Penn State vs. UW-Seattle

Should I go to Penn State Main Campus or University of Washington Seattle Campus? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Penn State or UW-Seattle 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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Penn State Main Campus vs. University of Washington Seattle Campus comparison
Penn State Main Campus University of Washington Seattle Campus College 3 College 4
Penn State Main Campus University of Washington Seattle Campus
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Overview

 Penn State UW-Seattle
Location University Park, PA Seattle, WA
Setting Small City Large City
Enrollment 50,399 55,620
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #171 #85
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu washington.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Penn State UW-Seattle
Tuition (In State) $19,672 $11,524
Tuition (Out of State) $39,626 $40,878
Room & Board $13,030 $17,982
Avg Net Price $27,450 $11,023
Avg Grant Aid $11,577 $14,390
% Receiving Grant Aid 36% 43%

Admission

 Penn State UW-Seattle
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 85,956 62,428
Admitted 46,605 26,552
Acceptance Rate 54.2% 42.5%
Enrolled % 19.4% 26.4%
Avg High School GPA - 3.82
Typical High School Grades - A-
Admissions Standards Very High Exceptional
Applicant Competition Low Low
ACT Range 27/32 27/33
SAT Range 1220/1400 1200/1453
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind)
Application Deadline Nov 16, 2025

Academics

 Penn State UW-Seattle
Student to Faculty Ratio 15:1 20:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (16%)
  • Engineering (12%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)
  • Social Sciences (19%)
  • Business (11%)
  • Biology (10%)
  • Engineering (8%)
  • Communication (6%)

Outcomes

 Penn State UW-Seattle
Graduation Rate 87% 80%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,300 $65,800
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 76%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,818 $15,000
Median Loan Payment $277 $155

Diversity

 Penn State UW-Seattle
% Men 8% 13%
% Women 8% 16%
Racial Diversity Medium Very High
HBCU No No
% White 69% 42%
% Black 4% 3%
% Hispanic 6% 7%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 7%
% International 11% 15%
% Unknown Race 2% 1%

Students

 Penn State UW-Seattle
% In-State 51% 60%
% Out-of-State 40% 24%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • University of Washington Seattle Campus is larger than than Penn State based on total student enrollment (55,620 students vs. 50,399 students)

Penn State vs. UW-Seattle Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Penn State or UW-Seattle?

  • Penn State Main Campus is 70.7% more expensive to attend than UW-Seattle for in-state tuition ($19,672.00 vs. $11,524.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 3.2% higher at UW-Seattle than Penn State Main Campus ($40,878.00 vs. $39,626.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of Washington Seattle Campus than Penn State ($11,023 vs. $27,450)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Main Campus are 38% lower than costs at University of Washington Seattle Campus ($13,030 vs. $17,982)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of Washington Seattle Campus than Penn State Main Campus (43% vs. 36%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of Washington Seattle Campus students is 24.3% larger than aid received Penn State Main Campus ($14,390 vs. $11,577)

Penn State vs. UW-Seattle Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of Washington Seattle Campus (1258) is 56 points higher than at Penn State (1202)
  • Incoming UW-Seattle students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (29) than students at Penn State (27)
  • Penn State has a higher acceptance rate (54.2%) than UW-Seattle (42.5%)

Penn State vs. UW-Seattle Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Penn State or UW-Seattle? 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 UW-Seattle and Penn State.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State is higher than University of Washington Seattle Campus (87% vs. 80%)
  • Graduates from University of Washington Seattle Campus earn on average $10,500 more per year than Penn State graduates after ten years. ($65,800 vs. $55,300)
  • University of Washington Seattle Campus students graduate with a $11,818 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State graduates. ($15,000 vs. $26,818)
  • UW-Seattle graduates are paying $122 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State graduates. ($155 vs. $277)
  • More UW-Seattle graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State students, three years after graduation. (76% vs. 69%)

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