Washington University in St Louis
St. Louis, Missouri · Also known as WashU · Website
$86,182
median earnings, 10 years after starting
$86,182
median earnings, 10 years after starting
Washington University in St Louis is a private nonprofit 4-year college in St. Louis, Missouri with 7,857 undergraduates and 8,137 graduate students. Its average net price after grants is $21,786 a year (tuition and fees $65,790). It admits 12% of applicants and 94% of students finish within 6 years. Former students earn a median $86,182 a year 10 years after they started, and graduates leave with a median $17,500 in federal student loans.
Updated Oct 10, 2026 · June 2026 data
Net price
$21,786
US median $17,138
Tuition and fees
$65,790
US median $11,837
Admission rate
12%
US median 78%
Completion rate
94%
Within 6 years, US 58%
Median debt
$17,500
About $186 a month
Earnings at 10 years
$86,182
Rank 133 of 5,094 in the US
Cost
What a year costs: posted prices and the average after grants
Net price by family income
Average yearly cost after grants, for students who get aid
- Net price
- $21,786
- Tuition and fees
- $65,790
- Cost of attendance
- $88,488
- Students with a need-based grant
- 18%
- Students with federal loans
- 12%
- Net price, family income under $30K
- $1,716
- Net price, family income $30K to $48K
- $1,928
- Net price, family income $48K to $75K
- $5,578
- Net price, family income $75K to $110K
- $12,603
- Net price, family income over $110K
- $42,170
Net price is what students who get aid pay on average after grants.
Tuition and net price by year
School years 2015-16 to 2024-25. The year on the chart is the year the school year starts.
Yearly cost
Tuition and fees went from $48,093 in 2015-16 to $65,790 in 2024-25.
Admission, completion and retention
Share of applicants admitted, of students who finish and of first-year students who come back
Admission and students
- Admission rate
- 12%
- Average SAT
- 1,530
- SAT reading, middle
- 750
- SAT math, middle
- 780
- ACT, middle
- 34
- Undergraduates
- 7,857
- Graduate students
- 8,137
- Part-time students
- 4.4%
- Women
- 54%
- Students per teacher
- 7
- Completion rate
- 94%
- Retention rate
- 95%
- Highest degree
- Graduate degree
- Programs
- 281
- Endowment
- $12.0B
Earnings and debt
Compared with the medians of the colleges of its state, of colleges of the same kind and of all US colleges
Median earnings 10 years after starting rank 133 of 5,094 US colleges and 3 of 120 in Missouri (1 = highest).
| Measure | College | MO median | Same kind | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net price | $21,786 | $17,598 | $22,320 | $17,138 |
| Tuition in-state | $65,790 | $14,822 | $31,170 | $11,837 |
| Admission rate | 12% | 76% | 74% | 78% |
| Completion rate | 94% | 59% | 57% | 58% |
| Retention rate | 95% | 72% | 77% | 75% |
| Median debt | $17,500 | $16,750 | $24,287 | $13,271 |
| Earnings after 6 years | $78,073 | $37,504 | $44,392 | $35,656 |
| Earnings after 10 years | $86,182 | $41,138 | $52,928 | $40,813 |
Best-paid programs
Median earnings 1 year after graduation
Same kind: US private nonprofit 4-year colleges. Earnings and debt are medians of former students who received federal student aid. 88% of borrowers lowered their balance within 3 years. 88% earn more than a typical high school graduate 6 years after starting.
Programs
281 fields of study and credentials, with graduates, debt and earnings
| Field of study | Graduates | Median debt | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yr | US median 4 yr | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Management Sciences and Quantitative MethodsMaster's | Master's | 440 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $124,807 |
| Applied MathematicsMaster's | Master's | 346 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $116,060 |
| Legal Research and Advanced Professional StudiesMaster's | Master's | 319 | $57,235 | $59,808 | $72,301 | $101,000 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsMaster's | Master's | 291 | $81,700 | $130,529 | $153,933 | $103,485 |
| Legal Research and Advanced Professional StudiesGraduate certificate | Graduate certificate | 236 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| LawProfessional | Professional | 230 | $92,540 | $87,690 | $141,243 | $107,773 |
| Social WorkMaster's | Master's | 204 | $57,052 | $50,855 | $63,805 | $65,123 |
| Computer ScienceBachelor's | Bachelor's | 181 | $15,250 | $110,302 | $177,066 | $107,009 |
| Research and Experimental PsychologyBachelor's | Bachelor's | 169 | $15,285 | $37,377 | $75,261 | $55,695 |
| Finance and Financial Management ServicesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 150 | $19,500 | $102,814 | $185,551 | $83,343 |
| Computer ScienceMaster's | Master's | 142 | Withheld | $101,652 | $167,975 | $145,571 |
| EconomicsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 118 | $14,805 | $66,325 | $102,439 | $82,686 |
| MedicineProfessional | Professional | 110 | $99,009 | $66,880 | $90,449 | $112,460 |
| Finance and Financial Management ServicesMaster's | Master's | 108 | Withheld | Withheld | $165,087 | $110,694 |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications EngineeringMaster's | Master's | 105 | Withheld | $104,747 | Withheld | $133,654 |
| Mechanical EngineeringBachelor's | Bachelor's | 103 | $12,503 | $72,057 | $95,965 | $92,135 |
| Public HealthMaster's | Master's | 100 | $48,630 | $59,463 | $76,874 | $82,751 |
| Computer/Information Technology Administration and ManagementMaster's | Master's | 96 | Withheld | $105,658 | $160,419 | $121,855 |
| AnthropologyBachelor's | Bachelor's | 92 | $15,000 | $34,489 | $71,018 | $46,676 |
| Rehabilitation and Therapeutic ProfessionsProfessional | Professional | 90 | $122,227 | $72,074 | $81,216 | $81,641 |
| Biology, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 83 | $13,500 | $24,925 | $68,359 | $57,214 |
| Mechanical EngineeringMaster's | Master's | 75 | Withheld | $87,081 | $115,029 | $115,974 |
| Political Science and GovernmentBachelor's | Bachelor's | 75 | $18,500 | Withheld | $90,778 | $63,293 |
| MarketingBachelor's | Bachelor's | 72 | $17,500 | $70,819 | $100,489 | $69,303 |
| Neurobiology and NeurosciencesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 69 | $14,000 | Withheld | Withheld | $62,451 |
In the area
- Jobs, pay and new homes: the county of St. Louis and Missouri on Local Economy
- More colleges: All colleges in Missouri
- Homes: Homes for sale in Missouri
Questions and answers
How much does Washington University in St Louis cost?
$21,786 a year is the average net price at Washington University in St Louis after grants and scholarships. Tuition and fees are $65,790, and the full cost of attendance with housing, food and books is $88,488. Families earning under $30,000 pay $1,716 on average.
What is the acceptance rate at Washington University in St Louis?
12% of applicants are admitted to Washington University in St Louis. The average SAT score of admitted students is 1,530 and the middle ACT score is 34. The median admission rate of colleges in Missouri is 76%.
How much do Washington University in St Louis graduates earn?
$86,182 a year is the median pay of former Washington University in St Louis students who work, 10 years after they started ($78,073 after 6 years). That ranks 133 of 5,094 US colleges and 3 of 120 in Missouri. Its best-paid program one year after graduation is Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's) at $130,529.
How much student debt do Washington University in St Louis graduates have?
$17,500 is the median federal student loan debt of Washington University in St Louis graduates, about $186 a month over 10 years. The median across US colleges is $13,271. 12% of undergraduates take out federal loans.
What is the graduation rate at Washington University in St Louis?
94% of first-time, full-time students at Washington University in St Louis finish within 6 years. 95% of first-year students come back for a second year. The median of private nonprofit 4-year colleges is 57%.
What are the most popular majors at Washington University in St Louis?
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods (440 master's graduates), Applied Mathematics (346 master's graduates), Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies (319 master's graduates) had the most graduates in the newest year, out of 281 programs.
Official public data, June 2026 release. Net price is for first-time, full-time students who get aid. Completion counts first-time, full-time students who finish within 150% of the normal time. Debt and earnings are medians of students who received federal student aid, measured a few years after they left, in the dollars of the year measured; earnings count former students who work and are not enrolled, including those who did not finish.