University of Wisconsin-Madison & University of Washington (Seattle)

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)

• Total undergrad enrollment: ~38,040
• International students from 110 countries (China, India, South Korea top 3)

Financial Aid / Net Cost by Income

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)

• 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

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