Quad

Head-to-head

U. Arizona
Washington State

Key differences

The biggest gaps between these schools, largest first.

  1. 1

    Washington State costs about $8.2K less per year on average than U. Arizona ($24,199 vs. $32,363, all students)

    Average cost, all students
  2. 2

    U. Arizona has 2.0× as many undergrads as Washington State

    Undergrads
  3. 3

    Washington State grads earn $8.9K more ten years out than U. Arizona's ($68,905 vs. $59,979)

    Median earnings, 10 yrs
  4. 4

    U. Arizona is more diverse (index 0.70 vs. 0.62)

    Diversity index
  5. 5

    Washington State graduates 3 pts more of its students than U. Arizona (66% vs. 63%)

    Graduation rate
  6. 6

    Washington State has 3 pts more first-gen students than U. Arizona (34% vs. 31%)

    First-generation students

The shape of each school

Each axis is a national rank among 4-year colleges; further out = more of it.

SelectivityTest scoresSizePell shareFirst-genDiversity

Hollow dots at the center mean that measure isn't reported.

Who's hardest to get into

U. Arizona admits 86%, Washington State 87%; Washington State's yield is higher, at 20%.

Acceptance rate
U. Arizona86%
Washington State87%
Quad's selectivity
  • U. ArizonaAccessible
  • Washington StateAccessible
SAT middle 50%Axis 1000–1600
U. Arizona
1150–1420
Washington StateTest-blind
How they read a recordfirst-years at 3.75+
  • U. ArizonaGPA and school record required
  • Washington StateGPA, school record, and prep program required

Who's on each campus

U. Arizona is twice Washington State's size; Washington State has the larger Pell share.

Undergrads
U. Arizona42.5K
Washington State21.1K
Pell Grant share
U. Arizona26%
Washington State27%

Majors and faculty

Psychology leads at both; Washington State has 15 students per faculty member to U. Arizona's 20.

Students per faculty member
U. Arizona20 to 1
Washington State15 to 1
Most popular majorshare of graduates
  • U. ArizonaPsychology, General7%
  • Washington StatePsychology, General8%

What each costs

Washington State costs about $8.2K less a year than U. Arizona on average; U. Arizona's grants cover the larger share of its price.

Average cost, all students
U. Arizona$32.4K
Washington State$24.2K
Aid generosity
U. Arizona29%
Washington State27%

What each pays off

Washington State's former students earn more, a median $68.9K ten years after enrolling; both graduate more than 60% within six years.

Median earnings, 10 years
U. Arizona$60K
Washington State$68.9K
Graduation rate
U. Arizona63%
Washington State66%

How each has changed

Applications grew at both; both got less selective.

Applications, 10-year change
  • U. ArizonaGrowing+78%
  • Washington StateGrowingsince fall 2015+29%
All the numbersEvery figure for these colleges in one table, with differences highlighted.
Sources for this comparisonEvery dataset and year behind the numbers in this comparison; tap any ⓘ for one number's source

Sources:IPEDS Admissions survey, Fall 2024;College Scorecard, Fall 2024;College Scorecard, most recent release;IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey, 2023–24;IPEDS Student Financial Aid survey, 2023–24;College Scorecard, Entered fall 2023;IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part D), Fall 2024;IPEDS Completions survey (degrees awarded by field), 2024–25 graduates;College Scorecard, 2023–24;IPEDS Graduation Rates survey (Pell Grant and subsidized loan recipients), Entered fall 2018About the data(retrieved 2026-10-12)

Figures are the newest each college has published; years can differ between colleges. Each value's ⓘ shows its source and year. Why