Seattle University vs University of Washington

This page compares Seattle University and University of Washington across admissions data, cost of attendance, and employment outcomes — plus cross-admit decision data from 30 applicants admitted to both.

Based on 30 applicants admitted to both schools, 97% chose to attend University of Washington. This cross-admit data reflects real enrollment decisions from verified law school applicants on LSD.Law.

In the U.S. News rankings, University of Washington is ranked #50 compared to #127 — a gap of 77 positions that often correlates with differences in employment outcomes and peer assessment scores.

There is a meaningful difference in admissions competitiveness: University of Washington has a median LSAT of 165 compared to 159, a gap of 6 points. This suggests applicants to University of Washington face a more competitive admissions pool.

University of Washington is significantly more selective, with an acceptance rate of 19.6% compared to Seattle University's 38.9%.

Both schools are located in Washington — Seattle University in Seattle and University of Washington in Seattle — meaning graduates often compete in the same regional legal market.

Employment outcomes differ substantially: University of Washington places 15.8% of graduates into large law firm positions, compared to 2.9% for the other school. This 13 percentage point gap is significant for applicants targeting BigLaw careers.

On cost, Seattle University has lower tuition at - per year compared to $45,927. Combined with employment rates of 87.9% (Seattle) and 90.1% (UWashington), prospective students should weigh the cost-to-outcome ratio carefully.

Among cross-admitted applicants, Seattle University offered a median scholarship of $140,000 compared to $45,000, a difference of $95,000 that may factor into enrollment decisions.