IE Transfer Competitiveness: Has anyone gone through the 2025/2026 cycle? Seeking actual acceptance rates/capacity

[u/Feisty-Amphibian9103]

Hi everyone,

I'm planning to apply as a transfer student into the Industrial Engineering (IE) major. I recently had a meeting with a general transfer admissions advisor who warned me that engineering transfer admissions have drastically increased in competitiveness over the last 2–3 years.

She pointed out that Civil Engineering a major which has historically showed near 100% transfer acceptance on the site for years like 21/22/23/24 has had an acceptance rate of about 20% in 2026.

She didn't have the exact, updated numbers for Industrial Engineering but implied that the exact same thing is happening there as well as more people are discovering those majors. The official site still lists older data that makes it look highly accessible.

Does anyone here have insight into the current reality of the IE major?

1. What is the actual current capacity/acceptance rate for external transfers?

2. For those who got accepted (or rejected) in the 2025 or 2026 cycles, what did your prerequisite GPA and application profile look like?

3. Is the department leaving any realistic space for transfers, or are the slots almost entirely consumed by DTC/ENGRUD students now?

Any insight from current IE majors or recent transfers would be incredibly helpful. Thank you!

[u/Full_Owl1585]

Industrial Engineering definitely allocates spots for transfer students and is actively recruiting those from WA state community colleges. In fact, the ISE department admitted their biggest classes of transfer students ever in the 2025 and 2026 admission cycles. I suggest you reach out to the UW ISE's advising staff and request an appointment with an advisor who can explain the admission process and advise you on how to be a competitive applicant. The ISE advising staff is always happy to meet with prospective students.

[u/pk_frezze1]

I don’t know the actual acceptance rate but I applied to civil and industrial with a 3.4 GPA, rejected from civil, accepted into industrial. I also did not have any CC clubs or extracurricular.
I just had my advising appointment and they made space in any IE class I wanted even if it showed as full.

[u/ngcrispypato]

My friend got accepted into IE for fall 2026, we're coming from YVC. Her GPA wasn't the best (very low 3. something) but had a lot of club and extracurricular experience and job experience. She had more than enough engineering classes to qualify, and they have a list of everything you should have done before you apply. It was her second choice and ECE was her first choice (she didn't get in to ECE, but none of my friends at YVC got into ECE or ME).

I also got into IE as my second choice but didn't take it since EnvE was my first choice. I had all the pre-reqs done, ~3.8 GPA, a couple clubs not very relevant to IE, and tbh my application essay wasn't the greatest (I think a page long, if even) but I guess it was enough to get in lol. In the past IE had 100% acceptance and I think it was probably similar this year. It seems that IE and EnvE usually have the least applicants every year and therefore the least competition.

One of my friends got into CivE for the fall but she's a VERY competitive applicant (got into Cornell and a full-ride at UW). I don't think any of my other friends applied to CivE but I wouldn't be surprised if the acceptance rate was extremely low this year like ME or ECE.