USAFA vs. UW-Seattle

Deciding between United States Air Force Academy and University of Washington Seattle Campus? The table below shows tuition, aid, admissions, and outcomes side by side. Data comes from public sources across more than 3,000 U.S. colleges and universities. No account is required.

United States Air Force Academy
University of Washington Seattle Campus

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  • Overview

  • Location
  • USAFA USAF Academy, Colorado
  • UW-Seattle Seattle, WA
  • Setting
  • USAFA Large City
  • UW-Seattle Large City
  • Total enrollment
  • USAFA 4,114
  • UW-Seattle 56,997
  • Type
  • USAFA Public 4 Year
  • UW-Seattle Public 4 Year
  • National Ranking
  • USAFA
  • UW-Seattle #90
  • Religious Affiliation
  • USAFA -
  • UW-Seattle -
  • Status
  • USAFA Non-profit
  • UW-Seattle Non-profit
  • Team Colors
  • USAFA
  • UW-Seattle

  • Cost

  • Tuition (In State)
  • USAFA $0
  • UW-Seattle $12,973
  • Tuition (Out of State)
  • USAFA $0
  • UW-Seattle $43,209
  • Room & Board
  • USAFA $0
  • UW-Seattle $18,405
  • Average Net Price
  • USAFA -
  • UW-Seattle $11,784
  • Average Grant Aid
  • USAFA $0
  • UW-Seattle $16,156
  • % Receiving Grant Aid
  • USAFA 0%
  • UW-Seattle 43%

  • Admissions

  • Applied
  • USAFA 10,187
  • UW-Seattle 69,166
  • Admitted
  • USAFA 1,435
  • UW-Seattle 27,076
  • Acceptance Rate
  • USAFA 14.1%
  • UW-Seattle 39.1%
  • Enrolled
  • USAFA 78.5%
  • UW-Seattle 26.6%
  • Typical SAT score
  • USAFA 1340
  • UW-Seattle 1330
  • Typical ACT score
  • USAFA 29
  • UW-Seattle 30
  • Average High School GPA
  • USAFA 3.81
  • UW-Seattle 3.82
  • Typical High School Grades
  • USAFA A-
  • UW-Seattle A-
  • Admissions Standards
  • USAFA Very High
  • UW-Seattle Very High
  • Applicant Competition
  • USAFA Very High
  • UW-Seattle High
  • ACT Range
  • USAFA 26/33
  • UW-Seattle 27/33
  • SAT Range
  • USAFA 1230/1440
  • UW-Seattle 1200/1453
  • Submit Test Scores
  • USAFA Required
  • UW-Seattle Test-free
  • Application Deadline
  • USAFA Dec 31, 2026
  • UW-Seattle Nov 16, 2026

  • Academics

  • Student to Faculty Ratio
  • USAFA 7:1
  • UW-Seattle 20:1
  • Popular Majors
  • USAFA
    • Engineering (35%)
    • Social Sciences (18%)
    • General Studies (14%)
    • Business (12%)
    • Biology (6%)
  • UW-Seattle
    • Social Sciences (19%)
    • Business (11%)
    • Biology (10%)
    • Engineering (8%)
    • Communication (6%)

  • Outcomes

  • Graduation Rate
  • USAFA -
  • UW-Seattle 80%
  • Median Earnings (After 10 years)
  • USAFA N/A
  • UW-Seattle $65,800
  • Making Student Loan Payments
  • USAFA -
  • UW-Seattle 76%
  • Median Student Loan Debt
  • USAFA N/A
  • UW-Seattle $15,000
  • Median Loan Payment
  • USAFA N/A
  • UW-Seattle $155

  • Diversity

  • % Men
  • USAFA 70%
  • UW-Seattle 52%
  • % Women
  • USAFA 30%
  • UW-Seattle 48%
  • Racial Diversity
  • USAFA -
  • UW-Seattle Very High
  • HBCU
  • USAFA No
  • UW-Seattle No
  • % White
  • USAFA 0%
  • UW-Seattle 42%
  • % Asian
  • USAFA 0%
  • UW-Seattle 24%
  • % Black
  • USAFA 0%
  • UW-Seattle 3%
  • % Hispanic
  • USAFA 0%
  • UW-Seattle 7%
  • % Native American
  • USAFA 0%
  • UW-Seattle 0%
  • % Pacific Islander
  • USAFA 0%
  • UW-Seattle 0%
  • % Two or More Races
  • USAFA 0%
  • UW-Seattle 7%
  • % International
  • USAFA 0%
  • UW-Seattle 15%
  • % Unknown Race
  • USAFA 0%
  • UW-Seattle 1%

  • Students

  • % In-State
  • USAFA 6%
  • UW-Seattle 64%
  • % Out-of-State
  • USAFA 91%
  • UW-Seattle 24%

  • Campus

  • Campus Housing
  • USAFA Yes
  • UW-Seattle Yes
  • Freshman Dorm Required
  • USAFA Yes
  • UW-Seattle No
  • Meal Plan
  • USAFA Yes
  • UW-Seattle Yes
  • Weekend/Evening Classes
  • USAFA No
  • UW-Seattle Yes
  • Daycare Facility
  • USAFA No
  • UW-Seattle Yes

Comparable Facts

Compare United States Air Force Academy in USAF Academy, Colorado with University of Washington Seattle Campus in Seattle, WA on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

University of Washington Seattle Campus is larger than USAFA based on total student enrollment (56,997 students vs. 4,114 students).

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

  • United States Air Force Academy is located in USAF Academy, Colorado (Large City setting); University of Washington Seattle Campus is in Seattle, WA (Large City setting).
  • United States Air Force Academy is a public, non-profit 4-year institution. University of Washington Seattle Campus is a public, non-profit 4-year institution.
  • Student-to-faculty ratio: United States Air Force Academy 7:1; University of Washington Seattle Campus 20:1.

USAFA vs. UW-Seattle Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, USAFA or UW-Seattle? Published tuition is the sticker price; many students pay less after aid (see average net price below).

  • In-state tuition differs between University of Washington Seattle Campus and USAFA ($12,973.00 vs. $0.00).
  • Out-of-state tuition differs between UW-Seattle and United States Air Force Academy ($43,209.00 vs. $0.00).
  • A larger share of students receive grant aid at University of Washington Seattle Campus than at United States Air Force Academy (43% vs. 0%).

USAFA vs. UW-Seattle Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, USAFA or UW-Seattle? Typical SAT and ACT scores (midpoint estimates from the mid-50% ranges in the table above), enrolled-tester score ranges where reported, test score submission policy, deadlines, and acceptance rates summarize admission difficulty between UW-Seattle and USAFA.

  • The typical SAT score (midpoint estimate) at United States Air Force Academy (1340) is 10 points higher than at UW-Seattle (1330).
  • Incoming UW-Seattle students have a 1 point higher typical ACT composite (midpoint estimate) (30 vs. 29 at USAFA).
  • Reported middle 50% SAT composite range (25th-75th percentile) among enrolled freshmen who submitted scores: United States Air Force Academy 1230/1440; University of Washington Seattle Campus 1200/1453.
  • Reported middle 50% ACT composite range (25th-75th percentile) among enrolled freshmen who submitted scores: United States Air Force Academy 26/33; University of Washington Seattle Campus 27/33.
  • Submitting SAT or ACT scores: USAFA - Required; UW-Seattle - Test-free.
  • Typical fall application deadline: USAFA Dec 31, 2026; UW-Seattle Nov 16, 2026.
  • Enrolled freshman UW-Seattle students have a 0.01 point higher average high school GPA (3.82) than students at USAFA (3.81).
  • UW-Seattle has a higher acceptance rate (39.1%) than USAFA (14.1%).
  • The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 78.5% at USAFA vs. 26.6% at UW-Seattle.

USAFA vs. UW-Seattle Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for USAFA and UW-Seattle? Where federal data is available for both schools, the bullets below compare graduation rate, earnings, and student loan debt using the same College Scorecard / IPEDS fields as the comparison table. If a metric is missing for one school, that school is noted separately.

  • University of Washington Seattle Campus's six-year graduation rate is 80%. Comparable graduation rate data is not available for USAFA.
  • Graduates from University of Washington Seattle Campus have median earnings of about $65,800 about ten years after starting college (College Scorecard). Comparable earnings data is not available for USAFA.

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/. Values reflect the most recent year available in our dataset.