WashU: A Parent's Guide to Admissions, Cost & Outcomes

WashU is a private institution located in St. Louis, Missouri and one of the highly selective schools in the country. For the most recent reporting cycle, WashU admits between 1 in 10 and 1 in 4 applicants, with an overall admission rate of 12%. Admitted students typically post a median SAT of 1530 and an ACT composite around 34. The average net price after grants and scholarships is $21,786 per year, which is the figure most families actually pay rather than the published sticker price.

What GPA does my child need for WashU?

Most admitted students at WashU present unweighted GPAs in the 3.85–4.0 range with five or more AP or honors courses across high school.

What does WashU weight in admissions?

WashU reports these factor weights in its Common Data Set (2025-2026). What the weights mean

How WashU reads an application: what each weighting means for your child, plus waitlist, transfer and early-round odds

SAT and ACT scores WashU typically admits

The middle-50 SAT Math range is 770–800, with an EBRW midpoint near 750. The middle-50 ACT composite range is 33–35. Scores below the 25th-percentile mark are accepted occasionally, but the realistic submission target for most families is the school's middle-50 floor or higher.

Where admitted students ranked in their high school class

Class rank distribution gives parents a clear sense of how academically dominant a typical admitted student was within their own high school cohort, often a more meaningful signal than absolute GPA.

How much does WashU actually cost?

Published tuition is $65,790 for in-state students and $65,790 for out-of-state, before grants and scholarships. Room and board adds roughly $21,854 annually. After need-based and merit aid, the average family pays a net price of $21,786 per year, and that is the number that actually matters for budgeting. Roughly 18% of students receive Pell Grants.

Application deadlines and early decision data for WashU

Will my child graduate from WashU?

These predict outcomes at WashU better than its acceptance rate does. How to read retention and graduation rates

Most popular majors at WashU

The most popular undergraduate programs at WashU, measured by the number of students who actually graduate each year, are Computer Science, Research and Experimental Psychology and Finance and Financial Management Services. Across all programs, WashU confers roughly 1,029 bachelor's degrees a year. Graduates of its Finance and Financial Management Services program report a median income of about $190,811 five years after entering college. What these figures mean

Is WashU safe? Campus crime & safety

In its most recent Clery Act report (2024), WashU disclosed 70 total criminal offenses across its campus and surrounding public property, about 8.9 per 1,000 students. That figure includes 12 violent offenses and 8 reported sexual assaults or VAWA offenses. Why per-1,000 rates, not counts

What is campus life like at WashU?

About 71% of undergraduates at WashU live in campus housing, making it a largely residential campus. In Greek life, 17% of men join a fraternity and 21% of women join a sorority. Residential rate and Greek participation shape day-to-day social life and are worth weighing alongside academics and cost.

Other colleges in Missouri parents ask about

• Missouri University of Science and Technology
  73% acceptance
• University of Missouri-Kansas City
  72% acceptance
• Truman State University
  84% acceptance
• Drury University
  58% acceptance
• University of Missouri-Columbia
  78% acceptance
• Saint Louis University
  75% acceptance

Colleges that admit at a similar rate

• Middlebury College
  11% acceptance · Vermont
• Georgetown University
  13% acceptance · District of Columbia

Common questions parents ask about WashU