Is the University of Washington harder to get into than Ohio State?

Yes. In broad terms, the University of Washington is usually more selective overall than Ohio State, especially for out-of-state applicants and for high-demand majors. UW’s admissions process is also shaped a lot by capacity limits in specific programs, so getting into the university is only part of the picture for some students.

For a student applying from Washington and aiming at a less capacity-constrained path, UW can feel competitive but still reasonably within reach with a strong academic record. For a student coming from outside Washington, UW tends to be tougher because the university prioritizes state residents and has limited space. That matters even more if you are interested in majors like computer science, engineering, business, or nursing, where entry can be especially tight.

Ohio State is still a well-known and selective public university, but in an overall admissions comparison it is typically more accessible than UW. For a solid student looking at admission to the university as a whole, Ohio State is often the less difficult admit of the two.

One thing to keep separate is schoolwide admission versus major admission. At UW, some majors are significantly harder to enter than the university overall, so a student interested in a competitive direct-admit program may experience UW as much tougher than Ohio State.