Seattle University
#2 Best Nursing Colleges in Washington- Graduation Rate
- 74% B
- Solid completion rate — most students graduate
- Earnings (10yr)
- $75,272 A
- Top 5% nationally — exceptional earning power
- Net Price
- $34,662 F
- 102% more than the typical college
- Acceptance Rate
- 77% C
- Accessible to most qualified applicants
Bottom line: A C+ overall grade — average outcomes for a U.S. college. 13.0× return on investment — every $1 spent returns $13.0 over 20 years. Ranked #2 in Best Nursing Colleges in Washington.
Every $1 spent returns $13.0 over 20 years — debt pays back in ~under a year. Net gain: $1,667,179.
What The Data Says
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A C+ overall — outcomes above the typical U.S. college.
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Graduates earn 85% more than the national college median.
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A 74% graduation rate — 30% above the national average.
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Every $1 invested returns $13.0 over 20 years — an exceptional return.
Economic Footprint
- Inventor Rate
- 0.6%
- Top 40%
- Patents
- 47
- Linked to graduates
- Patent Citations
- 23
- Downstream influence
Why Seattle University Matters
Seattle University is a private doctoral / professional university in Seattle, WA and its outcomes are not an accident. They are driven by a well-connected, high-opportunity alumni network. The result: graduates whose earnings land in the top 5% of all U.S. colleges.
Interpretation generated from this school's federal outcomes, research, and mobility data.
Institutional Profile
- Institution Type
- Private Doctoral / Professional University
- Carnegie Class
- Doctoral/Professional
- Enrollment
- 4,062
- Setting
- Urban
- Designations
- 30
- Primary Strengths
- Health Professions, Business & Marketing, Biology & Biomedical, Computer Science & IT
Why students choose Seattle University
CollegeRanker Report Card
Graded on outcomes, against every U.S. college.
Each grade is this school's national percentile on a real outcome — earnings, value, mobility, and more.
How we grade →Admissions
Competitive — admits about 77% of applicants, with a middle-50% SAT of 1200–1430. Run your numbers in the admissions predictor below.
Check your odds →Net price + aid
Students pay about $34,662 a year after grants and scholarships — 102% above the typical U.S. college. See net price by family income below.
See cost & aid →Earnings + debt
Graduates earn a median of $75,272 ten years after enrolling — 85% above the typical college, against $19,883 in median debt.
See outcomes →Mobility + social capital
Moves 1.9% of its students from the bottom income fifth to the top — top 31% nationally for mobility. High social capital (1.85 economic connectedness).
See mobility →Overview
Seattle University is a solid choice for students looking to dive into fields like Health Professions, Business, Computer Science, and Psychology. With an acceptance rate of 77%, it welcomes a diverse group of learners, making it a good fit for those who seek a supportive environment while pursuing their academic interests. The graduation rate stands at 74%, indicating that a significant number of students complete their degrees and are well-prepared for the workforce.
Looking at the outcomes, graduates earn an average of $75,272 within ten years of completing their degree. This figure suggests that many students find rewarding careers that allow for upward mobility. The affordability factor is also worth noting, with 24% of students receiving Pell Grants, which helps lower the financial barrier for those who qualify.
When it comes to the practicalities of financing your education, the net price after aid is about $34,662, and the median debt at graduation is $19,883. This debt load is relatively manageable compared to potential earnings, making it easier for graduates to thrive post-college. Students who tend to do well here are often those who are motivated and engaged, ready to take advantage of the rich resources and community support Seattle University has to offer.
Rankings
- #2 Best Nursing Colleges in Washington
- #3 Best Computer Science Colleges in Washington
- #3 Best Business Colleges in Washington
- #3 Best Data Science Colleges in Washington
- #4 Best Biology Colleges in Washington
- #5 Best Colleges in Washington
- #5 Best Psychology Colleges in Washington
- #5 Best Communications Colleges in Washington
Can I Get In?
How selective Seattle University is — and how your numbers stack up.
Tool
Will I Be Accepted?
Enter your credentials to see your chances at this school.
Academics & Admissions
Is It Hard to Get Into Seattle University? Acceptance Rate & Requirements
Seattle University, located in Seattle, Washington, admits most of the students who apply; the acceptance rate is roughly 77%. Admitted students typically arrive with an average SAT score near 1,307. The graduation rate is roughly 74%.
- Acceptance Rate
- 77%
- Retention Rate
- 84%
- SAT Average
- 1307
- ACT Midpoint
- 28
- SAT Range
- 1200–1430
- ACT Range
- 23–30
- Full-Time Faculty
- 67%
- Faculty Salary (mo)
- $8,352
- Student–Faculty Ratio
- 10:1
- Diversity Index
- 0.79
- First-Gen Students
- 19%
- Applicants
- 7,934
- Admitted
- 6,756
Can I Afford It?
What you'll actually pay after grants and aid — not the sticker price.
Cost & Financial Aid
How Much Does It Cost to Attend Seattle University? Tuition, Net Price & Aid
Published tuition at Seattle University is $56,721, but few families pay that. The number to watch is net price, what students actually pay each year after federal grants and institutional scholarships. Here it averages about $34,662. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $22,896 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $19,883 in federal student loans.
- In-State Tuition
- $56,721
- Out-of-State
- $56,721
- Avg Net Price
- $34,662
- Median Debt
- $19,883
- Pell Grant Rate
- 24%
- Federal Loan Rate
- 49%
What Families Actually Pay
- Family Income $0–$30K
- $22,896
- Family Income $30K–$48K
- $24,523
- Family Income $48K–$75K
- $26,977
- Family Income $110K+
- $42,737
What Happens After?
Earnings, debt, and where graduates actually land.
Students Like You
Tell us a little about yourself to see what students like you have typically experienced at Seattle University — the net price for your income, your admission odds, and the outcomes that follow. These are patterns from federal data, not predictions.
Graduate Outcomes
Is Seattle University Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI
Ten years out, alumni of Seattle University earn a median of $75,272, well above the national average for bachelor's degree holders.
- 6 Years After Entry
- $64,656
- 8 Years
- $72,612
- 10 Years
- $75,272
- Debt-to-Earnings
- 0.26x
- Earning > $25K
- 78%
Earnings Trajectory
Graduation by Timeframe
- 100% (577)
- 63%
- 100% (577)
- 63%
- 100% (577)
- 63%
- 100% (577)
- 63%
Where Grads Go
Top employers of Seattle University’s MBA graduates, by hires reported in the school’s employment report.
How Seattle Compares
Dot right of center = above national average.
Net Price by Family Income
What families actually pay after aid, by income bracket.
The Mobility Equation
Mobility = Access x Success. How many low-income students get in, and how many reach the top 20%?
College ROI Calculator
Is Seattle University Worth It?
A data-driven look at the return on your educational investment — using real federal data.
Yes — for most students, Seattle University delivers a positive return. Over four years, the typical net price is $34,662/year ($138,648 total). Graduates earn $75,272 at ten years, and over a 20-year career we project $1,805,827 in total earnings — a net gain of $1,667,179 (13.0× your investment). The median debt is $19,883, which takes less than a year to pay back at typical earnings. With a 74% graduation rate, the path to that return is well-tested. This is a exceptional ROI compared to national averages.
- Total Cost (4yr)
- $138,648
- Projected 20yr Earnings
- $1,805,827
- Net Return
- $1,667,179
- ROI Multiple
- 13.0×
- Cost Per Year
- $34,662
- Median Debt
- $19,883
- Debt Payback
- Less than 1 yr
- Graduation Rate
- 74%
Does It Change Lives?
Mobility, social capital, and innovation — does it move people up?
Social Mobility
Data: Raj Chetty's Mobility Report Card · 30M+ anonymized tax records
Does Seattle University Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes
Seattle University is a genuine engine of upward mobility. Its mobility rate, the share of students who start in the bottom income quintile and climb to the top, is 1.90%, well above the typical college. About 4.7% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 40.3% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $105,700, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.
- Mobility Rate
- 1.90%
- Bottom 20% → Top 20%
- Success Rate
- 40.3%
- If bottom 20% get in
- From Bottom 20%
- 4.7%
- Share of students
- Parent Median Income
- $143,609
- today's $ (2015 cohort data)
Innovation & Knowledge Creation
Patents, inventors, and research influence · Opportunity Insights & Times Higher Education
Seattle University produces inventors at a measurable rate, with 47 patents tied to its graduates.
- Inventor Rate
- 0.58%
- Top 40% nationally
- Patents Produced
- 47
- Linked to graduates
- Patent Citations
- 23
- Downstream influence
Institutional Finances
Data: NCES IPEDS
- Investment Income
- $-33,827,727
Top Programs
The fields Seattle University awards the most degrees in, by share of completions. Where federal field-of-study data exists, we show what graduates in that major earned early in their careers. Each links to its degree guide — or see what someone with your income, scores, and major would pay and earn here in the Students Like You simulator.
- Health Professions 25% $82,585 early-career
- Business & Marketing 17% $75,746 early-career
- Biology & Biomedical 10% $41,878 early-career
- Computer Science & IT 8% $99,532 early-career
- Psychology 8% $41,235 early-career
- Engineering 5% $84,924 early-career
- Social Sciences 4% $68,105 early-career
- Visual & Performing Arts 4% $46,778 early-career
Early-career median earnings by major (typically 1–2 years after completion, bachelor's level where available), in today's dollars (CPI-adjusted). Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard field of study. Distinct from the school-wide 10-year median; suppressed for small programs.
Top Careers
Where these majors tend to lead — common career paths for Seattle University's most popular programs, ranked by median pay with our proprietary scorecard insights.
- CChief Executive Officer$189,520 · 3% growthAdaptable 64
- C+IT Manager$169,510 · 15% growthAdaptable 52
- C+Cloud Architect$142,000 · 15% growthAdaptable 52
- B-Site Reliability Engineer$140,000 · 20% growthAdaptable 52
- CSolutions Architect$138,000 · 12% growthAdaptable 52
- CHR Manager$136,350 · 5% growthAdaptable 64
- CPharmacist$136,030 · 3% growthResilient 82
- CPetroleum Engineer$135,690 · 2% growthResilient 72
Frequently Asked Questions
Is It Hard to Get Into Seattle University? Acceptance Rate & Requirements
Seattle University, located in Seattle, Washington, admits most of the students who apply; the acceptance rate is roughly 77%. Admitted students typically arrive with an average SAT score near 1,307. The graduation rate is roughly 74%.
How Much Does It Cost to Attend Seattle University? Tuition, Net Price & Aid
Published tuition at Seattle University is $56,721, but few families pay that. The number to watch is net price, what students actually pay each year after federal grants and institutional scholarships. Here it averages about $34,662. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $22,896 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $19,883 in federal student loans.
Is Seattle University Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI
Ten years out, alumni of Seattle University earn a median of $75,272, well above the national average for bachelor's degree holders.
Does Seattle University Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes
Seattle University is a genuine engine of upward mobility. Its mobility rate, the share of students who start in the bottom income quintile and climb to the top, is 1.90%, well above the typical college. About 4.7% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 40.3% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $105,700, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.
How Connected Is Seattle University? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks
Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs high at Seattle University. Its economic connectedness score is 1.85, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (-0.01), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 11% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.
Similar Schools
Schools with similar outcomes, selectivity, and student profiles to Seattle University.
- Creighton UniversityOmaha, NE · Close peer82% grad $73,911 earn 80% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar selectivity · similar grad rate
- Duquesne UniversityPittsburgh, PA · Close peer77% grad $74,742 earn 84% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar selectivity · similar grad rate
- University of ScrantonScranton, PA · Close peer80% grad $74,652 earn 81% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar selectivity · similar grad rate
- Thomas Jefferson UniversityPhiladelphia, PA · Close peer68% grad $77,449 earn 81% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar selectivity · similar grad rate
- Siena UniversityLoudonville, NY · Close peer75% grad $76,079 earn 69% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar selectivity · similar grad rate
- University of DenverDenver, CO · Close peer77% grad $71,155 earn 78% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar selectivity · similar grad rate
Social Capital
Data: Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas
How Connected Is Seattle University? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks
Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs high at Seattle University. Its economic connectedness score is 1.85, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (-0.01), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 11% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.
Research Note