University of Washington Acceptance Rate: Class of 2030 Admissions Statistics

The University of Washington (UW) admitted 30,446 students out of 72,933 applicants for the Class of 2029, yielding a 41.75% acceptance rate. For the Class of 2030, UW has not yet released admissions results.

In this blog, we’ll walk through UW’s latest available overall, transfer, and waitlist acceptance rates and see how they’ve changed over time.

• University of Washington Acceptance Rates
• University of Washington Early Action and Regular Decision Acceptance Rates
• University of Washington Transfer Acceptance Rate
• University of Washington Waitlist Acceptance Rate
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Takeaways

University of Washington Acceptance Rates

The University of Washington’s overall acceptance rate for the Class of 2029 stands at 41.75%, a slight increase from the 39.15% recorded for the Class of 2028. That shift was driven by a rise in both applications and admitted students, with applicants growing from 69,166 to 72,933 and admits increasing from 27,076 to 30,446.

Here is the full breakdown of UW’s acceptance rates over the past decade:

Note: All data has been compiled from UW’s Common Data Set.

Applications to UW have grown substantially over the past decade, rising from 45,907 for the Class of 2022 to 72,933 for the Class of 2029, an increase of nearly 59%. The number of admitted students has also grown, though more gradually, climbing from 22,350 to 30,446 over the same period.

That gap between application volume and admit growth has pushed the acceptance rate steadily downward from the mid-50s range seen in 2024 and 2025, with the rate bottoming out at 39.15% for the Class of 2028 before ticking back up to 41.75% for 2029.

University of Washington Early Action and Regular Decision Acceptance Rates

UW does not offer an Early Action or Early Decision application plan. The university operates on a single application deadline, so the only figure released is the overall acceptance rate. While UW does not have an early round, students can still strengthen their applications in other ways.

Students interested in learning more about UW’s admissions process can visit the university’s official application information page.

University of Washington Transfer Acceptance Rate

The most recent available UW transfer data comes from Fall 2025, with an acceptance rate of 42.35%. Here’s the breakdown:

Note: Fall 2025 transfer data is from UW’s Common Data Set for 2025-2026, the same reporting year that includes Class of 2029 first-year admissions data.

UW’s transfer acceptance rate of 42.35% is roughly in line with its 41.75% overall first-year rate for the Class of 2029, which makes UW relatively consistent in its selectivity across both applicant pools. Students considering a transfer to UW should expect a competitive process comparable to freshman admissions.

University of Washington Waitlist Acceptance Rate

The most recent waitlist data comes from the Class of 2029, when UW admitted 26.97% of students from the waitlist. Here’s the breakdown:

Note: Waitlist data is from UW’s Common Data Set for 2025-2026, the same reporting year that includes Class of 2029 first-year admissions data.

UW’s waitlist acceptance rate of 26.97% is calculated against the number of students who confirmed their place on the waitlist, not the total number initially waitlisted.

The waitlist is inherently unpredictable and should not be relied upon as a guaranteed path to admission. Enrollment yield, financial aid commitments, and other factors influence how many waitlisted students a school ultimately takes in a given cycle. If you find yourself on UW’s waitlist, the best move is to have a solid backup plan in place while you wait for a final decision.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is the University of Washington’s current acceptance rate?

The most recent confirmed acceptance rate is 41.75% for the Class of 2029. UW received 72,933 applications and admitted 30,446 students.

2. Is it easier to get into the University of Washington through Early Action or Regular Decision?

UW does not offer an Early Action or Early Decision plan. All applicants go through the same regular admissions process.

3. How hard is it to transfer to the University of Washington?

Transferring to UW is moderately competitive. For Fall 2025, 2,469 out of 5,830 transfer applicants were admitted, yielding a 42.35% transfer acceptance rate.

4. What are my chances of getting off the University of Washington’s waitlist?

Based on Class of 2029 data, UW admitted 2,252 students from a confirmed waitlist pool of 8,350, a waitlist acceptance rate of 26.97%. That said, the number admitted from the waitlist will vary year to year depending on enrollment needs.

5. Why has the University of Washington’s acceptance rate been declining?

UW’s acceptance rate trend reflects steady growth in application volume over the past decade, rising from 45,907 for the Class of 2022 to 72,933 for the Class of 2029. The number of admitted students has not kept pace, pushing the acceptance rate to its lowest point in recent history at 39.15% for the Class of 2028, before recovering slightly to 41.75% for 2029.

Takeaways

• The University of Washington’s acceptance rate has trended downward, from 55.89% for the Class of 2024 to 41.75% for the Class of 2029, driven by a steady surge in applications over the same period.
• UW does not offer EA or ED, so all applicants compete in the same admissions pool with no early round advantage available.
• Transfer admission is moderately competitive, with a 42.35% acceptance rate for Fall 2025, placing UW roughly on par with its freshman admissions selectivity.
• Waitlist outcomes are uncertain at UW, with 2,252 of 8,350 confirmed waitlisted students admitted for the Class of 2029, though results will vary depending on enrollment needs each year.
• As UW continues to attract more applicants each year, working with a college admissions expert gives you access to personalized guidance on how to position yourself effectively, stand out in a larger applicant pool, and put forward the strongest possible case for admission.