How should an out-of-state student compare the affordability of UCSD and the University of Washington?

For an out-of-state student, UC San Diego and the University of Washington should be treated as near-full-price public options unless one school’s actual aid offer creates a meaningful gap; compare four years of net cost, not the tuition line alone. Both charge nonresident students substantially more than residents, and neither school should be viewed as likely to become in-state-priced after enrollment. The deciding figure is the amount you and your family would truly pay after grants and scholarships, plus realistic living and travel expenses.

Start with each university’s official nonresident cost-of-attendance budget, then replace its estimates with your own. At UCSD, pay particular attention to La Jolla/San Diego housing, meal plans, campus fees, health insurance if you cannot waive it, and transportation around a spread-out area. At UW, use Seattle-area rent and food estimates that reflect whether you will live in a residence hall, a shared apartment, or farther from campus, and include local transit and any 12-month lease obligation.

Read each financial-aid offer by category. Grants and renewable scholarships reduce the price; federal loans, parent loans, and work-study do not reduce the underlying cost in the same way.

Add travel as an annual line item, not an afterthought: round-trip flights or driving costs for fall move-in, winter break, spring break, summer, and unexpected trips home. Also account for deposits, furnishings, books, a laptop or program-specific equipment, and possible summer housing. Finally, do not build the plan around gaining California or Washington residency; residency rules for students who initially enroll as nonresidents are restrictive, especially when a student’s primary reason for being in the state is education.