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Bachelor Programme

Electrical & Computer Engineering

Electrical & Computer Engineering students at UW design and build the hardware and software behind electronic devices, from nanoscale computer chips to large power grids. The BSECE is awarded by the College of Engineering and concentrates on the physical side of computing: hardware, circuits, signal processing and the physics underneath computation. Pathways include sustainable energy systems, sensing and communication, neurotechnology, control systems, VLSI and digital systems design, photonics, computer architecture, embedded systems, machine learning, microelectronics and nanotechnology. It is a different degree from the Allen School's Computer Engineering major and has its own admission route.

University

University of Washington

Country

United States

Level

Bachelor

Field

Engineering

Duration

4 years full-time

Language

English

Campus

Seattle

Degree

Bachelor of Science in Electrical and Computer Engineering (BSECE)

Intake

Autumn (late September). Winter first-year entry is not open to international applicants and spring first-year entry is not offered

Application Deadline

Autumn 2027 entry (Common App; international applicants pay a non-refundable US$95 fee and fee waivers are not available): the application opens 15 August 2026 and closes 15 November 2026. English test scores must come from exams taken on or before 31 December 2026. Decisions are released 1-15 March 2027, and most admitted students confirm by 1 May 2027 (check your offer letter for the exact date). UW does not use Early Decision or Early Action. Winter quarter first-year entry is not open to international applicants

Tuition Information

2026-27 tuition and fees at the Seattle campus (full-time, 10 to 18 credits a quarter, three quarters: autumn, winter and spring): US$45,789 a year for nonresident students, the rate international students pay (US$15,263 a quarter), compared with US$13,873 for Washington residents. Both figures include the U-PASS transit pass. UW Student Financial Aid's 2026-27 nonresident undergraduate cost of attendance for students living on or off campus adds housing and food of US$18,858, books and course supplies of US$900, transportation of US$1,074 and personal/miscellaneous costs of about US$2,508, for an estimated total of US$69,129. International Student Services adds the required International Student Health Insurance Plan (ISHIP) at US$537 a quarter, giving its own three-quarter estimate of US$70,740. The Office of Admissions cost page still shows a slightly lower nonresident tuition line (US$44,460, total US$67,800). Some majors and courses charge extra fees, and flights and visa costs are not included. UW does not offer financial aid or scholarships to international undergraduates. Rates for students starting in autumn 2027 have not been published yet

Admission Requirements

  • School or college: College of Engineering (Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering). Admission route: Direct to College (DTC) admission to the College of Engineering (autumn only). List this or any engineering major (other than Computer Engineering) as your first choice. If admitted you start as 'Engineering Undeclared', explore the engineering majors in your first year and request placement at the end of that year. Students who meet the placement requirements are guaranteed a place in an engineering major, but not necessarily their first choice. Getting in later from elsewhere at UW goes through a capacity-constrained application with limited space
  • Testing: SAT/ACT not required. UW is test-optional, and reviewers do not see test scores in the holistic review, though high scores (1400 SAT / 31 ACT or above) may be considered for a small number of applicants who would not otherwise be admitted. Homeschooled applicants and students from schools without letter or numeric grades must still submit the SAT or ACT
  • English proficiency (international applicants): official TOEFL iBT of at least 4.0 (new score scale for tests from 21 January 2026; 76 on the older 120-point scale), IELTS 6.0 or Duolingo English Test 110, taken by 31 December 2026. UW does not superscore English tests, does not accept TOEFL MyBest and has no conditional admission. Admitted international students average TOEFL 107, IELTS 7.6 and Duolingo 139. You are exempt if all your primary and secondary schooling was in Australia, Canada (English-speaking provinces), the UK, Ireland, New Zealand or the US. Alternatively, an average B in grade 10-12 English courses at an English-medium school plus SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing 580 or ACT English 22 meets the requirement
  • Minimum preparation (CADRs): 4 years of English, 3 of math plus a math-based quantitative course in senior year, 3 of social science, 2 of a world language, 3 of science including 2 of lab science, and half a year each of arts and an academic elective. You self-report courses and grades through STARS; students at schools outside the US that follow a national curriculum also upload unofficial transcripts from grade 9 onwards. UW does not interview, use recommendation letters or track demonstrated interest
View Official Programme Page