Washington University in St. Louis

Washington University in St. Louis Overview

Washington University in St. Louis is a private, nonprofit school in the urban setting of St. Louis, Missouri. WashU was founded in 1853 and the school enrolls around 21,556 students a year, including 8,034 undergrads. WashU ensures on-campus housing for up to 5,208 students. Most students live in off campus housing, and 95% of students spend their weekends on campus.

📆 Mark your calendar! The final application deadline for Fall 2023 is January 4. Regular decision applicants for Fall 2023 should hear from WashU by April 1.

Student Involvement at WashU

Love music or performing? Sing in a chorus or perform with one of WashU's theater groups.

Interested in journalism or communications? WashU students can write for the campus newspaper, host a radio show or be a producer for the student-run television channel.

Thinking of pledging? WashU has fraternities and sororities.

Planning to play sports? WashU has many options for athletes. See them all and learn more about life at WashU on the Student Life page.

Is WashU a Good School?

Different people have different ideas about what makes a "good" school. Admissions difficulty, admitted student statistics, tuition, and financial aid can give you a sense of how competitive a university is.

Let's take a closer look at these areas to get a clearer view of what WashU offers and if the school could be the right college for you.

WashU Acceptance Rate 2022

It is extremely difficult to get into WashU. In 2022, WashU accepted just 13% of all applicants. Out of 33,634 applications received in 2022, 4,373 students were offered admission.

Retention and Graduation Rates at WashU

Retention refers to the number of students that stay enrolled at a school over time. It gauges how satisfied students are with their school experience, and if they have the support necessary to succeed in college.

Approximately 96% of students who start at WashU come back for their second year of college. 93% of WashU undergrads graduate within six years. Compare this to the average six-year graduation rate for colleges and universities in the U.S., which is around 61% for public schools and 67% for private.

Job Outlook WashU Graduates

Job placement rates after graduation and average starting salaries can all give important clues about the value of a degree from a specific school.

Recent WashU grads have an average starting salary of $74,163 a year. The average starting salary for all 2021 graduates was around $60,000 a year, though these numbers vary widely by major.

Washington University in St. Louis's Endowment

An endowment is the total value of a school's investments, donations, and assets. Endowment is not necessarily an indicator of the quality of a school, but it can give you a sense of how much money a college can afford to invest in expanding programs, improving facilities, and support students.

WashU's endowment was valued at $13.7 billion in 2022, compared to a national average of $905 million. For each full-time student, WashU spends about $149,335 a year.

Tuition and Financial Aid at WashU

Tuition is another important factor when choose a college. Some colleges may have high tuition, but do a better job at meeting students' financial need.

WashU meets 100% of the demonstrated financial need for undergraduates. First-year students that attend WashU full-time are awarded $63,820 a year in financial aid, on average.

Graduates in the class of 2022 had an average of $22,740 in student loans per borrower. For context, compare this number with the average national debt, which is around $36,000 per borrower.

The 2023-2024 FAFSA Opened on October 1st, 2022

Some financial aid is awarded on a first-come, first-served basis, so fill out the FAFSA early. Visit the FAFSA website to apply for student aid. Remember, the first F in FAFSA stands for FREE! You should never have to pay to submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), so don't give your money (or info!) to any website that claim you do.

Learn more about Tuition and Financial Aid at WashU.

Based on this information, does WashU seem like a good fit? Remember, the best school for one person may be a terrible fit for another! So ask yourself: Is WashU a good school for you?

If Washington University in St. Louis seems like a school you want to apply to, click the heart button to save it to your college list.

Still Researching Schools?

Choose one of the options below to learn more about WashU:

Admissions

Student Life

Academics

Tuition & Aid

WashU Community Forums

Then use the college admissions predictor to calculate your chances of getting admitted to some of the most selective schools in the U.S.

Where is WashU?

WashU is located in the city of St. Louis, Missouri, in the suburbs of St. Louis.

If you want to see WashU for yourself, plan a visit. The best way to reach campus is to take U.S. Highway 64 to St. Louis, or book a flight to the nearest airport, Lambert-St. Louis International.

You can also take a virtual campus tour to get a sense of what WashU and St. Louis are like without leaving home.

Considering Colleges and Universities in Missouri?

See a full list of colleges in Missouri and save your favorites to your college list.