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Private 4-Year Highly Selective St. Louis, MO NCAA Division III with football

Washington University in St Louis

St. Louis, MO

12.1%
Acceptance Rate
$92,523/yr
Est. Cost of Attendancesum of published cost components
$21,786/yr
Avg Price After Aid
94.3%
6-yr Grad Rate
7,857
Undergrads

About Washington University in St Louis

Washington University in St Louis is a private nonprofit university with an acceptance rate of 12.1% and undergraduate enrollment of 7,857. The institution has a 7:1 student-to-faculty ratio, a 6-year graduation rate of 94.3%, and a cost of attendance of $92,523. The median earnings are $78,073 six years after enrollment and $86,182 ten years after enrollment.

Type
Private 4-Year
Undergrads
7,857
Avg Faculty Salary
$154,054
Athletics
NCAA Division III with football
Endowment
$12B
Pell Students
17.8%
First-Gen
11.4%
What Washington University in St Louis Is Known For
Majors far more concentrated here than at colleges nationally
Medical Anthropology 46 graduates · 2.3% of degrees here vs 0.01% nationally 248×
Cognitive Psychology and Psycholinguistics 32 graduates · 1.6% of degrees here vs 0.01% nationally 129×
Mathematics and Computer Science 46 graduates · 2.3% of degrees here vs 0.06% nationally 41×
Experimental Psychology 126 graduates · 6.3% of degrees here vs 0.18% nationally 36×
Computer Science 210 graduates · 10.5% of degrees here vs 2.26% nationally
SOURCEIPEDS Completions 2023, against the national share at the same degree level
Admissions
12.1%
Acceptance rate · Highly Selective
25.3%
ED Rate
32,240
Applicants
Can I Get In? →
Cost & Aid
$21,786 avg net
Average net price after aid
$1,716
Under $30K income
$12B
Endowment
Can I Afford It? →
Outcomes
$78,073 median
Median earnings 6 years after entering
94.3%
6-yr Grad Rate
$17,500
Median Debt
Is It Worth It? →

Washington University in St Louis Acceptance Rate & Admissions

Acceptance Rate
12.1%
32,240 applicants
Early Decision Rate
25.3%
ED applications: 4,817

Washington University in St Louis is highly selective with a 12.1% acceptance rate and an undergraduate enrollment of 7,857 students. The institution maintains a strong 7:1 student-to-faculty ratio and reports a 94.3% six-year graduation rate.

How Selective Is That, Really?
Each dot is one of 100 applicants · Source: school's Common Data Set, else College Scorecard
1 in 8 applicants is admitted · 32,240 applied
10-Year Acceptance Rate Trend
10-year trend · Source: College Scorecard
10 years

SAT & ACT Score Ranges

Where Admitted Students Score
Middle 50% of enrolled students, on the full SAT scale · Source: College Scorecard (IPEDS)
Fall 2023
1500–1570
40080012001600
GPA Distribution — Enrolled Students
8-band breakdown · Source: Common Data Set
4.0
0.68%
3.75–3.99
0.23%
3.50–3.74
0.06%
3.25–3.49
0.03%
3.00–3.24
0.01%
2.50–2.99
2.00–2.49
Below 2.0

Admissions Requirements

Admission Factor Weights
Official weights from submitted institutional data · Source: Common Data Set, section C7
Rigor of coursework Very Important
Class rank Very Important
Academic GPA Very Important
Standardized test scores Very Important
Application essay Important
Recommendations Important
Extracurricular activities Considered
Talent / special ability Important
Character / personal qualities Important
First generation status Considered
Alumni relation Considered
Geographic residence Considered
Volunteer work Considered
Work experience Considered
Class Rank Profile
25% of students submitted rank · Source: Common Data Set
Top 10th of class
0.86%
Top quarter
0.98%
Top half
1%
Who Applies, and Who Gets In
First-year applicants, admits and enrollees by gender
Applied Admitted Rate Enrolled
Men 15,206 1,847 12.1% 873
Women 17,034 2,008 11.8% 955
SOURCEIPEDS Admissions — Fall 2023 admissions cycle
How These Admissions Numbers Compare
Against the colleges this school should be measured against
Median

Washington University in St Louis admits 12.1% of applicants — a typical similar college admits 74%.

Acceptance rate
This school
12.1%
Similar colleges (1,009)
73.8%
MO (59)
75%
St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL (21)
75%
National (1,934)
78.1%

Each bar is the median of that group, with the number of schools in brackets. “Similar colleges” means the same control and the same predominant degree awarded. Groups of fewer than 15 schools are not shown.

Washington University in St Louis Tuition, Fees & Cost of Attendance

Avg Net Price
$21,786
Average for all students receiving federal aid, 2023-24
Median Federal Debt
$17,500
Federal Loan Rate
11.8%
Students borrowing federal loans

Washington University in St Louis has a cost of attendance of $92,523. With 17.8% of students receiving Pell grants, the institution serves low-income students alongside its highly selective admissions profile.

Cost of Attendance Breakdown
Estimated annual costs · on-campus, 2023-24 · Source: College Scorecard
$92,523
Tuition & Fees
$65,790
71%
Room & Board
$21,854
24%
Books & Supplies
$1,304
1%
Other Expenses
$3,575
4%

What You'd Actually Pay by Family Income

What You'd Actually Pay by Family Income
Average net price after all grants and scholarships · Source: College Scorecard (IPEDS net price)
Under $30,000
$1,716
$30,001 – $48,000
$1,928
$48,001 – $75,000
$5,578
$75,001 – $110,000
$12,603
Over $110,000
$42,170
Full Cost of Attendance
Source: College Scorecard
2023-24

Student Loan Debt

How Many Students Borrow
Undergraduates taking on any loan
Take out a loan
70%
Federal loans
12%

Graduates who borrowed carry a median monthly repayment of about $186.

SOURCECollege Scorecard, U.S. Department of Education
How This Price Compares
Against the colleges this school should be measured against
Median

After aid, Washington University in St Louis costs $21,786 a year — about 4% less than a typical similar college.

Cost of attendance
This school
$88,488
Similar colleges (1,094)
$49,718
MO (73)
$28,485
St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL (27)
$29,450
National (3,197)
$25,367
Students taking a loan
This school
69.6%
Similar colleges (998)
91.8%
MO (89)
84.4%
St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL (28)
88.7%
National (4,096)
86.4%
Median debt at graduation
This school
$17,500
Similar colleges (1,032)
$24,977
MO (103)
$15,675
St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL (36)
$13,375
National (4,347)
$13,097
Average net price
This school
$21,786
Similar colleges (1,105)
$22,585
MO (118)
$17,580
St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL (39)
$18,795
National (5,106)
$17,160

Each bar is the median of that group, with the number of schools in brackets. “Similar colleges” means the same control and the same predominant degree awarded. Groups of fewer than 15 schools are not shown.

Washington University in St Louis Graduation Rate & Student Outcomes

6-yr Grad Rate
94.3%
Median Earnings 6yr
$78,073
6 years after entering

Washington University in St. Louis has a 94.3% six-year graduation rate and median earnings of $78,073 at six years after enrollment and $86,182 at ten years after enrollment.

Graduate Earnings After College

Median Graduate Earnings Over Time
6 and 10 years after entering · includes all students, not just graduates · Source: College Scorecard
Median Earnings by Gender · 6 Years After Entering
Students working 6 years after entering · Source: College Scorecard
$87,393
Men
$70,102
Women
Graduation Rate: Pell vs. Non-Pell
6-year graduation rate by grant status · Source: College Scorecard
91.8%
Pell recipients
94.5%
Non-Pell students

Top Majors & Programs

Top Majors by Graduates
Most recent year available · bachelor's degrees only · Source: IPEDS Completions 2023
MajorGraduates
Computer Science210
Experimental Psychology126
Finance, General114
Mechanical Engineering113
Biology/Biological Sciences, General96
Econometrics and Quantitative Economics87
Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering68
Political Science and Government, General64
Neuroscience63
International/Globalization Studies48
Graduation Rate by Race & Ethnicity
Completing within six years
Asian
97.3%
White
94.6%
Hispanic
94%
Black
88.8%
SOURCECollege Scorecard — groups with too few students to report are omitted
Earnings Further Out
The longer horizon

Median earnings eight years after entering Washington University in St Louis are $81,347, and 84% of former students earn more than $25,000 six years after entry.

SOURCECollege Scorecard, U.S. Department of Education
How These Outcomes Compare
Against the colleges this school should be measured against
Median

Six years after entry, former Washington University in St Louis students earn $78,073 — 72% more than at a typical similar college.

Median earnings, 10 years
This school
$86,182
Similar colleges (1,077)
$54,064
MO (113)
$40,843
St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL (37)
$46,660
National (4,696)
$40,782
Median earnings, 6 years
This school
$78,073
Similar colleges (1,077)
$45,468
MO (115)
$37,087
St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL (37)
$37,087
National (4,847)
$35,433
Graduation rate
This school
94.3%
Similar colleges (1,074)
58.1%
MO (53)
54.8%
St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL (19)
56.6%
National (2,168)
52.3%
Freshman retention
This school
95.4%
Similar colleges (1,117)
76.6%
MO (52)
71.3%
St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL (17)
70.5%
National (1,841)
75.7%

Each bar is the median of that group, with the number of schools in brackets. “Similar colleges” means the same control and the same predominant degree awarded. Groups of fewer than 15 schools are not shown.

Washington University in St Louis Campus, Athletics & Faculty

Washington University in St. Louis is a private nonprofit university with 7,857 undergraduates and a 7:1 student-to-faculty ratio. The university competes in NCAA Division III athletics, including football.

Student Demographics
Undergraduate enrollment · Source: College Scorecard / IPEDS
Race & Ethnicity
White
39.7%
Asian
20.9%
Hispanic
13.2%
Black
8.7%
Other Indicators
First-generation
11.4%
Pell grant recipients
17.8%
Women
54.5%
Washington University in St Louis Athletics
Total Revenue
$4.6M
Total Expense
$4.1M
Athletes
692
376 men · 316 women
Head Coach Salaries
Men's vs Women's programs · Source: Equity in Athletics Disclosure Act
Men's sports
$94,635
Women's sports
$77,318

Average head coach salary by program gender.

Academic Resources
1,140
Full-time faculty
$154,054
Avg faculty salary
49,514
FT staff
$12B
Endowment
Faculty Salary by Gender
All instructional ranks combined · Source: IPEDS Human Resources
Men (avg)
$171,742
Women (avg)
$129,822
Overall avg
$154,054
Who Is on Campus
Beyond the undergraduate headcount
Undergraduates
7,857
Graduate students
8,137

Graduate and professional students outnumber undergraduates here, which shapes class sizes, housing and campus life in ways an undergraduate figure alone doesn't show.

Varsity Athletes
Play a varsity sport
6.9%

517 of 7,523 undergraduates, counting each athlete once regardless of how many sports they play.

SOURCEIPEDS enrollment; Equity in Athletics Disclosure Act filings
Online & Distance Learning
How much of the teaching happens remotely
Undergrads fully online
4.3%
Undergrads taking any
6.8%
Grad students fully online
3.5%

358 of 8,267 undergraduates study entirely at a distance, against 291 of 8,233 graduate students.

SOURCEIPEDS Fall Enrollment, distance education status

Washington University in St Louis is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and operates its own medical school.

How This Campus Compares
Against the colleges this school should be measured against
Median

Washington University in St Louis spends $91,042 per student on research — about 15× a typical similar college.

Pell grant share
This school
17.8%
Similar colleges (1,171)
32.8%
MO (123)
42.4%
St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL (42)
34.3%
National (5,367)
40.1%
Research spending per student
This school
$91,042
Similar colleges (1,164)
$6,264
MO (68)
$5,782
St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL (26)
$5,782
National (2,823)
$5,605
Students per faculty member
This school
7:1
Similar colleges (1,191)
12:1
MO (123)
13:1
St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL (43)
13:1
National (5,427)
15:1

Each bar is the median of that group, with the number of schools in brackets. “Similar colleges” means the same control and the same predominant degree awarded. Groups of fewer than 15 schools are not shown.

Every Major at Washington University in St Louis
90 fields of study, bachelor's degree level, grouped by subject area
1,994 graduates
Engineering 292 grads · 8 majors
Mechanical Engineering 113
Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering 68
Chemical Engineering 38
Electrical and Electronics Engineering 25
Computer Engineering, General 17
Systems Engineering 13
Environmental/Environmental Health... 11
Engineering, General 7
Biological and Biomedical Sciences 246 grads · 7 majors
Biology/Biological Sciences, General 96
Neuroscience 63
Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular... 30
Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and... 21
Microbiology, General 18
Environmental Biology 11
Ecology 7
Social Sciences 237 grads · 7 majors
Econometrics and Quantitative Economics 87
Political Science and Government, General 64
Medical Anthropology 46
Anthropology, General 22
Sociology, General 11
Economics, General 4
Urban Studies/Affairs 3
Computer and Information Sciences 235 grads · 2 majors
Computer Science 210
Information Technology 25
Business and Marketing 222 grads · 7 majors
Finance, General 114
Marketing/Marketing Management, General 40
Business/Managerial Economics 27
Accounting 12
Human Resources Management/Personnel... 12
Entrepreneurship/Entrepreneurial Studies 11
Logistics, Materials, and Supply Chain... 6
Multidisciplinary Studies 182 grads · 7 majors
International/Globalization Studies 48
Cognitive Science, General 46
Mathematics and Computer Science 46
Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other 25
Economics and Computer Science 15
Ancient Studies/Civilization 1
Sustainability Studies 1
Psychology 167 grads · 4 majors
Experimental Psychology 126
Cognitive Psychology and Psycholinguistics 32
Industrial and Organizational Psychology 5
Psychology, General 4
Visual and Performing Arts 105 grads · 9 majors
Design and Visual Communications, General 46
Fine/Studio Arts, General 22
Cinematography and Film/Video Production 9
Art History, Criticism and Conservation 8
Film/Cinema/Media Studies 8
Fashion/Apparel Design 6
Music, General 4
Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General 1
Printmaking 1
Architecture 52 grads · 2 majors
Architectural and Building... 37
Architecture 15
Physical Sciences 51 grads · 5 majors
Chemistry, Other 20
Chemistry, General 16
Physics, General 11
Astrophysics 3
Geochemistry 1
English Language and Literature 37 grads · 2 majors
English Language and Literature, General 25
Creative Writing 12
Area, Ethnic and Gender Studies 34 grads · 5 majors
Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and... 12
American/United States Studies/Civilization 10
African-American/Black Studies 6
Latin American Studies 5
East Asian Studies 1
Natural Resources and Conservation 32 grads · 3 majors
Environmental Studies 22
Environmental Science 5
Environmental/Natural Resources... 5
Mathematics and Statistics 28 grads · 4 majors
Mathematics, General 13
Statistics, General 9
Mathematics, Other 4
Applied Mathematics, General 2
History 22 grads · 1 major
History, General 22
Foreign Languages and Linguistics 18 grads · 9 majors
Classics and Classical Languages,... 7
French Language and Literature 3
Germanic Languages, Literatures, and... 2
Chinese Language and Literature 1
Comparative Literature 1
Italian Language and Literature 1
Japanese Language and Literature 1
Linguistics 1
Spanish Language and Literature 1
Philosophy and Religious Studies 12 grads · 2 majors
Philosophy 6
Philosophy, Other 6
Health Professions 11 grads · 2 majors
Health/Health Care Administration/Management 8
Health Services/Allied Health/Health... 3
Education 9 grads · 2 majors
Education, General 7
Elementary Education and Teaching 2
Liberal Arts and General Studies 1 grads · 1 major
Humanities/Humanistic Studies 1
Communication and Journalism 1 grads · 1 major
Public Relations, Advertising, and... 1
SOURCEIPEDS Completions 2023 — first majors only, so a student with a double major is counted once

Washington University in St Louis Location & Campus Safety

Washington University in St Louis is in St. Louis, MO, in what IPEDS classifies as a large suburb setting. The campus sits about 3.7 miles from the center of St. Louis. There are 16 other colleges within 25 miles, and St. Louis, MO is 3.7 miles away.

Washington University in St Louis
Large suburb
Campus Setting
3.7 mi
To City Center
16
Colleges Within 25 mi
293,109
St. Louis Population
Living in St. Louis
Cost of living and getting around, for the whole city — not the campus
ACS 2023
$978
Median Rent / mo
$55,279
Median Household Income
27.9%
Rent as % of Income
How People Commute
Drive alone
66.6%
Walk
4%
Public transit
5.2%

St. Louis County scores 10.8 out of 20 on the EPA National Walkability Index — above average walkable. The index is a county-wide average of block groups, so it describes the surrounding area rather than the campus itself.

Undergraduates make up about 4.6% of St. Louis's residents.

SOURCEU.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2023 5-year estimates; EPA National Walkability Index

Campus Safety at Washington University in St Louis

Every college that receives federal financial aid must publish its crime statistics each year under the Clery Act. These are the figures Washington University in St Louis reported for 2024.

23
On-Campus Offenses
6
In Residence Halls
1.4
Per 1,000 Students
11
Domestic, Dating & Stalking

Read these numbers carefully. A Clery figure counts reports, not incidents. A university with active reporting channels, a large campus police force and a teaching hospital will record more offenses than one where the same events go unreported — so a higher count is not evidence of a more dangerous campus, and a low count is not evidence of a safe one. In 2024, 833 campuses with more than 1,000 students reported no offenses at all. Use these figures to ask a college questions, not to rank one against another.

Reported On-Campus Offenses by Year
Criminal offenses reported on campus, including residence halls · Source: U.S. Dept. of Education Clery Act disclosures
2022
16
2023
22
2024
23
What Was Reported in 2024
On-campus criminal offenses by category
Motor vehicle theft
15
Sexual offenses
6
Burglary
1
Aggravated assault
1

Separately, Washington University in St Louis reported 260 disciplinary referrals for weapons, drug and liquor law violations on campus. Referrals for alcohol violations are usually the largest category at residential colleges and reflect how a school handles student conduct internally.

SOURCEU.S. Department of Education, Campus Safety and Security — Clery Act disclosures, 2024

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about Washington University in St Louis admissions, costs, and outcomes.