Private nonprofit · University

Willamette University

Salem, Oregon · Midsize city

77.1%
Admit rate
$25,121
Avg net price
71%
Graduation rate
$56,911
Median earnings

Willamette University is a private nonprofit bachelor's-granting institution in Salem, Oregon (midsize city setting), enrolling 1,592 undergraduates.

Private nonprofitSmall · 1,592 undergradsMidsize cityAccessible · 77% admitNCAA Division III with football · Northwest Conference

Will you get in?

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

Admit rate
77.1%
SAT (mid 50%)
1240–1440
Avg GPA (est.)
3.76

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

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

About Salem, Oregon

Salem is the capital city of the U.S. state of Oregon, and the county seat of Marion County. Salem was founded in 1842, became the capital of the Oregon Territory in 1851, and was incorporated in 1857. Salem's Public Works Department, Parks Operations Division, is responsible for a park system encompassing 2,338 acres (946 ha) with 29.53 miles (47.52 km) of trails, 46 parks, and another 55 open and undeveloped areas. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Midsize city
Highest degree offered
Graduate
Nearest big city
44 miles to Portland, OR
To the ocean
48 miles
Nearest airport
2 miles to Salem-Willamette Valley Airport/McNary Field (SLE)

How Willamette University compares

Selectivity77.1%

More selective than 50% · #7 most selective of 23 in Oregon

SAT average1377

Higher than 88%

Graduation rate71%

Higher than 80% · #6 of 22 in Oregon

First-year retention87%

Higher than 80%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$56,911

Higher than 59% · #14 of 24 in Oregon

Average net price$25,121

Cheaper than 29% · #12 cheapest of 21 in Oregon

Median debt at graduation$21,500

Lower than 63%

Student–faculty ratio13 : 1

Lower than 50%

Undergraduate enrollment1,592

Larger than 51%

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

Student body

Undergraduate vs. graduate

2,111students
  • Undergraduate1,59275%
  • Graduate51925%

Undergraduates by gender

1,592undergrads
  • Women90757%
  • Men68543%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White65%
  • Black2.5%
  • Hispanic15%
  • Asian3.9%
  • Other or multiracial14%

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

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
1,592
Graduate enrollment
519
Student–faculty ratio
13 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
24%
First-generation students
19%
Students over 25
1%
Median family income
$73,572
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$99,747
Endowment
$250,415,200

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

Admissions

Admission rate
77.1%
Test scores
Considered but not required
SAT range (25th–75th %)
1240–1440
SAT average
1377
SAT reading
640–730
SAT math
600–710
ACT composite
28–33
Average GPA (estimated)
3.76

Cost

In-state tuition
$51,156
Room & board
$16,150
Books & supplies
$1,222
Total cost of attendance
$67,501
Average net price
$25,121

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)
71%
Graduated on time (4 years)
62%
First-year retention
87%
Transferred to another college
0%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$38,932
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$56,911
Median debt at graduation
$21,500
Students with federal loans
39%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
76%

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
62%
Low-income (Pell)
72%
First-generation
74%

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
1,295
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
81%
Housing charge (year)
$7,900
Meal plan (year)
$7,590
Application fee
Free
Athletics
NCAA Division III with football
Football conference
Northwest Conference
Varsity athletes
473 (261 men · 212 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 (14)

Football77
Track and Field (Indoor)63
Track and Field (Outdoor)63
Soccer56
Swimming37
Basketball34
Baseball32
Softball21
Tennis20
Lacrosse19
Cross Country15
Volleyball14
Other Sports12
Golf10

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

Campus safety

Safety grade
D
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
9.3 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
20
Property offenses (2022–2024)
41

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 3 campuses (2,180 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.

20reported offenses a year
6.7 violent a year14 property a year

By offense type, per year

Burglary
9.7
Fondling
3.7
Motor vehicle theft
3.7
Rape
2.7
Aggravated assault
0.3
Arson
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
$16,182
$30–48k
$16,825
$48–75k
$18,225
$75–110k
$22,382
$110k+
$33,794

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
$76,377

$18,225/year × about 4.2 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.

100%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$32,780
average award, among those who get one

Willamette University discounts heavily: 100% of freshmen are awarded a grant straight from the school, averaging $32,780. 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 523 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)
$56,911
Typical debt at graduation
$21,500
Debt vs. one year's pay
38%
Out-earn a HS grad
61%

Typical debt would take roughly 3.8 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
$53,158
Men
$64,756

Men out-earn women by $11,598 (22%) 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
84°F
Winter low
35°F
Annual rain
40.1″
Annual snow
1.1″

Average temperature

HighLow
30°60°90°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.03.57.0JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Salem Mcnary Fld, OR US station (2.6 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 Willamette University

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

Colleges near Willamette 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.