Private nonprofit · College

Whitman College

Walla Walla, Washington · Small city

#2 most selective in Washington#3 graduation rate in Washington
38.1%
Admit rate
$33,313
Avg net price
81%
Graduation rate
$67,589
Median earnings

Whitman College is a private nonprofit bachelor's-granting institution in Walla Walla, Washington (small city setting), enrolling 1,531 undergraduates.

Private nonprofitSmall · 1,531 undergradsSmall citySelective · 38% admitNCAA Division III without footballCold winters

Will you get in?

See where your numbers land against Whitman College's admitted students.

Admit rate
38.1%
SAT (mid 50%)
1310–1480
Avg GPA
3.69

Enter a test score to see where you land against Whitman College's admitted students.

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

About Walla Walla, Washington

Walla Walla is a city in and the county seat of Walla Walla County, Washington, United States. Walla Walla's history starts in 1806 when the Lewis and Clark expedition encountered the Walawalałáma (Walla Walla people) near the mouth of Walla Walla River. Walla Walla is the location of the treasure in Cash and Carry, a short film starring The Three Stooges. In the Looney Tunes short Transylvania 6-5000, "Walla Walla, Washington" is a magic word that can transform Count Bloodcount. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Small city
Highest degree offered
Bachelor's
Nearest big city
118 miles to Spokane, WA
To the ocean
209 miles
Nearest airport
3 miles to Walla Walla (ALW)

How Whitman College compares

Selectivity38.1%

More selective than 91% · #2 most selective of 21 in Washington

SAT average1410

Higher than 90%

Graduation rate81%

Higher than 89% · #3 of 25 in Washington

First-year retention87%

Higher than 80%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$67,589

Higher than 81% · #10 of 27 in Washington

Average net price$33,313

Cheaper than 10% · #19 cheapest of 25 in Washington

Median debt at graduation$18,437

Lower than 83%

Student–faculty ratio10 : 1

Lower than 76%

Undergraduate enrollment1,531

Larger than 50%

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

Student body

Undergraduates by gender

1,531undergrads
  • Women94562%
  • Men58638%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White56%
  • Black2.9%
  • Hispanic13%
  • Asian5.5%
  • Other or multiracial23%

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

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
1,531
Student–faculty ratio
10 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
16%
First-generation students
12%
Students over 25
2%
Median family income
$98,863
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$95,652
Endowment
$785,977,679

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 444 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.

  • From Washington31%
  • Other U.S. states53%
  • International16%

A national draw — only 31% of first-years come from Washington; 53% arrive from other states.

16% 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
38.1%
Test scores
Considered but not required
SAT range (25th–75th %)
1310–1480
SAT average
1410
SAT reading
670–740
SAT math
640–740
ACT composite
29–33
Average GPA
3.69

Cost

In-state tuition
$64,050
Room & board
$15,080
Books & supplies
$1,400
Total cost of attendance
$78,092
Average net price
$33,313

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)
81%
Graduated on time (4 years)
60%
First-year retention
87%
Transferred to another college
12%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$45,594
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$67,589
Median debt at graduation
$18,437
Students with federal loans
54%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
90%

About 20% 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
60%
First-generation
82%

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
886
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
58%
Housing charge (year)
$6,440
Meal plan (year)
$8,200
Application fee
$50
Athletics
NCAA Division III without football
Varsity athletes
299 (158 men · 141 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 (9)

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)61
Soccer55
Baseball34
Swimming34
Basketball31
Tennis29
Lacrosse19
Volleyball19
Golf17

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

Campus safety

Safety grade
D
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
6.0 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
19
Property offenses (2022–2024)
9

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 1 campus (1,561 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.

9.3reported offenses a year
6.3 violent a year3.0 property a year

By offense type, per year

Fondling
3.7
Rape
2.3
Burglary
2.0
Motor vehicle theft
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
$13,567
$30–48k
$11,596
$48–75k
$21,915
$75–110k
$27,237
$110k+
$47,679

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
$96,001

$21,915/year × about 4.4 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.

91%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$31,983
average award, among those who get one

Whitman College discounts heavily: 91% of freshmen are awarded a grant straight from the school, averaging $31,983. 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 336 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)
$67,589
Typical debt at graduation
$18,437
Debt vs. one year's pay
27%
Out-earn a HS grad
61%

Typical debt would take roughly 2.7 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
$68,525
Men
$66,648

Women out-earn men by $1,877 (3%) 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
30°F
Annual rain
18.7″
Annual snow
6.5″

Average temperature

HighLow
20°60°100°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.01.12.2JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Walla Walla Rgnl AP, WA US station (2.7 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 Whitman College

Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Whitman College side by side →

Colleges near Whitman College

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.