Cost & financial aid brief
University of Washington-Seattle Campus Tuition, Costs & Financial Aid
How much does UW Seattle cost after financial aid?
For the average aid recipient, aid covers about 57% of the published cost. By income band, average net prices are $6,384, $7,039, $8,110, $14,328, and $30,019 from lowest to highest.
The $23,635 spread shows aid concentrated at the bottom. In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported that for the 2025-26 academic year, 2,730 first-year students were determined to have financial need, with need fully met for 549.
The average share of need met was 74%, the average need-based grant was $21,532, and the average package was $22,538. In the 2025-26 academic year, 628 first-year students received merit awards averaging $4,399.
The University of Washington-Seattle Campus publishes a cost of attendance of $32,446. For families earning under $30,000, the average net price is $6,384, rising to $8,110 for the $48,001–$75,000 band and $30,019 for families earning over $110,000.
The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $23,635. Azimuth ranks the university #169 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions.
Aid covers about 57% of the published cost for the average aid recipient, which represents an average savings of $18,355 against the sticker price. The across all aid recipients is $14,091, which is below the peer median of $15,634 for comparable institutions (same type and size) by $1,543.
Median federal student loan debt at completion is $14,615, with about 71.3% of federal aid recipients taking federal loans. That median is below the peer median of $20,076 by $5,461.
The median Parent PLUS borrowing stands at $24,883. If repaid over ten years, the estimated monthly payment for the median federal debt is $166.
Student loans: what does repayment look like?
At University of Washington-Seattle Campus, the median federal student debt for completers is $14,615. Against the median of $20,076 for comparable institutions (same type and size), the university's figure is below by $5,461.
71.3% of federal aid recipients use federal student loans. The median Parent PLUS loan, for the separate parent-borrower population, is $24,883.
In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported that 26% of the 6,612 graduates in the cohort borrowed from any source, averaging $19,384 per borrower. Of those borrowers, 25% held federal loans averaging $14,376 and 3% held private loans averaging $54,650.
The University of Washington-Seattle Campus delivers earnings that sit well above its peer group. Four years after completion, the median stands at $82,515, which is above the $65,610 median for comparable institutions (same type and size) by $16,905.
That median places the university in the 91st percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $10,659 more than expects for similar students, a result in the 85th percentile nationally.
Earnings scenarios derived from the program mix reinforce the picture: a typical outcome of $82,515, a downside scenario of $56,137, and an upside scenario reaching $120,890. On the borrowing side, the median federal student debt at completion is $14,615, below the $20,076 peer median by $5,461. The estimated monthly payment if repaid over ten years is $166.
Median Parent PLUS borrowing, a separate parent-borrower population, is $24,883. The estimated monthly student payment if repaid over ten years is $166.
Repayment figures are in the Financial GPS card below. Borrowing populations and model assumptions.
Parent loans: what can the family afford?
How Parent PLUS borrowing affects families
- Median Parent PLUS debt
- $24,883
- Estimated parent payment
- $316/mo
| Income | Risk level |
|---|---|
| $35,000 | High pressure |
| $50,000 | High pressure |
| $75,000 | High pressure |
| $100,000 | Caution |
| $150,000 | Safe |
| $200,000 | Safe |
The model holds the parent balance fixed and varies parent income. Read the assumptions and limits.
Student and parent loans: the monthly payments
Financial GPS
What does repayment look like?
- Institution median student debt
- $14,615
- Institution Parent PLUS debt
- $24,883
Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included.
- Estimated student payment · monthly
- $166/mo
- Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly
- $316/mo
- Modeled student + parent payments
- $482/mo
Payments use school-wide median balances, not a specific major’s.
Student payment as a share of available income
At median graduate earnings of $82,515, with a $22,590 annual allowance for basic expenses:
3.3% of income above the allowance · Excellent
- Excellent Under 8% · selected scenario
- Good 8–under 12%
- Concerning 12–20%
- High risk Over 20%
How this estimate works
These are modeled earnings scenarios, not observed earnings percentiles. Annual student payments ÷ (earnings − basic-expense allowance). The starting allowance, $22,590, uses the published framework’s 2024 baseline; it is not a current local living-cost estimate. Change it for your budget, including taxes and other obligations. This combines school-level figures for illustration, not a typical individual’s budget or an official school rating. Parent PLUS is separate.
Payment assumptions
Payments are 10-year standard payments on the median balance, before loan fees, used as a yardstick. Rates for newly issued loans may differ, and loans made after July 1, 2026 can repay over a longer term; existing loans keep their original fixed rates.
Data & methodology
Sources and reporting periods: methodology.
Analysis and methodology by Daniel Rogers, founder of College Azimuth.
Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source.
Figure notes link to sources and limitations. About College Azimuth.
Net price and borrowing. The 2023–24 income-band averages include living costs and cover eligible first-time, full-time aid recipients; public-school figures reflect in-state tuition. They are not individual aid offers. Peer matching supplies overall net prices, not matched income-band averages. College Scorecard data and documentation.
A personal student-risk assessment also needs your major and borrowing plan; these school-level illustrations do not assign you a personal risk zone.
Payments are 10-year standard payments on the median balance, before loan fees, used as a yardstick. Rates for newly issued loans may differ, and loans made after July 1, 2026 can repay over a longer term; existing loans keep their original fixed rates. Private-loan figures from the Common Data Set are separate from these federal repayment illustrations.