Private nonprofit · University

Washington Adventist University

Takoma Park, Maryland · Large suburb

#5 most selective in Maryland
46.2%
Admit rate
$18,526
Avg net price
29%
Graduation rate
$64,249
Median earnings

Washington Adventist University is a private nonprofit bachelor's-granting institution in Takoma Park, Maryland (large suburb setting), enrolling 452 undergraduates. It is a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI). It has a Seventh Day Adventists religious affiliation.

Private nonprofitSmall · 452 undergradsLarge suburbSelective · 46% admitNAIA Division ICold wintersNear the coast

Will you get in?

See where your numbers land against Washington Adventist University's admitted students.

Admit rate
46.2%
SAT (mid 50%)
860–1130
Avg GPA (est.)
2.92

Enter a test score to see where you land against Washington Adventist University's admitted students.

A guide, not a prediction. It compares your numbers with the middle 50% of admitted students and Washington Adventist University's overall admit rate — it can't see essays, recommendations, activities, or your intended major, which all move real decisions.

About Takoma Park, Maryland

Takoma Park is a city in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. Takoma Park was founded by Benjamin Franklin Gilbert in 1883. It was one of the first planned Victorian commuter suburbs, centered on the B&O railroad station in Takoma, D.C., and bore aspects of a spa and trolley park. Takoma Park was the home of blues guitarist John Fahey (1939-2001), who helped popularize the city as a haven for folk musicians. He named his label Takoma Records for the city, and many of his songs allude to local landmarks. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Large suburb
Highest degree offered
Graduate
To the ocean
7 miles
Nearest airport
9 miles to Ronald Reagan Washington National (DCA) · major hub

How Washington Adventist University compares

Selectivity46.2%

More selective than 86% · #5 most selective of 28 in Maryland

SAT average980

Higher than 6%

Graduation rate29%

Higher than 11% · #28 of 31 in Maryland

First-year retention64%

Higher than 18%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$64,249

Higher than 77% · #12 of 28 in Maryland

Average net price$18,526

Cheaper than 57% · #15 cheapest of 29 in Maryland

Median debt at graduation$30,500

Lower than 4%

Student–faculty ratio9 : 1

Lower than 83%

Undergraduate enrollment452

Larger than 20%

Percentiles compare Washington Adventist University with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in Maryland.

Student body

Undergraduate vs. graduate

551students
  • Undergraduate45282%
  • Graduate9918%

Undergraduates by gender

452undergrads
  • Women32672%
  • Men12628%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White6.9%
  • Black37%
  • Hispanic24%
  • Asian1.8%
  • Other or multiracial31%

Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
452
Graduate enrollment
99
Student–faculty ratio
9 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
37%
First-generation students
35%
Students over 25
25%
Median family income
$34,060
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$55,872
Endowment
$4,354,339

Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.

Where students come from

Home state of the 106 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.

  • From Maryland52%
  • Other U.S. states25%
  • International24%

A regional draw: about 52% of first-years come from Maryland, the rest from elsewhere.

24% came from outside the U.S. Out-of-state students usually pay a higher tuition rate at public schools — check the cost card above for your bracket. Source: IPEDS residence & migration, fall 2023 entering class.

Admissions

Admission rate
46.2%
Test scores
Considered but not required
SAT range (25th–75th %)
860–1130
SAT average
980
SAT reading
450–580
SAT math
410–550
ACT composite
Average GPA (estimated)
2.92

Cost

In-state tuition
$26,604
Room & board
$11,421
Books & supplies
$1,200
Total cost of attendance
$34,309
Average net price
$18,526

Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.

Outcomes

Graduated (within 6 years)
29%
Graduated on time (4 years)
15%
First-year retention
64%
Transferred to another college
0%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$40,114
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$64,249
Median debt at graduation
$30,500
Students with federal loans
45%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
33%

About 13% of students who finish here need more than four years — each extra year adds roughly another year of tuition and living costs.

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

All students
15%
First-generation
41%

When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.

Campus life & athletics

On-campus housing
Yes
Dorm capacity
400
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
88%
Housing charge (year)
$4,470
Meal plan (year)
$5,970
Application fee
Free
Athletics
NAIA Division I
Varsity athletes
120 (79 men · 41 women)

Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.

Varsity sports (5)

Soccer48
Basketball45
Other Sports13
Volleyball8
Cross Country6

Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.

Campus safety

Safety grade
B
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
0.5 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
1
Property offenses (2022–2024)
0

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 1 campus (612 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.

Reported offenses in an average year

The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.

0.3reported offenses a year
0.3 violent a year0 property a year

By offense type, per year

Rape
0.3

Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.

What you'll actually pay, by family income

Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.

< $30k
$17,534
$30–48k
$15,160
$48–75k
$19,311
$75–110k
$22,090
$110k+
$21,480

College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.

Four-year (or more) true cost

Net price for your family's income, projected across the time it actually takes students here to graduate.

Est. total to a degree
$90,661

$19,311/year × about 4.7 years — most students here don't finish in exactly four, and each extra term adds cost. A planning estimate from net-price and graduation-timing data, not a bill.

Does the school pay you to attend?

Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.

98%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$11,468
average award, among those who get one

A meaningful share of freshmen — 98% — get grant money from Washington Adventist University itself, averaging $11,468, which softens the sticker price.

Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 57 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.

Is it worth it?

A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.

Median earnings (10 years)
$64,249
Typical debt at graduation
$30,500
Debt vs. one year's pay
47%
Out-earn a HS grad
63%

Typical debt would take roughly 4.7 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.

Solid value

A reasonable return: earnings comfortably clear the debt over a few years for most students who finish.

Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.

The pay gap here

Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.

Women
$67,427
Men
$55,632

Women out-earn men by $11,795 (21%) a decade out.

Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.

Campus climate

Summer high
87°F
Winter low
25°F
Annual rain
44″
Annual snow
15.8″

Average temperature

HighLow
20°60°100°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.02.34.5JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Beltsville, MD US station (4.8 mi from campus).

Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.

Colleges similar to Washington Adventist University

Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Washington Adventist University side by side →

Colleges near Washington Adventist University

Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.