Whitman College: A Parent's Guide to Admissions, Cost & Outcomes
Lacey, Washington · Private nonprofit · Open access
Whitman College is a private nonprofit university in Lacey, Washington that admits about 76% of applicants, making it a open access school. The average family pays about $22,618 a year after financial aid, which matters more than the published sticker price. It is best known for Business Administration, Management and Operations, Psychology, General and Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing, its largest undergraduate programs by number of graduates. Its most recent Clery Act report shows roughly 3.5 criminal offenses per 1,000 students.
Whitman College is a private institution located in Lacey, Washington. For the most recent reporting cycle, Whitman College admits the majority of qualified applicants, with an overall admission rate of 76%. Admitted students typically post an average SAT of 1057 and an ACT composite around 21. The average net price after grants and scholarships is $22,618 per year, which is the figure most families actually pay rather than the published sticker price. For parents weighing whether Whitman College 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 Whitman College?
Whitman College 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.
SAT and ACT scores Whitman College typically admits
The middle-50 SAT Math range is 470–590, with an EBRW midpoint near 573. The middle-50 ACT composite range is 14–22. Many applicants here submit scores; even slightly below the average can be competitive when combined with a strong GPA and curriculum.
How much does Whitman College actually cost?
Published tuition is $44,210 for in-state students and $44,210 for out-of-state, before grants and scholarships. Room and board adds roughly $13,980 annually. After need-based and merit aid, the average family pays a net price of $22,618 per year — the number that actually matters for budgeting. Roughly 40% of students receive Pell Grants, a useful indicator of how much need-based aid the school distributes.
Most popular majors at Whitman College
The most popular undergraduate programs at Whitman College, measured by the number of students who actually graduate each year, are Business Administration, Management and Operations, Psychology, General and Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing. Across all programs, Whitman College confers roughly 194 bachelor's degrees a year. Graduates of its Business Administration, Management and Operations program report a median income of about $60,842 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) |
|---|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 39 | $60,842 |
| Psychology, General | 33 | $42,805 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | 30 | $95,489 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | 25 | $60,990 |
| Mechanical Engineering | 22 | $79,969 |
| Civil Engineering | 20 | $92,987 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | 13 | — |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | 12 | $57,229 |
Is Whitman College safe? Campus crime & safety
In its most recent Clery Act report (2024), Whitman College disclosed 4 total criminal offenses across its campus and surrounding public property, about 3.5 per 1,000 students. That figure includes 0 violent offenses and 3 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.
Other colleges in Washington parents ask about
- University of Washington-Seattle Campus43% acceptance
- Washington State University85% acceptance
- Seattle University76% acceptance
- Gonzaga University92% acceptance
- Pacific Lutheran University91% acceptance
- University of Puget Sound81% acceptance
- Highline College87% acceptance
- Green River College76% acceptance
How parents track GPA toward selective schools like Whitman College
Solyo helps parents track grades pulled directly from school emails, calculate GPA the same way colleges like Whitman College 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 Whitman College
What GPA do I need for Whitman College?
Whitman College 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 Whitman College typically admit?
The middle-50 SAT Math range is 470–590, with an EBRW midpoint near 573. The middle-50 ACT composite range is 14–22.
How much does Whitman College actually cost after financial aid?
The average net price at Whitman College after grants and scholarships is $22,618 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 Whitman College 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, Whitman College 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 Whitman College?
Whitman College accepts about 76% of applicants. It admits the majority of qualified applicants.
Is Whitman College a public or private school, and where is it located?
Whitman College is a private nonprofit institution located in Lacey, Washington.
What are the most popular majors at Whitman College?
The largest undergraduate majors at Whitman College by annual graduates are Business Administration, Management and Operations, Psychology, General and Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing. The school awards about 194 bachelor's degrees a year in total. These figures come from federal IPEDS completion data.
Is Whitman College safe? What is its campus crime rate?
Whitman College reported 4 total criminal offenses in its most recent Clery Act disclosure (2024), roughly 3.5 per 1,000 students. Compare the per-1,000 rate rather than the raw total, since larger schools report more incidents.
Data sourced from 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.