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AlmaSpire

Salem, OR · Private · 1,592 undergraduates · urban

Willamette University

Less selective

A liberal-arts campus directly adjacent to the Oregon State Capitol and state-government offices.

Campus image / Publicly hosted campus image

Institutional profile

Well established Solid in student experience, and solid in academic standing.
Academic Solid Affordability Steady Career Solid Mobility Solid Experience Solid
Academic standing Solid
Affordability Steady
Career outcomes Solid
Mobility Solid
Student experience Solid
Admission
79.1% admitted

4,107 applicants in the reported year

Price by income
Varies across five income ranges

Compare recent average annual costs by household income

Completion
74.4%

$56,911 median earnings 10 years after enrollment

What sets Willamette University apart

Academic design

Undergraduates study across arts, humanities, sciences, social sciences, business-related fields, and data-oriented programs, with interdisciplinary study and undergraduate research central to the liberal-arts model.

Campus pattern

The compact residential campus is woven into downtown Salem, so state government, courts, nonprofits, museums, and internships are steps away rather than a commute.

Defining feature

A liberal-arts campus directly adjacent to the Oregon State Capitol and state-government offices.

Can I get in?

79.1% admitted

Start with academic preparation, then show why this particular academic and campus environment fits you.

Recent applicant pool

4,107

About 79 in every 100 applicants were admitted.

Admission rate 79.1%
Entering class

Academic range

SAT middle 50%1220–1430
10801560
ACT middle 50%27–32
2435
Academic benchmarkLess selective

In the season card

Where your GPA sits in the entering class

The full entering-class GPA distribution for Willamette University, in nine bands from 4.0 down, with your own record marked on it.

See where I land

In the season card

What Willamette University 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  
See what counts here

What moves the application

The evidence that separates a strong file

01

Show preparation for this curriculum

Undergraduates study across arts, humanities, sciences, social sciences, business-related fields, and data-oriented programs, with interdisciplinary study and undergraduate research central to the liberal-arts model.

02

Make the fit specific

A liberal-arts campus directly adjacent to the Oregon State Capitol and state-government offices.

03

Account for the tradeoff

Keep academic direction and school-specific choices coherent across the application.

How to apply

Rounds, route, and required materials

Build the calendar around the earliest realistic application round and make the school-specific case concrete.

Application routeInstitution application

No application fee recorded

Can I afford it?

Compare annual cost by household income.

Start with the average net price for your income range, then set that estimate beside your other realistic options.

Published annual cost$67,501
Average annual cost after aid$25,000
Affordability profileSteady

In the season card

Average annual cost by household income at Willamette University

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+ 
Open the price by income

Is it worth it?

Completion, debt, and earnings

A liberal-arts campus directly adjacent to the Oregon State Capitol and state-government offices.

Complete within 8 years74.4%

Degree completion across the reported entering cohort

Return after year one86.5%

First-year students who return for year two

Median federal debtWhat students owe on the way out

And what that comes to against what they earn.

Median earnings$56,911

Reported 10 years after enrollment

What is campus life like?

Willamette University beyond the classroom

The compact residential campus is woven into downtown Salem, so state government, courts, nonprofits, museums, and internships are steps away rather than a commute.

Academics

A defining academic feature

Undergraduates study across arts, humanities, sciences, social sciences, business-related fields, and data-oriented programs, with interdisciplinary study and undergraduate research central to the liberal-arts model.

Campus setting

What shapes an ordinary week

The compact residential campus is woven into downtown Salem, so state government, courts, nonprofits, museums, and internships are steps away rather than a commute.

Distinctive edge

What changes the experience

A liberal-arts campus directly adjacent to the Oregon State Capitol and state-government offices.

1,592 undergraduatesPacificurban settingPrimarily off-campus housing