$56,911
median earnings, 10 years after starting
Willamette University is a private nonprofit 4-year college in Salem, Oregon with 1,592 undergraduates and 519 graduate students. Its average net price after grants is $25,121 a year (tuition and fees $51,156). It admits 77% of applicants and 71% of students finish within 6 years. Former students earn a median $56,911 a year 10 years after they started, and graduates leave with a median $21,500 in federal student loans.
Updated Oct 10, 2026 · June 2026 data
Net price
$25,121
US median $17,138
Tuition and fees
$51,156
US median $11,837
Admission rate
77%
US median 78%
Completion rate
71%
Within 6 years, US 58%
Median debt
$21,500
About $228 a month
Earnings at 10 years
$56,911
Rank 967 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
- $25,121
- Tuition and fees
- $51,156
- Cost of attendance
- $67,501
- Students with a need-based grant
- 24%
- Students with federal loans
- 39%
- Net price, family income under $30K
- $16,182
- Net price, family income $30K to $48K
- $16,825
- Net price, family income $48K to $75K
- $18,225
- Net price, family income $75K to $110K
- $22,382
- Net price, family income over $110K
- $33,794
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 $45,617 in 2015-16 to $51,156 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
- 77%
- Average SAT
- 1,377
- Undergraduates
- 1,592
- Graduate students
- 519
- Part-time students
- 0.9%
- Women
- 62%
- Students per teacher
- 13
- Completion rate
- 71%
- Retention rate
- 87%
- Highest degree
- Graduate degree
- Programs
- 49
- Endowment
- $250.4M
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 967 of 5,094 US colleges and 14 of 59 in Oregon (1 = highest).
| Measure | College | OR median | Same kind | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net price | $25,121 | $16,940 | $22,320 | $17,138 |
| Tuition in-state | $51,156 | $11,997 | $31,170 | $11,837 |
| Admission rate | 77% | 88% | 74% | 78% |
| Completion rate | 71% | 56% | 57% | 58% |
| Retention rate | 87% | 76% | 77% | 75% |
| Median debt | $21,500 | $13,667 | $24,287 | $13,271 |
| Earnings after 6 years | $38,932 | $35,390 | $44,392 | $35,656 |
| Earnings after 10 years | $56,911 | $39,477 | $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. 78% of borrowers lowered their balance within 3 years. 62% earn more than a typical high school graduate 6 years after starting.
Programs
49 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LawProfessional | Professional | 97 | $162,945 | $69,938 | $100,524 | $107,773 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsMaster's | Master's | 93 | $72,115 | $86,704 | $101,544 | $103,485 |
| EconomicsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 49 | $19,500 | $45,993 | $63,255 | $82,686 |
| Political Science and GovernmentBachelor's | Bachelor's | 35 | $20,915 | $35,162 | $63,407 | $63,293 |
| Biology, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 31 | $23,000 | $25,100 | $45,197 | $57,214 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/FitnessBachelor's | Bachelor's | 29 | $25,343 | Withheld | $59,337 | $54,562 |
| Psychology, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 24 | $24,547 | $29,678 | Withheld | $50,706 |
| Communication and Media StudiesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 22 | $21,500 | $31,472 | $70,412 | $56,359 |
| Natural Resources Conservation and ResearchBachelor's | Bachelor's | 18 | $21,750 | $28,697 | $54,657 | $55,012 |
| English Language and Literature, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 17 | $20,250 | $32,863 | $50,060 | $48,590 |
| SociologyBachelor's | Bachelor's | 17 | $21,791 | $29,312 | Withheld | $52,657 |
| Fine and Studio ArtsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 15 | Withheld | Withheld | $32,256 | $41,367 |
| Area StudiesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 13 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $56,625 |
| ChemistryBachelor's | Bachelor's | 13 | $20,500 | Withheld | $79,592 | $65,120 |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and LinguisticsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 11 | $21,511 | $27,044 | Withheld | $55,000 |
| Data ScienceBachelor's | Bachelor's | 11 | - | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Data ScienceMaster's | Master's | 10 | - | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| PhysicsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 10 | $19,500 | Withheld | $89,506 | $76,786 |
| Public HealthBachelor's | Bachelor's | 10 | - | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| MathematicsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 8 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $69,562 |
| HistoryBachelor's | Bachelor's | 7 | $17,375 | $22,555 | Withheld | $50,680 |
| Legal Research and Advanced Professional StudiesMaster's | Master's | 6 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| ArcheologyBachelor's | Bachelor's | 6 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $41,748 |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and StagecraftBachelor's | Bachelor's | 6 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $39,775 |
| Computer ScienceBachelor's | Bachelor's | 5 | Withheld | $80,077 | $100,650 | $107,009 |
In the area
- Jobs, pay and new homes: the county of Salem and Oregon on Local Economy
- More colleges: All colleges in Oregon
- Homes: Homes for sale in Oregon
Questions and answers
How much does Willamette University cost?
$25,121 a year is the average net price at Willamette University after grants and scholarships. Tuition and fees are $51,156, and the full cost of attendance with housing, food and books is $67,501. Families earning under $30,000 pay $16,182 on average.
What is the acceptance rate at Willamette University?
77% of applicants are admitted to Willamette University. The average SAT score of admitted students is 1,377. The median admission rate of colleges in Oregon is 88%.
How much do Willamette University graduates earn?
$56,911 a year is the median pay of former Willamette University students who work, 10 years after they started ($38,932 after 6 years). That ranks 967 of 5,094 US colleges and 14 of 59 in Oregon. Its best-paid program one year after graduation is Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's) at $86,704.
How much student debt do Willamette University graduates have?
$21,500 is the median federal student loan debt of Willamette University graduates, about $228 a month over 10 years. The median across US colleges is $13,271. 39% of undergraduates take out federal loans.
What is the graduation rate at Willamette University?
71% of first-time, full-time students at Willamette University finish within 6 years. 87% 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 Willamette University?
Law (97 professional graduates), Business Administration, Management and Operations (93 master's graduates), Economics (49 bachelor's graduates) had the most graduates in the newest year, out of 49 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.