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Cost & financial aid brief

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# University of Washington-Seattle Campus Tuition, Costs & Financial Aid

Updated October 21, 2026

[Overview](/school/university-of-washington-seattle-campus/)Cost & aid[Outcomes](/school/university-of-washington-seattle-campus/outcomes/)[Admissions](/school/university-of-washington-seattle-campus/admissions/)[Majors](/school/university-of-washington-seattle-campus/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/university-of-washington-seattle-campus/similar/)

**On this page**+

## How much does UW Seattle cost after financial aid?

The published cost of attendance at University of Washington-Seattle Campus is $32,446. In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported in-state tuition of $12,260 and required fees of $1,146 for the 2026-27 academic year.

On-campus food and housing added $18,405. For aid recipients, the average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) — what students pay after grants and scholarships — is $14,091.

That is $1,543 below the $15,634 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Financial aid reduces the published cost by $18,355 on average.

Azimuth ranks the university #169 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions.

The average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/)—what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships—is $14,091, which is $1,543 below the median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Azimuth places the university in the 88th percentile for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Borrowers who finish hold a median of $14,615 in federal loans, $5,461 below the peer median. Aid recipients in the lowest income band average $6,384, while those in the highest band average $30,019.

Pell Grant recipients make up 14.9% of undergraduates, the population most likely to fall in the lowest income band. For families earning under $30,000 the average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) is $6,384; for the $30,001–$48,000 band it is $7,039; for $48,001–$75,000 it is $8,110; for $75,001–$110,000 it is $14,328; and for families earning over $110,000 it reaches $30,019. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $23,635.

Average net price by family income

**$0–30K**
$6,384

**$30–48K**
$7,039

**$48–75K**
$8,110

**$75–110K**
$14,328

**$110K+**
$30,019

Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary.

Overall average annual net price: **$14,091**. After grants and scholarships, including living costs. [Source and coverage](#cost-data-notes).

For the average aid recipient, aid covers about 57% of the published cost. By income band, average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/)s 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](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) 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 average net price 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](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) 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](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) 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 the model 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](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing, a separate parent-borrower population, is $24,883. The estimated monthly student payment if repaid over ten years is $166.

[Repayment figures](#combined-borrowing) are in the Financial GPS card below. [Borrowing populations and model assumptions](#cost-data-notes).

## Parent loans: what can the family afford?

[How Parent PLUS borrowing affects families](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/)

**Median Parent PLUS debt**
$24,883

**Estimated parent payment**
$316/mo

Modeled Parent PLUS pressure by income

| Household income | Share of income above basic expenses | Risk level |
| --- | --- | --- |
| $35,000 | No room | High pressure |
| $50,000 | No room | High pressure |
| $75,000 | 18.6% | High pressure |
| $100,000 | 8.4% | Caution |
| $150,000 | 4.0% | Safe |
| $200,000 | 2.6% | Safe |

The 10-year payment on the median Parent PLUS balance, as a share of household income above basic expenses ($54,640 a year: 200% of the 2026 federal poverty guideline for a household of three). No room is High pressure. [Open the parent tool for your own numbers](/financial-gps/?tool=parent&school=university-of-washington-seattle-campus#parent-tool). [Read the assumptions and limits](#cost-data-notes).

## 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 $23,940 annual allowance for basic expenses:

**3.4%** of income above the allowance · Excellent

1.  Excellent Under 8% · selected scenario
2.  Good 8–under 12%
3.  Concerning 12–20%
4.  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, $23,940, uses the published framework’s 2026 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.

[Read the framework and its limits](/analysis/financial-gps-framework/).

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.

[Explore your own numbers in Financial GPS](/financial-gps/?tool=student&school=university-of-washington-seattle-campus#student-tool)

## Data & methodology

Sources and reporting periods: [methodology](/methodology/).

Analysis and methodology by [Daniel Rogers](/about/#founder), 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](/about/).

**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](https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/data/).

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.