Private nonprofit · University

Seattle University

Seattle, Washington · Large city

#4 graduation rate in Washington
76.9%
Admit rate
$34,662
Avg net price
76%
Graduation rate
$75,272
Median earnings

Seattle University is a private nonprofit bachelor's-granting institution in Seattle, Washington (large city setting), enrolling 4,062 undergraduates. It has a Roman Catholic religious affiliation.

Private nonprofitMidsize · 4,062 undergradsLarge cityAccessible · 77% admitNCAA Division I without footballNear the coast

Will you get in?

See where your numbers land against Seattle University's admitted students.

Admit rate
76.9%
SAT (mid 50%)
1200–1430
Avg GPA (est.)
3.64

Enter a test score to see where you land against Seattle University's admitted students.

A guide, not a prediction. It compares your numbers with the middle 50% of admitted students and Seattle University's overall admit rate — it can't see essays, recommendations, activities, or your intended major, which all move real decisions.

About Seattle, Washington

Seattle is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest region of North America. By the time the first European settlers arrived, the Duwamish people occupied at least 17 villages in the areas around Elliott Bay. Seattle has been a regional center for the performing arts for many years. The century-old Seattle Symphony Orchestra has won many awards and performs primarily at Benaroya Hall. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Large city
Highest degree offered
Graduate
Nearest big city
1 mile to Seattle, WA
To the ocean
1 mile
Nearest airport
6 miles to King County International Airport - Boeing Field (BFI)

How Seattle University compares

Selectivity76.9%

More selective than 51% · #7 most selective of 21 in Washington

SAT average1307

Higher than 80%

Graduation rate76%

Higher than 86% · #4 of 25 in Washington

First-year retention84%

Higher than 74%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$75,272

Higher than 88% · #6 of 27 in Washington

Average net price$34,662

Cheaper than 9% · #20 cheapest of 25 in Washington

Median debt at graduation$19,883

Lower than 76%

Student–faculty ratio10 : 1

Lower than 76%

Undergraduate enrollment4,062

Larger than 74%

Percentiles compare Seattle University with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in Washington.

Student body

Undergraduate vs. graduate

7,173students
  • Undergraduate4,06257%
  • Graduate3,11143%

Undergraduates by gender

4,062undergrads
  • Women2,64365%
  • Men1,41935%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White29%
  • Black7.5%
  • Hispanic16%
  • Asian28%
  • Other or multiracial20%

Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
4,062
Graduate enrollment
3,111
Student–faculty ratio
10 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
24%
First-generation students
19%
Students over 25
5%
Median family income
$74,788
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$75,168
Endowment
$318,305,031

Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.

Where students come from

Home state of the 1,041 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.

  • From Washington55%
  • Other U.S. states42%
  • International2.7%

A regional draw: about 54% of first-years come from Washington, the rest from elsewhere.

3% came from outside the U.S. Out-of-state students usually pay a higher tuition rate at public schools — check the cost card above for your bracket. Source: IPEDS residence & migration, fall 2023 entering class.

Admissions

Admission rate
76.9%
Test scores
Considered but not required
SAT range (25th–75th %)
1200–1430
SAT average
1307
SAT reading
620–710
SAT math
580–720
ACT composite
23–30
Average GPA (estimated)
3.64

Cost

In-state tuition
$56,721
Room & board
$15,702
Books & supplies
$792
Total cost of attendance
$72,124
Average net price
$34,662

Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.

Outcomes

Graduated (within 6 years)
76%
Graduated on time (4 years)
67%
First-year retention
84%
Transferred to another college
0%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$64,656
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$75,272
Median debt at graduation
$19,883
Students with federal loans
49%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
73%

About 9% of students who finish here need more than four years — each extra year adds roughly another year of tuition and living costs.

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

All students
67%
Low-income (Pell)
76%
First-generation
73%

When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.

Campus life & athletics

On-campus housing
Yes
Dorm capacity
2,448
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
60%
Housing charge (year)
$8,952
Meal plan (year)
$6,936
Application fee
$60
Athletics
NCAA Division I without football
Varsity athletes
396 (178 men · 218 women)

Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.

Varsity sports (10)

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)130
Soccer62
Swimming41
Baseball33
Rowing32
Basketball27
Golf20
Softball19
Tennis17
Volleyball15

Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.

Campus safety

Safety grade
C
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
4.6 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
18
Property offenses (2022–2024)
82

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 1 campus (7,189 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.

Reported offenses in an average year

The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.

33reported offenses a year
6.0 violent a year27 property a year

By offense type, per year

Burglary
18
Motor vehicle theft
9.7
Rape
2.0
Fondling
1.7
Robbery
1.3
Aggravated assault
1.0

Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.

What you'll actually pay, by family income

Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.

< $30k
$22,896
$30–48k
$24,523
$48–75k
$26,977
$75–110k
$36,967
$110k+
$42,737

College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.

Four-year (or more) true cost

Net price for your family's income, projected across the time it actually takes students here to graduate.

Est. total to a degree
$112,495

$26,977/year × about 4.2 years — most students here don't finish in exactly four, and each extra term adds cost. A planning estimate from net-price and graduation-timing data, not a bill.

Does the school pay you to attend?

Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.

98%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$27,987
average award, among those who get one

Seattle University discounts heavily: 98% of freshmen are awarded a grant straight from the school, averaging $27,987. For many families the real price lands well below sticker.

Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 987 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.

Is it worth it?

A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.

Median earnings (10 years)
$75,272
Typical debt at graduation
$19,883
Debt vs. one year's pay
26%
Out-earn a HS grad
76%

Typical debt would take roughly 2.6 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.

Strong value

Graduates here tend to earn well relative to what they borrow — typical debt pays back fast, and most out-earn a high-school graduate.

Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.

The pay gap here

Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.

Women
$71,926
Men
$82,033

Men out-earn women by $10,107 (14%) a decade out.

Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.

Campus climate

Summer high
77°F
Winter low
36°F
Annual rain
36.5″
Annual snow
3.8″

Average temperature

HighLow
30°60°90°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.02.95.8JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Seattle Boeing Fld, WA US station (5.5 mi from campus).

Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.

Colleges similar to Seattle University

Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Seattle University side by side →

Colleges near Seattle University

Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.