Washington State University: A Parent's Guide to Admissions, Cost & Outcomes
Pullman, Washington · Public · Open access · CDS 2024-2025
Washington State University is a public university in Pullman, Washington that admits about 85% of applicants, making it a open access school. The average family pays about $14,401 a year after financial aid, which matters more than the published sticker price. It is best known for Psychology, General, Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing and Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication, its largest undergraduate programs by number of graduates. About 61% of students graduate within six years. Its most recent Clery Act report shows roughly 2.3 criminal offenses per 1,000 students.
Washington State University is a public institution located in Pullman, Washington. For the most recent reporting cycle, Washington State University admits the majority of qualified applicants, with an overall admission rate of 85%. The average net price after grants and scholarships is $14,401 per year, which is the figure most families actually pay rather than the published sticker price. For parents weighing whether Washington State University is realistic for their teenager, the most useful planning step is comparing your child's current GPA and most recent SAT or ACT against these admitted-student ranges — not the headline acceptance rate alone.
What GPA does my child need for Washington State University?
Washington State University has a broadly accessible admissions profile, and most students who complete a standard college-prep curriculum with a 3.0 GPA or higher are competitive for admission. Parents tracking their child's GPA toward this tier of school can use Solyo's free calculator to see weighted, unweighted, and college-recalculated numbers side by side.
What does Washington State University weight in admissions?
Washington State University reports the following factor importance in its Common Data Set (2024-2025). These are the criteria the admissions committee weighs when reviewing applications.
- • Rigor of secondary school record
- • Academic GPA
- • Class rank
- • Application essay
- • Extracurricular activities
- • Talent/ability
- • Character/personal qualities
- • Volunteer work
- • Work experience
- • Standardized test scores
- • Recommendations
- • Interview
- • First generation status
- • Alumni/ae relation
- • Geographical residence
- • State residency
- • Religious affiliation/commitment
- • Level of applicant's interest
SAT and ACT scores Washington State University typically admits
Many applicants to schools in this tier submit test scores, though the policy varies by year — check the latest test-optional status before deciding.
| 25th percentile | 1010 |
| 50th percentile | 1130 |
| 75th percentile | 1280 |
| % submitting SAT | 5% |
| 25th percentile | 18 |
| 50th percentile | 22 |
| 75th percentile | 27 |
| % submitting ACT | 2% |
- • Test-blind: Washington State University does not consider SAT or ACT scores in admission decisions, even if submitted.
- • Policy detail: Not considered
How much does Washington State University actually cost?
Published tuition is $12,997 for in-state students and $29,073 for out-of-state, before grants and scholarships. Room and board adds roughly $13,131 annually. After need-based and merit aid, the average family pays a net price of $14,401 per year — the number that actually matters for budgeting. Roughly 26% of students receive Pell Grants, a useful indicator of how much need-based aid the school distributes.
| In-state tuition | $11,678 |
| Out-of-state tuition | $28,784 |
| Room and board | $14,428 |
| Average net price (after aid) | $14,401 |
| Application fee | $70 (waivers available) |
Application deadlines and early decision data for Washington State University
| Reply deadline | May 1 |
Will my child graduate from Washington State University?
Retention and graduation rates are the most overlooked numbers in college planning, but they predict actual outcomes far better than acceptance rate. They tell you whether admitted students stay and finish on time.
Most popular majors at Washington State University
The most popular undergraduate programs at Washington State University, measured by the number of students who actually graduate each year, are Psychology, General, Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing and Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication. Across all programs, Washington State University confers roughly 2,407 bachelor's degrees a year. Graduates of its Psychology, General program report a median income of about $56,856 five years after entering college. Major popularity is a practical signal of where a school concentrates its teaching strength and where your child will find the deepest course offerings and peer community.
| Major | Graduates / year | Median earnings (5 yrs out) |
|---|---|---|
| Psychology, General | 466 | $56,856 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | 370 | $84,931 |
| Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication | 301 | — |
| Mechanical Engineering | 265 | $92,146 |
| Biology, General | 256 | $63,464 |
| Marketing | 255 | $82,094 |
| Social Sciences, General | 250 | $59,442 |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | 244 | $82,433 |
Is Washington State University safe? Campus crime & safety
In its most recent Clery Act report (2024), Washington State University disclosed 49 total criminal offenses across its campus and surrounding public property, about 2.3 per 1,000 students. That figure includes 12 violent offenses and 20 reported sexual assaults or VAWA offenses. Per-1,000-student rates matter more than raw counts when comparing schools, because larger universities mechanically report more incidents. Under the federal Clery Act, every college that receives federal aid must publish these numbers annually.
What is campus life like at Washington State University?
About 26% of undergraduates at Washington State University live in campus housing, so a meaningful share of students commute or live off campus. In Greek life, 15% of men join a fraternity and 18% 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 Washington parents ask about
How parents track GPA toward selective schools like Washington State University
Solyo helps parents track grades pulled directly from school emails, calculate GPA the same way colleges like Washington State University recalculate it, and ask an AI college counselor specific questions about their teen's odds. The platform is built for parents — not students — and turns what's usually a fragmented planning process into a single dashboard.
Common questions parents ask about Washington State University
What GPA do I need for Washington State University?
Washington State University has a broadly accessible admissions profile, and most students who complete a standard college-prep curriculum with a 3.0 GPA or higher are competitive for admission.
What SAT or ACT score does Washington State University typically admit?
Washington State University does not publish standardized test ranges in the most recent reporting cycle. Test-optional policies have made scores less universally required, but submitting strong scores still helps when available.
How much does Washington State University actually cost after financial aid?
The average net price at Washington State University after grants and scholarships is $14,401 per year. That figure is more useful for budgeting than the published sticker price, because it reflects what families actually pay after aid is applied.
Is Washington State University realistic for my child?
Compare your teen's current unweighted GPA and most recent SAT or ACT against the ranges above. If both numbers fall inside the school's middle-50, Washington State University is a target school. If both fall below the 25th-percentile mark, treat it as a reach and balance the application list accordingly.
What is the acceptance rate at Washington State University?
Washington State University accepts about 85% of applicants out of roughly 25,462 who apply each year. It admits the majority of qualified applicants.
Is Washington State University test-optional?
Washington State University is test-blind: it does not consider SAT or ACT scores in admission decisions, even if you submit them.
What is the graduation rate at Washington State University?
About 61% of students at Washington State University graduate within six years, and 41% finish in four years. 78% of freshmen return for sophomore year. Graduation rate predicts real outcomes better than acceptance rate.
What does Washington State University look for in applicants?
Washington State University rates course rigor and GPA as "very important" in its Common Data Set. These are the factors the admissions committee weighs most heavily when reviewing an application.
Is Washington State University a public or private school, and where is it located?
Washington State University is a public institution located in Pullman, Washington.
What are the most popular majors at Washington State University?
The largest undergraduate majors at Washington State University by annual graduates are Psychology, General, Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing and Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication. The school awards about 2,407 bachelor's degrees a year in total. These figures come from federal IPEDS completion data.
Is Washington State University safe? What is its campus crime rate?
Washington State University reported 49 total criminal offenses in its most recent Clery Act disclosure (2024), roughly 2.3 per 1,000 students. Compare the per-1,000 rate rather than the raw total, since larger schools report more incidents.
What is campus life like at Washington State University?
At Washington State University, 26% of undergraduates live on campus, 15% of men are in fraternities, 18% of women are in sororities, according to its most recent Common Data Set.
Data sourced from the 2024-2025 Common Data Set submitted by Washington State University, the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS, and Clery Act campus safety disclosures. Solyo extracts admissions data from official Common Data Set publications and refreshes it annually.