Washington State University acceptance rate and your odds of getting in
Washington State University, a public university in Washington, reports a 87% acceptance rate and sits in the accessible band. In practice that means it admits most qualified applicants, so a strong application is judged against an applicant pool that is already self-selected.
Use this page to see what Washington State University weighs, where it ranks among Washington schools, and how a profile like yours is likely to land. Admitted students post a 75th-percentile SAT around 1240, a useful checkpoint for where your scores sit, though it is a reference range and not a cutoff.
What do students study at Washington State University?
Bachelor's degrees awarded by field in 2023 (IPEDS completions). Each field has its own page with the school's numbers, the model's major adjustment, and peers offering it.
Will I get into Washington State University?
Direct answers to what applicants ask about getting into Washington State University, plus a free way to calculate your own odds.
What are my chances of getting into Washington State University?
Your odds at Washington State University are not the same as its 87% acceptance rate. Your real odds depend on how your GPA, course rigor, test scores, and activities compare to its admitted students. Run your profile through the free CollegeCalcAI calculator to get a personalized acceptance percentage for Washington State University in about three minutes, with no account needed to start.
Is Washington State University hard to get into?
Washington State University is accessible: it admits most qualified applicants, with about a 87% acceptance rate. Meeting the academic basics gives most qualified applicants a realistic shot.
What GPA do you need to get into Washington State University?
There is no hard GPA cutoff at Washington State University, but admitted students span a wide GPA range, with many in the 2.8 to 3.5 band. Washington State University reads your GPA alongside the rigor of your courses, so a challenging schedule matters as much as the number itself.
What SAT score do you need for Washington State University?
Washington State University does not publish a required score, but the admitted-student 75th-percentile SAT is around 1240. A score at or above that range strengthens your application, while a lower score puts more weight on your rigor, activities, and essays. CollegeCalcAI shows how your exact score shifts your odds at Washington State University.
How to get into Washington State University
Built from Washington State University's admitted class and what it reports weighing. The typical-admit GPA and SAT are CollegeCalcAI's modeled figures, not published cutoffs.
There is no formula that guarantees a spot at Washington State University, but the applicants who get in tend to do the same four things. Here is what the numbers say each one looks like.
CollegeCalcAI's modeled typical admit at Washington State University carries about a 3.04 core GPA and a 1190 SAT, in the most rigorous schedule available. Meeting it puts you in the admitted range for most applicants.
Washington State University rates academic GPA and state residency highest. Put your depth there: and a transcript whose rigor rises through junior year.
Most public universities read early applicants first without a binding commitment. Apply by Washington State University's early or priority deadline (confirm dates at wsu.edu), and if you are out of state, know that residency changes both the bar and the price.
How many students apply to Washington State University, and how many get in?
Washington State University admitted 22,335 of the 26,166 students who applied for fall 2023, which works out to 85.4%. 4,249 enrolled. Only about 19% of admitted students enrolled, so the school admits several students for every seat it expects to fill, which is why its acceptance rate reads higher than its selectivity feels. Washington State University enrolls about 21,099 undergraduates in total, 53% of them women, with a student-to-faculty ratio of 15 to 1.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS 2023 admissions and enrollment.
What SAT and ACT scores do you need for Washington State University?
Washington State University reports that it neither requires nor recommends test scores, so admission turns on your transcript, rigor, and the rest of the file.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10.
What Washington State University looks for
What Washington State University weighs most heavily in its admissions review, modeled from its selectivity and profile.
The factors that carry the most weight at Washington State University are academic GPA and state residency. Solid grades in a challenging schedule do most of the work here, with the rest of the application providing context. The full breakdown is charted below; with no reported data published, it is modeled from schools of this selectivity and type, so treat it as a planning guide rather than an official rubric.
SAT score positioning at Washington State University
How common SAT scores sit relative to the admitted middle. This is context, not a probability. Your full profile determines the real estimate.
How much does Washington State University cost after financial aid?
Washington State University's published cost of attendance, before any aid, is roughly $27,648 per year. Tuition and fees are $13,391 for WA residents and $29,950 for out-of-state students, a $16,559 gap that makes residency the single biggest lever on cost. What families actually pay is different: the average net price after grants and scholarships is $14,971 a year, and it ranges from $7,074 for families earning under $30,000 to $24,726 for families earning over $110,000. 27% of undergraduates receive a federal Pell Grant.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10. Net price is what students receiving aid paid after grants, by family income.
What do Washington State University graduates earn, and how many graduate?
Ten years after enrolling, the median Washington State University student who received federal aid earns $68,905 a year, up from $53,510 at six years. 61% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 78% return for a second year. Among graduates who borrowed, median federal debt at graduation is $19,500; 30% of undergraduates take federal loans.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10. Earnings cover students who received federal aid.
How Washington State University compares in Washington
Washington State University ranks #9 most selective of 15 schools in Washington in our database.
Among the 15 Washington schools we track, Washington State University ranks #9 most selective by acceptance rate. Schools like Whitman College (38%) and University of Washington (39%) sit nearby, which makes Washington a useful frame for calibrating a balanced list. As a public university, residency matters: in-state applicants generally see meaningfully better odds than the headline rate suggests.
Similar to Washington State University
Schools with a similar selectivity profile, worth comparing as you build a balanced list.
Applicants targeting Washington State University often weigh Boise State University, George Mason University, and North Carolina Central University, which sit at a similar level. Running the same profile against each one in the free calculator is the fastest way to see where you are a reach, a match, or a likely.
Frequently asked questions
What is Washington State University's acceptance rate?
Washington State University admitted 22,335 of 26,166 applicants for the fall 2023 entering class, an acceptance rate of 85.4% (U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS). 19% of admitted students enrolled.
Is Washington State University test-optional?
Washington State University reports that it neither requires nor recommends test scores.
How much does Washington State University cost after financial aid?
The average net price at Washington State University, what students receiving aid paid after grants and scholarships, is $14,971 a year against a sticker price of about $27,648. Families earning under $30,000 paid about $7,074 on average.
What do Washington State University graduates earn?
Median earnings ten years after entering Washington State University are $68,905 a year among students who received federal aid, and 61% of students graduate within six years (College Scorecard).
What does Washington State University value most in applicants?
Based on its admissions profile, Washington State University weighs academic GPA and state residency most heavily. The full factor breakdown is on this page.
Does Washington State University favor in-state applicants?
As a public university, Washington State University generally admits in-state applicants at a higher rate than out-of-state applicants, so your home state affects your odds. CollegeCalcAI applies an in-state residency boost when you select your state.
How can I improve my chances at Washington State University?
Focus on the highest-leverage parts of your application: course rigor and GPA trajectory first, then test scores, then a focused leadership or activity spike. CollegeCalcAI's Power-Ups quantify how much each change would move your odds at Washington State University specifically.
What are the admission requirements for Washington State University?
Washington State University reviews GPA, course rigor, test scores (where submitted), activities, and essays. With a more accessible acceptance rate, meeting the academic basics gives most qualified applicants a realistic shot.
Acceptance rate, application counts, admitted test ranges, cost, and outcomes reflect publicly reported federal data (U.S. Department of Education: IPEDS 2023 and the College Scorecard) and each school's Common Data Set; figures are rounded and lag the current cycle by one to two years, so confirm deadlines and policies on the school's own site. The typical-admit GPA and SAT are CollegeCalcAI's modeled estimates. Estimates from CollegeCalcAI are a planning tool computed by a fixed, transparent model, not a guarantee of any admission decision.