University of Washington-Tacoma Campus

Public · Moderately Selective · WA

Photo: Joe Mabel (CC BY-SA 4.0)

School data & stats

TypePublic

LocationWA · West

SettingUrban

Undergrads4,185

Student:faculty15:1

Outcomes

4-yr grad rate49.8%

6-yr grad rate63.2%

Drop-out rate20%

Study abroad—

Cost

In-state tuition$13k

Out-of-state tuition$43k

Application fee—

Community

Racial diversity66.6%

Gender diversity47.1%

International1.7%

Identity—

Overview

UW Tacoma occupies restored century-old warehouse buildings in downtown Tacoma's museum and historic district, a deliberately urban, non-traditional campus built to expand access for the South Sound region rather than mirror the Seattle flagship's residential quad model.

Academics

Business, computing, and social work are the clearest strengths, shaped by a curriculum built around flexible scheduling for students juggling jobs and family. Because it awards the same University of Washington degree as the Seattle campus, students get the UW name inside a smaller, more accessible campus culture.

Campus & student life

There is little of a traditional dorm-and-quad social scene; most students commute, and campus life centers on the renovated warehouse buildings, small cohorts, and downtown Tacoma itself rather than organized Greek life or big-time athletics.

Getting in

Admission is notably transfer- and access-oriented; a large share of students arrive from Washington community colleges, and review is built to recognize nontraditional academic paths rather than a conventional four-year high school profile.

After graduation

Graduates move heavily into the Puget Sound business, technology, health-care, and social-service job market, often building on internships in the Seattle-Tacoma corridor, and many stay in Washington state after graduating.

tacoma.uw.edu ↗

Admissions

Acceptance rate82.5%

Enrolled mid-50%—

Test policynot used

Rec letters0

Deadlines (2026–27 cycle)

Applying