Western Washington University acceptance rate and your odds of getting in
Western Washington University, a public university in Washington, reports a 93% 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 Western Washington 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 1270, a useful checkpoint for where your scores sit, though it is a reference range and not a cutoff.
What do students study at Western Washington 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 Western Washington University?
Direct answers to what applicants ask about getting into Western Washington University, plus a free way to calculate your own odds.
What are my chances of getting into Western Washington University?
Your odds at Western Washington University are not the same as its 93% 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 Western Washington University in about three minutes, with no account needed to start.
Is Western Washington University hard to get into?
Western Washington University is accessible: it admits most qualified applicants, with about a 93% acceptance rate. Meeting the academic basics gives most qualified applicants a realistic shot.
What GPA do you need to get into Western Washington University?
There is no hard GPA cutoff at Western Washington University, but admitted students span a wide GPA range, with many in the 2.8 to 3.5 band. Western Washington University reads your GPA alongside the rigor of your courses, so a challenging schedule matters as much as the number itself.
Your chances at Western Washington University by GPA and SAT
Estimated chance of admission at Western Washington University for plain profiles, from the same model as the calculator. Unweighted GPA, 3 AP courses, Regular Decision, no legacy, athletic or first-generation hook. The last column is test-optional (no score sent).
What are my chances at Western Washington University with a 3.1 GPA and a 1270 SAT?
About 98% (Safety), by CollegeCalcAI's deterministic model, for an applicant with a 3.1 unweighted GPA and a 1270 SAT, the middle of Western Washington University's admitted range, applying Regular Decision without a hook. A 3.4 GPA with a 1390 SAT comes out near 98%. Courses, activities, essays and the application round move the number; the free calculator includes them.
Estimates, not guarantees. Get yours with your real courses and activities. Assistants and developers can fetch this table from the free API: /api/v1/colleges/western-washington-university.
How to get into Western Washington University
Built from Western Washington 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 Western Washington 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 Western Washington University carries about a 2.98 core GPA and a 1340 SAT, in the most rigorous schedule available. Meeting it puts you in the admitted range for most applicants.
The admitted middle 50% is 1150 to 1390 SAT (24 to 31 ACT). Submit a score at 1270 or higher; below 1150, apply test-optional if the policy allows.
Western Washington University rates rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and standardized test scores highest in its own Common Data Set. 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 Western Washington University's early or priority deadline (confirm dates at wwu.edu), and if you are out of state, know that residency changes both the bar and the price.
How many students apply to Western Washington University, and how many get in?
Western Washington University admitted 13,005 of the 14,243 students who applied for fall 2023, which works out to 91.3%. 3,184 enrolled. Only about 24% 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. Western Washington University enrolls about 13,544 undergraduates in total, 57% of them women, with a student-to-faculty ratio of 18 to 1.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS 2023 admissions and enrollment.
What SAT and ACT scores do you need for Western Washington University?
Admitted students at Western Washington University post SAT scores of 1150 to 1390 in the middle 50%, with an average of 1289. On the ACT the middle 50% runs from 24 to 31. A score above 1390 puts you in the top quarter of admits and turns the test into an asset; a score below 1150 puts you in the bottom quarter, where the rest of the application has to carry more weight. Western Washington University is test-optional: scores are considered if you submit them but not required. Send a score at or above the middle of the admitted range; otherwise apply without one and let your transcript lead.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10.
What Western Washington University looks for
What Western Washington University weighs most heavily in its admissions review, informed by its reported Common Data Set.
The factors that carry the most weight at Western Washington University are rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and standardized test scores. Solid grades in a challenging schedule do most of the work here, with the rest of the application providing context. These ratings come from Western Washington University's reported Common Data Set, so the full chart below reflects what the school itself says it values, not a generic guess.
SAT score positioning at Western Washington 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 Western Washington University cost after financial aid?
The full sticker price at Western Washington University (tuition, fees, housing, food, books) is about $30,359 a year. Tuition and fees are $9,582 for WA residents and $28,707 for out-of-state students, a $19,125 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 $21,193 a year, and it ranges from $12,915 for families earning under $30,000 to $27,984 for families earning over $110,000. 21% 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 Western Washington University graduates earn, and how many graduate?
Median earnings for Western Washington University students ten years after entry are $62,569 ($45,272 at the six-year mark). 65% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 79% return for a second year. Among graduates who borrowed, median federal debt at graduation is $18,500; 29% 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 Western Washington University compares in Washington
Western Washington University ranks #14 most selective of 15 schools in Washington in our database.
Among the 15 Washington schools we track, Western Washington University ranks #14 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 Western Washington University
Schools with a similar selectivity profile, worth comparing as you build a balanced list.
Applicants targeting Western Washington University often weigh Cal State Northridge, Jackson State University, and Northwestern State 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 Western Washington University's acceptance rate?
Western Washington University admitted 13,005 of 14,243 applicants for the fall 2023 entering class, an acceptance rate of 91.3% (U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS). 24% of admitted students enrolled.
What SAT score do you need for Western Washington University?
The middle 50% of admitted students scored 1150 to 1390 on the SAT and 24 to 31 on the ACT. A score above 1390 is in the top quarter of admits. Western Washington University is test-optional, so only submit a score that helps.
Is Western Washington University test-optional?
Yes. Western Washington University reports that test scores are considered but not required. Submit a score at or above the middle of the admitted range; otherwise apply without one.
How much does Western Washington University cost after financial aid?
The average net price at Western Washington University, what students receiving aid paid after grants and scholarships, is $21,193 a year against a sticker price of about $30,359. Families earning under $30,000 paid about $12,915 on average.
What do Western Washington University graduates earn?
Median earnings ten years after entering Western Washington University are $62,569 a year among students who received federal aid, and 65% of students graduate within six years (College Scorecard).
What does Western Washington University value most in applicants?
Based on its admissions profile, Western Washington University weighs rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and standardized test scores most heavily. The full factor breakdown is on this page.
Does Western Washington University favor in-state applicants?
As a public university, Western Washington 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 Western Washington 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 Western Washington University specifically.
What are the admission requirements for Western Washington University?
Western Washington 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.