UC Berkeley vs. UW-Seattle

Should I go to University of California Berkeley or University of Washington Seattle Campus? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if UC Berkeley 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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University of California Berkeley vs. University of Washington Seattle Campus comparison
University of California Berkeley University of Washington Seattle Campus College 3 College 4
University of California Berkeley University of Washington Seattle Campus
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Overview

 UC Berkeley UW-Seattle
Location Berkeley, CA Seattle, WA
Setting Midsize City Large City
Enrollment 45,699 55,620
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #64 #85
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website berkeley.edu washington.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 UC Berkeley UW-Seattle
Tuition (In State) $11,834 $11,524
Tuition (Out of State) $42,611 $40,878
Room & Board $22,692 $17,982
Avg Net Price $16,997 $11,023
Avg Grant Aid $25,951 $14,390
% Receiving Grant Aid 50% 43%

Admission

 UC Berkeley UW-Seattle
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 125,910 62,428
Admitted 14,677 26,552
Acceptance Rate 11.7% 42.5%
Enrolled % 45.2% 26.4%
Avg High School GPA 3.87 3.82
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Elite Exceptional
Applicant Competition Very High Low
ACT Range 30/35 27/33
SAT Range 1310/1530 1200/1453
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind)
Application Deadline Nov 30, 2025 Nov 16, 2025

Academics

 UC Berkeley UW-Seattle
Student to Faculty Ratio 18:1 20:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (20%)
  • Biology (13%)
  • Engineering (10%)
  • English and Literature (5%)
  • Natural Resources Conservation (5%)
  • Social Sciences (19%)
  • Business (11%)
  • Biology (10%)
  • Engineering (8%)
  • Communication (6%)

Outcomes

 UC Berkeley UW-Seattle
Graduation Rate 90% 80%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $74,700 $65,800
Making Student Loan Payments 79% 76%
Median Student Loan Debt $14,200 $15,000
Median Loan Payment $146 $155

Diversity

 UC Berkeley UW-Seattle
% Men 14% 13%
% Women 13% 16%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 27% 42%
% Black 2% 3%
% Hispanic 14% 7%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 7%
% International 14% 15%
% Unknown Race 3% 1%

Students

 UC Berkeley UW-Seattle
% In-State 79% 60%
% Out-of-State 10% 24%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • University of Washington Seattle Campus is larger than than UC Berkeley based on total student enrollment (55,620 students vs. 45,699 students)

UC Berkeley vs. UW-Seattle Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UC Berkeley or UW-Seattle?

  • University of California Berkeley is 2.7% more expensive to attend than UW-Seattle for in-state tuition ($11,834.00 vs. $11,524.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 4.2% higher at UC Berkeley than University of Washington Seattle Campus ($42,611.00 vs. $40,878.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of Washington Seattle Campus than UC Berkeley ($11,023 vs. $16,997)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Washington Seattle Campus are 26.2% lower than costs at University of California Berkeley ($17,982 vs. $22,692)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of California Berkeley than University of Washington Seattle Campus (50% vs. 43%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Berkeley students is 80.3% larger than aid received University of Washington Seattle Campus ($25,951 vs. $14,390)

UC Berkeley vs. UW-Seattle Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of California Berkeley (1397) is 139 points higher than at UW-Seattle (1258)
  • Incoming UC Berkeley students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (32) than students at UW-Seattle (29)
  • Accepted freshman UC Berkeley students have a 0.05 point higher average high school GPA (3.87) than students at UW-Seattle (3.82)
  • UW-Seattle has a higher acceptance rate (42.5%) than UC Berkeley (11.7%)

UC Berkeley vs. UW-Seattle Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UC Berkeley 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 UC Berkeley.

  • The graduation rate at UC Berkeley is higher than University of Washington Seattle Campus (90% vs. 80%)
  • Graduates from University of California Berkeley earn on average $8,900 more per year than UW-Seattle graduates after ten years. ($74,700 vs. $65,800)
  • University of California Berkeley students graduate with a $800 lower median federal student loan debt than UW-Seattle graduates. ($14,200 vs. $15,000)
  • UC Berkeley graduates are paying $9 less per month on federal student loans than UW-Seattle graduates. ($146 vs. $155)
  • More UC Berkeley graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UW-Seattle students, three years after graduation. (79% vs. 76%)

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