Private nonprofit · University

Washington University in St Louis

St. Louis, Missouri · Large suburb

#2 most selective in Missouri#2 graduation rate in Missouri#3 for grad earnings in Missouri
12.1%
Admit rate
$21,786
Avg net price
94%
Graduation rate
$86,182
Median earnings

Washington University in St Louis is a private nonprofit bachelor's-granting institution in St. Louis, Missouri (large suburb setting), enrolling 7,857 undergraduates.

Private nonprofitMidsize · 7,857 undergradsLarge suburbHighly selective · 12% admitNCAA Division III with football · College Conference of Illinois and WisconsinCold winters

Will you get in?

See where your numbers land against Washington University in St Louis's admitted students.

Admit rate
12.1%
SAT (mid 50%)
1500–1570
Avg GPA
4.19

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

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

About St. Louis, Missouri

St. Louis is an independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. Due to numerous major earthworks within St. Louis boundaries, the city was nicknamed "Mound City". These mounds were mostly demolished during the city's development. Sugarloaf Mound in South St. Louis was repatriated to the Osage Nation in 2025. The same year as the 1904 World's Fair, the Strassberger Music Conservatory Building was constructed at 2300 Grand. Otto Wilhelmi was the architect. In 1911, the conservatory had over 1,100 students. The building is presently in the National Register of Historic Places. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Large suburb
Highest degree offered
Graduate
Nearest big city
6 miles to St. Louis, MO
To Great Lakes shore
258 miles
Nearest airport
8 miles to St. Louis Lambert (STL) · major hub

How Washington University in St Louis compares

Selectivity12.1%

More selective than 97% · #2 most selective of 44 in Missouri

SAT average1530

Higher than 98%

Graduation rate94%

Higher than 98% · #2 of 51 in Missouri

First-year retention95%

Higher than 93%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$86,182

Higher than 94% · #3 of 53 in Missouri

Average net price$21,786

Cheaper than 42% · #33 cheapest of 51 in Missouri

Median debt at graduation$17,500

Lower than 86%

Student–faculty ratio7 : 1

Lower than 92%

Undergraduate enrollment7,857

Larger than 86%

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

Student body

Undergraduate vs. graduate

15,994students
  • Undergraduate7,85749%
  • Graduate8,13751%

Undergraduates by gender

7,857undergrads
  • Women4,19753%
  • Men3,66047%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White40%
  • Black8.7%
  • Hispanic13%
  • Asian21%
  • Other or multiracial18%

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

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
7,857
Graduate enrollment
8,137
Student–faculty ratio
7 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
18%
First-generation students
11%
Students over 25
8%
Median family income
$88,696
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$152,505
Endowment
$12,006,026,000

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 1,828 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.

  • From Missouri12%
  • Other U.S. states76%
  • International12%

A national draw — only 12% of first-years come from Missouri; 76% arrive from other states.

12% 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
12.1%
Test scores
Considered but not required
SAT range (25th–75th %)
1500–1570
SAT average
1530
SAT reading
730–770
SAT math
770–800
ACT composite
33–35
Average GPA
4.19weighted

Cost

In-state tuition
$65,790
Room & board
$21,854
Books & supplies
$1,304
Total cost of attendance
$88,488
Average net price
$21,786

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)
94%
Graduated on time (4 years)
85%
First-year retention
95%
Transferred to another college
0%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$78,073
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$86,182
Median debt at graduation
$17,500
Students with federal loans
12%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
85%

About 9% 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
85%
Low-income (Pell)
83%
First-generation
81%

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
7,088
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
90%
Housing charge (year)
$13,188
Meal plan (year)
$7,590
Application fee
$75
Athletics
NCAA Division III with football
Football conference
College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin
Varsity athletes
690 (372 men · 318 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 (10)

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)295
Football106
Swimming and Diving (combined)72
Soccer65
Baseball35
Basketball35
Tennis27
Volleyball24
Softball21
Golf10

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

Campus safety

Safety grade
C
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
3.5 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
47
Property offenses (2022–2024)
125

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 4 campuses (16,357 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.

57reported offenses a year
16 violent a year42 property a year

By offense type, per year

Motor vehicle theft
34
Burglary
6.0
Rape
5.3
Aggravated assault
5.0
Fondling
4.0
Arson
1.7
Robbery
1.0
Statutory 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
$1,716
$30–48k
$1,928
$48–75k
$5,578
$75–110k
$12,603
$110k+
$42,170

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
$23,122

$5,578/year × about 4.1 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.

48%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$57,007
average award, among those who get one

Washington University in St Louis discounts heavily: 48% of freshmen are awarded a grant straight from the school, averaging $57,007. For many families the real price lands well below sticker.

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 1,808 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)
$86,182
Typical debt at graduation
$17,500
Debt vs. one year's pay
20%
Out-earn a HS grad
82%

Typical debt would take roughly 2.0 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.

Strong value

Graduates here tend to earn well relative to what they borrow — typical debt pays back fast, and most out-earn a high-school graduate.

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
$77,856
Men
$96,243

Men out-earn women by $18,387 (24%) 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
90°F
Winter low
25°F
Annual rain
43.9″
Annual snow
16.6″

Average temperature

HighLow
20°60°100°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.02.54.9JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, ST Louis Sci Ctr, MO US station (2.5 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 University in St Louis

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

Colleges near Washington University in St Louis

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.