Home › Colleges › Washington University in St Louis

🎓 College profile

Washington University in St Louis

MO · Private nonprofit · Large suburb · 32,240 applicants 2023

R1 Research
12% admit rate SAT 1500–1570 $42,170/yr at $110k+ income

🧭 A parent's read

  • The major moves the money more than the admit letter. Finance and Financial Management Services grads from here earn about $185,551 four years out; international grads about $66,498 — a 2.8× spread on the same diploma. Have the major conversation before you deposit, not after.
  • Grades and scores convert directly to dollars here. This college publishes an automatic merit grid — hit the GPA/score tiers and the discount is guaranteed, no negotiation. Check the scholarship table below before assuming the sticker.
  • Kids finish — on time. 94% graduate in four years. Nationally, barely half do — and a fifth year elsewhere quietly adds $30–70k to the real price. On-time completion is the most underrated ROI number in this decision.
  • The campus itself adds earnings power. Opportunity Insights tracks it: only about 2% of students arrive from the bottom income fifth, but those who do reach the top fifth by their 30s at a 54% rate — a strong sign the outcomes here are the campus, not just the intake.
  • Your price depends enormously on your income — and on qualifying at all. Above $110k income, aid-receiving families still average about $42,170/yr here — and many higher-income families receive no aid at all. Lower brackets pay far less (~$5,578 at $48–75k), which is why the college's own net-price calculator — not any bracket average — is your number.

Composed from this page's data — every claim is backed by a number in the sections below.

Get your child's odds at Washington University in St Louis Free Family Decision Report — Reach / Match / Likely + your real net price. Washington University in St Louis starts already on the list. Start →

🎯 Parent/student verdict

Reach

Highly selective reach for nearly every applicant.

✅ Best for

  • Strong academic profiles — admitted students cluster in the top test and GPA tiers (bands above)
  • Strong test/GPA students chasing merit aid — Danforth Scholars Program or John B. Ervin Scholars Program on offer (see merit-scholarship tab below)
  • Research-oriented students (R1 — top tier of federal research funding)

🎯 The reality

  • Bottom-quartile academic profile if: SAT below 1500, or ACT below 33, or unweighted GPA below ~3.80 (admitted-class quartiles; GPA floor is a calibrated heuristic where CDS not yet on file)
  • With selective universities, build a balanced college list of Reaches, Targets, and Safeties ⓘ

Verdict is composed from this college's structured data (admit rate, SAT bands, net price by income, Carnegie classification, scholarship grids) using transparent rule thresholds — not a chat-bot's opinion.

🏛️ Institutional snapshot

What kind of college is this?

Carnegie classification
R1: Doctoral - Very High Research Activity
Total enrollment
7,857
10,000 - 19,999
TuitionThe published full price before any aid. Families who don't qualify for need-based aid — common above ~$110K income — pay this, minus any merit scholarships.
$65,790
flat rate (no in/out-of-state split)
Admit rateThe share of applicants a college accepts. Useful context, but your student's odds depend on their own grades and scores, not the average.
12.0%
Highly selective
SAT middle 50%The middle half of enrolled students scored in this range — a quarter scored BELOW the low end and still got in, and a quarter scored above the high end. Above the top number is a genuine strength; below the bottom isn't automatic rejection.
1500–1570
EBRW + Math composite
ACT middle 50%The middle half of enrolled students scored in this range — a quarter scored BELOW the low end and still got in, and a quarter scored above the high end. Above the top number is a genuine strength; below the bottom isn't automatic rejection.
33–35
composite
Test policyApplicants choose whether to send SAT/ACT scores. At many such colleges, students who submit strong scores are still admitted at higher rates.
Test-optional
2023
10-yr earningsMedian yearly pay of former students ten years after they STARTED here — not ten years after graduating — all majors combined. The broadest single outcome number a college reports.
$86,182
median, after entry

Source: federal IPEDS Admissions 2023 for scores + admit rate; federal College Scorecard (20260606 vintage) for earnings + outcomes. SAT/ACT bands are the 25th–75th percentile of enrolled submitters.

🎓 High-school GPA

4.19 avg weighted GPA, enrolled first-years

Enrolled first-years 4.19 weighted

Enrolled first-years by GPA band: 4.00 65% · 3.75-3.99 24% · 3.50-3.74 7% · 3.25-3.49 4%

weighted (school-reported, can exceed 4.0). Washington University in St. Louis Common Data Set 2024-2025, Section C11/C12 (First-Time, First-Year Profile) ↗

As published by the college in its Common Data Set / admissions data (2024-25) (source linked above). GPA basis (weighted vs. unweighted vs. 4.0-scale) varies by college and is labeled above.

📊 Outcomes & cost

What graduates actually earn, finish, and owe.

Federal College Scorecard data. Earnings are median annual income measured years after entering. Debt is for federal-aid borrowers only (cash-pay students aren't counted).

Earnings, 6 yrs after entry
$78,073
Earnings, 10 yrs after entryMedian yearly pay of former students ten years after they STARTED here — not ten years after graduating — all majors combined. The broadest single outcome number a college reports.
$86,182
4-year completionThe share of students who finish a bachelor's in four years. Nationally barely half do — and a fifth year quietly adds a full extra year of cost to the real price.
94%
Median debt (completers)The federal-loan balance of the typical graduating borrower. Families who pay cash aren't counted, so read it as "among those who borrowed."
$17,500

💰 The real cost

What families at your income actually pay

Above $110K income — where most Reach families sit — aid-receiving families average $42,170/yr at Washington University in St Louis; families who don't qualify for aid pay the full ~$88,488/yr. Lower brackets pay less — the full ladder is below. One caveat, once: every bracket figure here averages only the families in that bracket who received aid — it says nothing about whether your family will qualify.

🔎 Earning over $110K? You're above the top federal bracket — the median family headed by a 45-to-54-year-old (the prime college-parent years) earned about $134K in 2024, and the federal data lumps everyone from $110K to $1M+ into one row.

Whether you'll get need aidGrant money based on your family's finances (via FAFSA and the college's own forms), not your student's stats. at this income is entirely college-specific: a few heavily-endowed schools meet full need well past $150K, while many others give little above the brackets shown — there, merit scholarships, where offered, become the realistic lever.

Start your Family Decision Report →

Your odds + estimated net price across your whole college list — then confirm the exact figure with Washington University in St Louis's own Net Price Calculator ↗ (10–15 min; have your tax return handy).

Family income $110k+ most Reach families
$42,170/yr
Family income $75-110k
$12,603/yr
Family income $48-75k
$5,578/yr
Family income $30-48k
$1,928/yr
Family income $0-30k
$1,716/yr

📈 The payoffTen years of typical earnings divided by four years of cost. A 3× means a decade of median pay covers the cost three times over — check both the full-price and with-aid versions to see which applies to you., both ways

2.4× at full price 9.9× with aid
Full price, no aidThe all-in yearly price — tuition, housing, food, books, fees — before any aid. This is the real "full price," not just the tuition line. (4 yrs)
$353,952
~$88,488/yr all-in
Aid recipients pay (4 yrs)
$87,144
$21,786/yr average
10-yr earnings total
$861,820
$86,182/yr median, 10 yrs out
Years to recoup the cost
4.1 yrs
at full price (1.0 with aid), at the median earnings rate

Source: College Scorecard (NPT41–NPT45; Title IV first-time, full-time undergraduates; suppressed brackets = small cohorts; the $110K+ ceiling is a federal data limitation — the brackets haven't been refreshed since the early 2010s). Payoff multiple = (10-yr median earnings × 10) ÷ (4-yr cost); full price is the published cost of attendance; earnings are 10 years after enrollment, all majors combined.

📚 What students study here

Most popular majors at Washington University in St Louis

Top 5 fields of study by bachelor's degrees awarded (most recent IPEDS Completions). Use this to see what Washington University in St Louis actually graduates — not just what it markets.

1. Engineering
256 degrees · 22.7%
Engineering majors land high-paying technical roles. Top-earning sub-disciplines: petroleum, chemical, computer engineering.
2. Social Sciences
242 degrees · 21.4%
Economics + poli sci sub-disciplines pay much more than sociology + anthropology.
3. Biological & Biomedical Sciences
236 degrees · 20.9%
Many bio majors → med school / grad school. Direct-employment bio roles are lower-paid than that pipeline.
4. Business, Management, & Marketing
211 degrees · 18.7%
Broad set of corporate roles. Finance + consulting pay top, accounting + HR pay middle, sales spread is wide.
5. Computer & Information Sciences
184 degrees · 16.3%
High-paying tech roles dominate. Median software roles cluster in the $90k-$130k range.

💼 What those majors earn here

Median earnings 4 years after entry, by major — Washington University in St Louis's own graduates, not national averages.

Major (CIP) Credential Cohort 1-yr earnings 4-yr earnings
Finance and Financial Management Services. Bachelor's Degree 181 $102,814 $185,551
Computer Science. Bachelor's Degree 205 $110,302 $177,066
Business/Managerial Economics. Bachelor's Degree 65 $106,701 $162,355
Systems Engineering. Bachelor's Degree 24 $83,874 $119,297
Chemical Engineering. Bachelor's Degree 30 $69,801 $107,843
Economics. Bachelor's Degree 105 $66,325 $102,439
Marketing. Bachelor's Degree 79 $70,819 $100,489
Mathematics. Bachelor's Degree 77 $79,799 $98,497
Mechanical Engineering. Bachelor's Degree 89 $72,057 $95,965
Psychology, General. Bachelor's Degree 8 — $91,787

Sources: IPEDS Completions (C2023_a; bachelor's-level first majors, 2-digit CIP family — share is of the top 5 only) · College Scorecard program-level outcomes (PP-FOS). Full college-vs-major comparison: /college-outcomes →

⭐ Merit aidScholarship money awarded for grades or test scores, not financial need — at many colleges it's automatic at certain GPA/score levels.

What your test score unlocks at Washington University in St Louis

Score-or-merit-based scholarships published by the institution. Stackable in most cases — confirm with the financial aid office.

Award Annual award Score gate GPA gate Renewable
Danforth Scholars Program
Danforth (full or partial tuition + stipend) · any
 $67,000/yr — — Yes
John B. Ervin Scholars Program
Ervin (full or partial tuition + stipend) · any
 $67,000/yr — — Yes
Annika Rodriguez Scholars Program
Annika Rodriguez (full or partial tuition + stipend) · any
 $67,000/yr — — Yes

See all merit scholarships across colleges + 13 national awards on /merit-scholarships →

See which merit tiers your child already clears — free Family Decision Report Start →

📈 Student body & economic mobility

Who attends here — and what the campus adds.

Opportunity Insights data. Why it matters even if you're full-pay: a high mobility rate means the campus itself confers earnings power — the outcomes aren't just selection effects.

Top-1% access
14.7%
from top-1% households
Mobility rateThe share of ALL students who arrived from the bottom 20% of family incomes AND reached the top 20% themselves by their early 30s — access and lift in one number, and a sign the campus itself adds earnings power.
1.0%
bottom 20% → top 20% by age 32
Upward rate
53.5%
of lower-income students who reach the top 20%
Pell recipientsStudents receiving federal Pell grants, which go to lower- and middle-income families — the standard shorthand for a college's economic mix.
18%
on federal need grants — context for these numbers

Full leaderboards: /college-mobility →

🤖 AI program signal

AI + computing education at Washington University in St Louis

CS degrees (annual)
314
CIP 11.0701 + 11.0101

Full multi-lens comparison: /ai-colleges →

Alternatives to Washington University in St Louis

Matched not just by selectivity, but by strategic goal — what a family actually decides on.

🏆 Better merit-aid options
These similar-selectivity schools publish merit scholarships your family can plan around — your kid’s stats could unlock real scholarship dollars.
University of Chicago
IL · Private nonprofit
1 stats-based + 1 competitive scholarships
Ohio State University-Main Campus
OH · Public
1 stats-based merit scholarship
University of Southern California
CA · Private nonprofit
5 competitive merit scholarships
💰 Lower full price
Similar selectivity, but a meaningfully lower full sticker price — the comparison that matters most for families who won't qualify for much need-based aid.
CUNY Hunter College
NY · Public
$13,905/yr full price (in-state) · $74,583 less before aid
CUNY City College
NY · Public
$14,403/yr full price (in-state) · $74,085 less before aid
University of Florida
FL · Public
$22,523/yr full price (in-state) · $65,965 less before aid
🛡️ Safer in-state options
Same state and similar selectivity, but with a more forgiving admit rate — useful safety / match anchors.
University of Missouri-Kansas City
MO · Public
75% admit rate (vs 12% here)
🚀 Stronger campus value-add
Per Opportunity Insights, these campuses add more earnings power to the students they enroll than Washington University in St Louis does — a quality signal, not a cost play.
CUNY City College
NY · Public
11.7% mobility rate (vs 1.0% here)
Stony Brook University
NY · Public
8.4% mobility rate (vs 1.0% here)
CUNY Hunter College
NY · Public
7.5% mobility rate (vs 1.0% here)

⚖️ Or compare any college side-by-side

Deciding on Washington University in St Louis?

Get the full picture in one free report — your child's Reach / Match / Likely odds and your real net price, for Washington University in St Louis and every other college on your list.

Get your child's odds at Washington University in St Louis →

Score-odds calculator · Improve the score first

For Parents

📬

Get alerts when Washington University in St Louis's numbers change

New admit rates, costs, and outcomes — a few alerts a year, no spam. Your email also saves your list across devices.

Objective, government-grade data — no school pays us for placement.

🎯 Get your child's odds →