How to Apply to Computer Science at the University of Washington: Direct to Major, Current Student and Transfer Pathways into the Allen School, with Requirements and Timeline for Chinese, Canadian High School and Transfer Students

At the University of Washington (UW) Seattle campus, undergraduate computing is taught by the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering (the Allen School), which offers two Bachelor of Science majors: Computer Science and Computer Engineering. Here is what you need to know for autumn 2027 entry, based on UW and Allen School information, for students at high schools in China, students at Canadian high schools (including BC and Vancouver students), and transfer students.

1. The two majors and the curriculum

• Difference: UW says Computer Science is more flexible and focuses on software systems and applications, while Computer Engineering requires more study of the underlying hardware and lower-level systems. Both include substantial coverage of artificial intelligence, theory of computation and the impact of computing on society.
• Credits: both majors require 180 credits, with general education, mathematics and science, and computing components (required courses and senior electives). Computer Science also has a Data Science Option with the same total credits.
• Intro courses: the intro programming sequence is taught in Java, and the first course, CSE 121, is designed for students with no experience; students choose the starting point that fits them. New majors are advised to take CSE 311 (discrete maths and logic) in their first quarter, followed by courses such as CSE 331 Software Design and CSE 351 Hardware/Software Interface.
• Double majors: either major can be paired with another major or minor, but Computer Science and Computer Engineering cannot be double-majored.
• Honors: majors with a cumulative UW GPA of 3.3 and a CSE GPA of 3.5 can pursue CSE honors, with 9 credits of research and a thesis.

2. Three admission pathways

Both majors are capacity-constrained: more students want them than can be admitted, so students must be admitted to the Allen School. There are three pathways:

• Direct to Major (DTM): the main pathway. List Computer Science or Computer Engineering as your first-choice major on the UW first-year application and you are considered automatically. Listing an Allen School major as your second choice means you will not be considered. Both majors are reviewed in one pool, so the choice does not affect your chances, and admitted students can switch between them relatively easily if it does not delay graduation.
• Current UW students: students not admitted directly can apply to the Allen School after completing at least 12 credits at UW Seattle, at least 30 graded college credits in total (AP and IB credit do not count) and the prerequisites. This pathway is competitive and not all applicants can be admitted.
• Transfer: for students from other institutions (section 8).

3. How Direct to Major decisions are made

• Review: the UW Office of Admissions reviews holistically, using criteria developed with the Allen School: academics (high school grades, strength of schedule including senior year, and rigor), personal characteristics (activities and essays), socioeconomic disadvantage and residency.
• No programming experience needed: you do not need to have taken programming or done computing activities, and your application does not need a computing focus. There is no minimum GPA, and high grades do not guarantee admission.
• High school courses: the most rigorous curriculum available, including AP, IB or honors courses, especially in English, maths and science.
• Second choice: UW encourages a second-choice major outside the Allen School, with no penalty. Many students not offered DTM are still admitted to UW as “pre-major” or “pre-sciences”. UW also says that if you are certain you want Computer Science or Computer Engineering and are not offered DTM, you should strongly consider attending another university.
• Residency: as a public university, UW gives priority to Washington residents. Non-residents and international students can explain in their personal statement why they want to study in Washington.
• 2026 DTM data (applicants listing Computer Science or Computer Engineering first): Washington residents 1,205 applied and 493 were offered DTM (41%); domestic non-residents 2,995 and 243 (8%); international students 1,049 and 37 (4%). In 2025, 1,413 international students applied and 30 were offered DTM (2%).

4. Applying after you enrol (current UW students)

• Prerequisites (numerically graded, at least 2.0 each, unless completed by AP or IB):
  • Math: MATH 124, 125 and 126 (calculus);
  • Computer Science: CSE 123 (or CSE 143);
  • English: five credits of English composition;
  • Natural science: PHYS 121 for Computer Engineering; for Computer Science, one of PHYS 121, BIOL 180, CHEM 142 or an approved course.
• When: admission is for spring and autumn only. Spring applications open in early January and close on 15 January at 5:00 pm PT, with decisions in mid-February; autumn applications open in mid-June and close on 1 July, with decisions in early August.
• Data (spring and autumn 2026 combined): international students 136 applied and 55 were admitted (40%); Washington residents 208 and 68 (33%); domestic non-residents 82 and 29 (35%).

5. Students at high schools in China

• Application: apply on the Common App with the personal essay (650 words maximum); the international first-year fee is US$95, with no waivers, and international first-year applicants can only start in autumn.
• Grades: after applying, self-report all courses and grades in STARS (no changes after submission); students in a national curriculum also upload transcripts from grade 9 onward to the Common App, with official English translations if needed. UW does not say whether Gaokao results are considered.
• Tests: UW no longer requires SAT or ACT for most applicants.
• Not considered: no interviews, no recommendation letters and no demonstrated interest.
• English: submit TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo (section 7).
• A-levels, IB and AP: these show course rigor; after enrolment, exam credit is awarded under the UW exams-for-credit rules, but it does not count toward the 30 graded credits for the current-student pathway and cannot replace English composition.

6. Students at Canadian high schools

• English exemption: you are exempt if both your primary and secondary education took place in English-speaking Canada (or Australia, the UK, Ireland, New Zealand or the US). If only your high school was in Canada, you need a test score or the alternative below.
• Alternative: a B average in grade 10–12 English writing or literature courses at an English-medium school (80 on a 100-point scale), plus SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing 580 or ACT English 22. These scores count only for English.
• Otherwise: self-report grades in STARS; SAT/ACT are not required. UW does not publish grade requirements for BC or other Canadian curricula.

7. English requirements and the autumn 2027 timeline

• English minimums: TOEFL iBT 76 for tests before 21 January 2026, or 4.0 after; IELTS 6.0; Duolingo 110. Tests must be taken by 31 December of the application year and sent directly; no TOEFL MyBest or superscoring; UW does not offer conditional admission.
• Timeline: applications open 15 August; deadline 15 November (UW’s only first-year deadline); English tests by 31 December; decisions 1–15 March, with the Allen School DTM decision released together with the UW decision; confirm enrolment by the date in your offer letter, typically around 1 May.

8. Transfer students

• Who: students who have studied at a college or university other than UW Seattle after high school. Transfer students typically have about two years of coursework and graduate in about two more years; applicants who already hold a bachelor’s degree are not accepted.
• Two steps: submit the UW transfer application, then the Allen School departmental application. If you miss the UW deadline, you cannot apply to the Allen School as a transfer.
• Dates:
  • Spring: UW transfer application opens 1 November and closes 15 December; the departmental application closes 15 January, with decisions in early February;
  • Autumn: the Allen School page says the UW transfer application opens 15 December and closes 15 February, while the UW admissions dates page gives an autumn transfer deadline of 28 February. Check UW at the time you apply, and aim for the earlier date. The departmental application closes 5 April, with decisions in early May.
• Minimum requirements: at least 30 graded college credits (AP and IB do not count) and the same prerequisites as above (the transfer page lists CSE 143 or CSE 123). Two semesters of calculus equal three UW quarters; only calculus-based mechanics counts for PHYS 121, and science courses must include a lab. The intro sequence is in Java, and the Allen School strongly prefers transfer students to have college Java experience before enrolling.
• Prerequisite exceptions: applicants who will have 90 quarter credits by enrolment, meet all other requirements and have their final prerequisite in progress at the deadline can request an exception; the form for spring and autumn 2027 opens in early November.
• Who gets in: over 90% of admitted transfers in recent years came directly from Washington community colleges, and most entered with a GPA of 3.8 or better in recent prerequisite courses. In spring and autumn 2025, 114 non-residents from four-year or out-of-state institutions applied and none were admitted.
• Credit: courses are evaluated individually; study outside the US at a ministry-recognised institution generally earns no more than 45 quarter credits per full year; a maximum of 90 lower-division and 135 total transfer credits count.

9. Costs

• 2026-27 (nine months; international students pay non-resident tuition): tuition US$44,460; the total estimated cost with on- or off-campus housing is about US$67,800. Some majors have additional fees. Costs for 2027-28 have not been published.
• Aid: UW does not provide financial aid or scholarships to undergraduate international students.

Checklist

Students at high schools in China:

• Submit the Common App by 15 November with Computer Science or Computer Engineering as your first choice, plus a second choice outside the Allen School
• Take the most rigorous English, maths and science courses available; no programming experience needed
• TOEFL 76 (4.0 on the new scale), IELTS 6.0 or Duolingo 110 by 31 December
• Budget for the full cost, about US$67,800 in 2026-27

Students at Canadian high schools (including BC and Vancouver):

• Exempt from English tests if all schooling was in English-speaking Canada; otherwise a test or the English-grades-plus-SAT/ACT alternative
• Deadline 15 November, with an Allen School major as first choice

Transfer students:

• Complete three quarters (or two semesters) of calculus, a CSE 143 equivalent (ideally in Java), English composition and a lab science
• Submit the UW transfer application, then the departmental application by 15 January (spring) or 5 April (autumn)

Sources: University of Washington, Allen School undergraduate admissions; Direct to Major admissions; Current UW student admissions; Transfer admissions; Degree requirements; Dates and deadlines; How to apply (first-year); English proficiency; 2026-27 cost of attendance; Transfer credit policies. Information is for autumn 2027 entry; costs are for 2026-27 and admissions data are for 2026 and earlier. Check UW for the latest.