a growing number of applications while maintaining or reducing the number of admitted students.

Yield Rate & Enrollment Patterns

The admission yield (the percentage of admitted students who enroll) for the 2025 academic year is 26.58%. The declining yield trend suggests that a lower percentage of admitted students are choosing to enroll at UW. This pattern may reflect increased competition from peer institutions, changing student demographics, or shifts in institutional enrollment strategy.

Application Volume & Admission Trends

For the 2025 admission cycle, UW received approximately 69,166 applications, admitted 27,076 students, and enrolled 7,196 students. The rising application volume trend indicates that UW is attracting an increasing number of prospective students over time. This growth in applications typically reflects enhanced institutional visibility, improved marketing initiatives, or increasing perceived value in the higher education market.

Acceptance Rate Changes

UW 10-Year Admission Rate Summary: The acceptance rate trends at UW over the past decade show a consistent pattern of increasing selectivity, with the acceptance rate declining year-over-year for 4 consecutive years. The average acceptance rate over this period is 48.36%, while the most recent rate stands at 39.15%. This data reflects the institution's evolving competitiveness in the higher education admissions landscape.

For the most recent admission cycle (2025), the acceptance rate is 39.15%. By gender, the average acceptance rate for men is 44.66% and for women is 51.44%.

The following table and chart show how acceptance rates at UW have changed over the past 10 years (2015-2025).

YearTotalMenWomen
2015-16 53.33% 50.97% 55.36%
2016-17 45.35%
-7.98%
43.43%
-7.53%
46.93%
-8.44%
2017-18 46.42%
1.08%
44.37%
0.94%
48.14%
1.21%
2018-19 48.69%
2.26%
46.36%
1.99%
50.63%
2.48%
2019-20 51.76%
3.08%
49.70%
3.33%
53.53%
2.90%
2020-21 55.86%
4.10%
50.48%
0.79%
60.57%
7.04%
2021-22 53.00%
-2.86%
46.00%
-4.48%
59.00%
-1.57%
2022-23 47.52%
-5.48%
41.69%
-4.31%
51.97%
-7.03%
2023-24 42.53%
-4.99%
38.48%
-3.20%
45.72%
-6.24%
2024-25 39.15%
-3.39%
35.10%
-3.38%
42.56%
-3.16%
Average 48.36% 44.66% 51.44%
University of Washington-Seattle Campus Acceptance Rate Trends Over Time - Historical Admission Rate Data Visualization Chart

Admission Yield (Enrollment Rate) Changes

UW has demonstrated a decline in admission yield over the past 10 years. The institution's yield rate has decreased from 34.56% in 2015 to 26.58% in 2025, representing a 23.09% decrease. The 10-year average yield stands at 30.10%, reflecting weakening enrollment performance.

The following table and chart illustrate the changes in yield at UW from 2015 to 2025. The admission yield has decreased by 23.09% over this period.

YearTotalMenWomen
2015-16 34.56% 36.36% 33.12%
2016-17 32.81%
-1.74%
35.56%
-0.80%
30.71%
-2.41%
2017-18 32.61%
-0.21%
34.06%
-1.50%
31.48%
0.77%
2018-19 32.04%
-0.57%
33.05%
-1.01%
31.27%
-0.22%
2019-20 29.64%
-2.40%
29.25%
-3.80%
29.94%
-1.32%
2020-21 28.73%
-0.90%
29.40%
0.15%
28.24%
-1.70%
2021-22 28.00%
-0.73%
30.00%
0.60%
27.00%
-1.24%
2022-23 29.61%
1.61%
32.00%
2.00%
28.15%
1.15%
2023-24 26.40%
-3.21%
29.36%
-2.64%
24.45%
-3.71%
2024-25 26.58%
0.17%
28.33%
-1.03%
25.36%
0.91%
Average 30.10% 31.74% 28.97%
University of Washington-Seattle Campus enrollment rate trends chart showing historical yield changes from 2015 to 2025

Applicants, Admitted, and Enrolled Headcount Changes

Over the past 10 years, The average number of applicants is 49,342, the average number of admitted is 23,507, and the average number of first-year enrolled students is 7,008.

The number of UW applicants increased by 10.79% (6,738 applicants) compared to the previous year. Over the entire 10-year period, applicants increased by 87.75% overall.

The following table and chart show the changes of applicants, admitted, and enrolled headcount at University of Washington-Seattle Campus from 2015 to 2025.

YearApplicantsAdmittedEnrolled
2015-16 36,840 19,646 6,789
2016-17 43,517
18.12%
19,733
0.44%
6,475
-4.63%
2017-18 44,877
3.13%
20,833
5.57%
6,793
4.91%
2018-19 45,907
2.30%
22,350
7.28%
7,161
5.42%
2019-20 45,579
-0.71%
23,592
5.56%
6,992
-2.36%
2020-21 43,778
-3.95%
24,456
3.66%
7,027
0.50%
2021-22 48,840
11.56%
25,885
5.84%
7,248
3.15%
2022-23 52,488
7.47%
24,942
-3.64%
7,386
1.90%
2023-24 62,428
18.94%
26,552
6.45%
7,011
-5.08%
2024-25 69,166
10.79%
27,076
1.97%
7,196
2.64%
Average 49,342 23,507 7,008
University of Washington-Seattle Campus - 10 Year Applicants, Admissions, and Enrollment Trends Chart

Compare Acceptance Rate Change to Similar Colleges

The following table compares University of Washington-Seattle Campus' acceptance rate to similar schools.

20242025Change %
University of Washington-Seattle Campus42.53%39.15% -7.95%
University of California-Los Angeles8.97%8.73% 2.75%
University of Utah85.98%87.17% -1.37%
University of Colorado Boulder78.08%83.28% -6.24%
Oregon State University77.30%78.85% -1.97%
University of Oregon88.30%85.11% 3.75%

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