Is Tulane harder to get into than the University of Washington?

Yes. Tulane is typically considered harder to get into overall than the University of Washington, especially in the sense that Tulane is more selective for the general applicant pool and is known for managing enrollment very carefully. Tulane also places a lot of weight on demonstrated interest, and its early application rounds can be especially competitive in a way that catches some students off guard.

One major difference is how each school builds its class. Tulane is a private university with a national applicant pool and a relatively small undergraduate enrollment, so it can be more selective across the board. The University of Washington is a large public flagship, and while it is very competitive, especially for certain programs, its overall admissions picture is shaped by its public mission and its obligation to serve Washington residents.

Another important difference is that UW admissions can vary a lot by residency and major. For in-state students, UW may be more accessible overall than Tulane, though direct admission to high-demand programs like computer science, engineering, or business can be much tougher than the university-wide admit picture suggests.

If you are comparing overall institutional selectivity, Tulane is usually seen as the tougher admit. If you are applying to a highly competitive major at UW, that specific path can be as hard as or even harder than Tulane in practice.