University of Washington – Seattle

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Staff
Updated August 7, 2020

The University of Washington – Seattle is the flagship campus in the UW school system and the only branch of that system located in the large city of Seattle. It also goes by the names of Washington and UW, but some students and fans refer to its as U-Dub. Founded prior to Washington becoming a state, it went by the name of the Territorial University of Washington from 1861 until the late 1880s. This school offered opportunities for the settlers and students moving west who otherwise could not attend college. Though only 30 students initially signed up for classes, its enrollment grew to more than 300 students as Seattle grew and now has an enrollment of more than 46,000 students.

Though most think of the main campus in Seattle, UW also operates campuses in two other cities in Washington. Both ARWU and Washington Monthly consider it one of the top 20 colleges in the United States, though it ranks lower on the lists issued by Forbes and U.S. News & World Report. Times, U.S. News & World Report, QS and ARWU also ranked UW as one of the best colleges in the world. Many of its engineering programs also rank among the best in the country and in the world, and UW has its own engineering labs and research centers that are open to students.

University of Washington – Seattle Accreditation Details

The University of Washington – Seattle has accreditation from more than 30 different organizations that accredit a number of its degree programs that are open to both graduate students as well as undergrads. Regional accreditation is the most important kind because this is what allows students to obtain financial aid and to transfer their college credits. The regional accreditation that UW has comes from the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. Prospective students may want to find out whether the university also has specialty accreditation for the program or subject they want to study. Some of the organizations that gave specialty accreditation to UW include:

  • Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications
  • American Bar Association
  • Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs
  • Planning Accreditation Board
  • Council on Education for Public Health

UW also has accreditation from the Accreditation Board for Engineering & Technology, Inc. (ABET) for its programs in civil, mechanical, chemical and other types of engineering.

University of Washington – Seattle Application Requirements

Before applying to UW, students must select the right application and ensure that the deadline has not yet passed. Once the deadline passes, the university will no longer accept applications for the coming semester. The undergrad application is available on the university's website and has a nonrefundable $70 application fee that students must pay when submitting the application. The university asks for an official ACT or SAT score and will only accept scores that come directly from the testing board. Undergrads will also need to submit a writing sample as part of the application. UW admissions counselors may contact students and request a high school transcript as well.

The University of Washington offers an online graduate school application as well that also has a $70 nonrefundable application fee. Students must write a statement of purpose that explains why they chose UW and what they want to do with their degrees. This statement may also include some of the experiences that students had in the subject they want to study. The only other requirement for prospective graduate students is an official transcript from any college attended.

Tuition and Financial Aid

Washington residents pay a lower tuition rate when they show proof that they lived in the state for at least one full year before enrolling. The cost of attendance for those students is around $10,700 a year. Nonresidents pay a significantly higher tuition rate of more than $34,000 a year. Graduate tuition starts at around $14,000 a year but varies between programs. Students must pay their tuition and fees before starting classes or make arrangements to pay their tuition costs ahead of time. Many students will use the FAFSA to find out if they qualify for any financial aid.

The most common type of financial aid that students take advantage of are loans. There are unsubsidized and subsidized loans available, but the amount that students can borrow will depend on how many credits they take and their enrollment status. UW requires that students go through loan entrance and exit counseling. Undergrads may qualify for certain grants or scholarships and have the chance to work on the UW campus. Graduate students will typically use a combination of grants and loans. Parents or guardians of accepted students can look for loans that are available to them with a lower interest rate, and independent students can apply for alternative student loans also.

Robotics Engineering

Students with an interest in robotics and robotics engineering can enroll in one of the programs available through the UW Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science and Engineering. Its undergrad programs in computer science and computer engineering give students the foundation necessary to work in the robotics field. There is a combined BS/MS program that awards students both a bachelor's and a master's degree and a combined program that lets students easily transition from a master's program to the UW doctoral program. The graduate program includes classes on software engineering, computer reasoning for software, natural language processing and machine learning. UW offers a variety of practicum classes and independent learning opportunities too.

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Those enrolled in one of these programs may have the chance to work with the men and women doing research into robotics. These professionals and students work on projects designed to create new computer languages and technology that will help a wide range of people. The university hosts a research colloquium a few times every month that let guest lecturers talk with students and faculty about new advances in the field. Some of those lecturers come from major colleges like MIT and from major companies like Microsoft. Students can also work on their research projects and gain experience in one of the five labs on the campus. The University of Washington – Seattle has state of the art labs dedicated to the study of human robotics, robotics and state estimates, movement control, sensor systems and neural systems.

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