Saint Louis, MO · Private · 7,857 undergraduates · suburban
Washington University in St Louis
Highly selective
WashU is the St. Louis research university known for strong premedical preparation, flexible study across undergraduate schools, and an exceptionally polished residential campus. Students can combine fields more easily than at universities with hard school boundaries. The tradeoff is that a broad menu still requires direction; “pre-med plus options” is not a four-year plan.
Institutional profile
Top tier Exceptional in career outcomes, and exceptional in academic standing.- Admission
- 12% admitted
- Price by income
- Varies across five income ranges
- Completion
- 92.8%
32,240 applicants in the reported year
Compare recent average annual costs by household income
$86,182 median earnings 10 years after enrollment
What sets WashU apart
Undergraduate schools remain permeable
Students can combine arts and sciences, engineering, business, art, and architecture with fewer barriers than at many peers.
The South 40 is a residential district
Housing, dining, recreation, and common space give younger students a clear campus home.
St. Louis supports medicine and civic work
Health systems, museums, companies, and nonprofits create sustained opportunities during term.
The WashU combination
A defined field with room to cross schools
WashU works best when flexibility connects two real interests rather than delaying a choice.
Begin in one school
Requirements and advisers establish a practical academic base.
Add a second field
Cross-school courses and programs let the student build a useful combination.
Use St. Louis
Research, service, design, and professional work test the combination outside class.
Can I get in?
12% admitted
WashU expects strong preparation and reads for a credible academic direction. Applicants should show how they would use cross-school flexibility, not merely praise it.
Recent applicant pool
32,240About 12 in every 100 applicants were admitted.
Academic range
Of admitted students, 29% submitted an SAT, and 28% submitted an ACT. Decide by comparing your score with the published range and the rest of your academic record.
In the season card
Where your GPA sits in the entering class
The full entering-class GPA distribution for WashU, in nine bands from 4.0 down, with your own record marked on it.
See where I landIn the season card
What WashU weighs when it reads a file
See how this college describes the role of grades, testing, essays, recommendations, activities, and demonstrated interest.
- Course rigor
- GPA
- Test scores
- Essay
- Recommendations
- Extracurriculars
- Demonstrated interest
What moves the application
The evidence that separates a strong file
Name an academic center
Start with the undergraduate school and field that best fit the student’s record.
Use flexibility with purpose
Connect a second field to work the applicant has already pursued.
Show sustained engagement
Depth in research, service, work, family, art, or community is stronger than scattered participation.
Understand the aid strategy
Separate likely need-based aid from highly competitive merit awards.
How to apply
Rounds, route, and required materials
WashU offers Early Decision rounds and Regular Decision. The file should connect an undergraduate school, a second academic interest, and evidence of sustained engagement.
Fee waiver: accepted
Can I afford it?
Compare annual cost by household income.
Need-based aid and merit scholarships can both change the price. Merit awards are competitive, so the household plan should work without assuming one.
College funding
Scholarships and financial aid
Review available aid, application requirements, and renewal terms.
Washington University in St Louis publishes three merit awards. Each one requires a separate scholarship application.
Open across the university · Merit · Competitive · Has a dated deadline
Open across the university · Merit · Competitive · Has a dated deadline
Open across the university · Merit · Competitive · Has a dated deadline
In the season card
These three awards, by name
What each one is called, what it pays, what it asks of you, and the dates three of them close - which is usually earlier than the application for admission.
- The name of each award
- What it pays
- The grades and scores it asks for
- The deadline
- What to send, and where
In the season card
Average annual cost by household income at WashU
Compare recent average net prices across five federal income ranges and estimate a 4-year cost for yours.
- $0–30k
- $30–48k
- $48–75k
- $75–110k
- $110k+
Is it worth it?
Completion, debt, and earnings
Health, science, business, engineering, design, social science, and graduate study all benefit from major university resources and St. Louis institutions.
Degree completion across the reported entering cohort
First-year students who return for year two
And what that comes to against what they earn.
Reported 10 years after enrollment
Academic portfolio
Largest bachelor’s fields
How many students finish in each field, and median earnings four years after completing the program.
Computer Science
Admits separately
Research and Experimental Psychology
Finance and Financial Management Services
Admits separately
Economics
Mechanical Engineering
Admits separately
What is campus life like?
WashU beyond the classroom
The South 40 gives first-years and sophomores a substantial residential center. Forest Park, St. Louis neighborhoods, hospitals, clubs, and Greek life widen the experience.
The South 40 creates a strong opening community
Residential colleges, dining, recreation, and services cluster younger students together.
A concentrated residential district anchors meals
South 40 dining supports daily contact while campus and nearby neighborhoods add variety.
Health and business do not crowd out the arts
Research, service, design, performance, entrepreneurship, publications, and athletics all have established homes.
Several systems overlap
Residential colleges, Greek organizations, clubs, teams, and St. Louis outings share the social map.
Forest Park and St. Louis are close
Hospitals, museums, nonprofits, companies, and neighborhoods support work beyond the Danforth Campus.