Washington State University — College Profile

About

Washington State University is a premier public land-grant research institution renowned for its top-tier Edward R. Murrow College of Communication, leading College of Veterinary Medicine, and acclaimed programs in agriculture and engineering. Situated amidst the scenic rolling hills of the Palouse, the Pullman campus offers a quintessential college-town experience defined by high-impact research, vibrant Greek life, and the fiercely loyal "Cougar family" school spirit. Distinctively, the university blends high-level academic opportunities with cherished local traditions, including a legendary alumni network and the famous, student-crafted Cougar Gold cheese produced right on campus at Ferdinand's Ice Cream Shoppe.

Wikipedia:Washington State University is a public land-grant research university in Pullman, Washington, United States. Founded in 1890, WSU is also one of the oldest land-grant universities in the American West. With an undergraduate enrollment of 24,278 and a total enrollment of 28,581, it is the second largest institution of higher education in Washington state behind the University of Washington. It is classified among "R1: Very High Research Spending and Doctorate Production".

Location

Pullman, WA, 99164-5910 · Town campus

✈

Nearest airport from college

SEA · Seattle

247 mi away

Open in Google Maps

Cost & aid

Cost of attendance

These figures are federal data and may be out of date.

In-stateOut-of-state

Tuition & fees$13,391$29,950

Housing & food (on campus)$13,622$13,622

Books & supplies$762$762

Cost of attendance$27,648$44,207 est.

Average net price$14,971Not published

Out-of-state prices

Tuition & fees$29,950

In-state: $13,391

Housing & food (on campus)$13,622

Books & supplies$762

Cost of attendance$44,207 est.

In-state: $27,648

Average net priceNot published

In-state: $14,971

est. = the in-state cost of attendance with out-of-state tuition swapped in; no out-of-state figure is published.

Source: U.S. College Scorecard

Net price by family income · in-state students, 2023-24

$0–30k

$7,074

$30–48k

$8,971

$48–75k

$11,519

$75–110k

$18,426

$110k+

$24,726

Your family's actual price → Washington State University net price calculator

Source: U.S. College Scorecard

Merit aid · 2025-26

Awarded without financial need. Students with financial need can get merit awards too; they're counted as need-based aid.

Average award$5,300

First-years who got one1,312

Source: Washington State University's Common Data Set — the school's own yearly report of its admissions and aid figures (PDF).

Outcomes

Completion

Within 6 yrs

61%

Entered 2017–18

Within 4 yrs

41%

Back for yr 2

78%

Transferred

8 yrs after starting · first-time, full-time students

63% graduated · 24% transferred · 1% still enrolled · 13% left or unknown

Earnings · measured 2020 & 2021

6 yrs after entry$53,510

10 yrs after entry$68,905

Debt

Median at graduation$19,500

Monthly payment$207

Middle 50% owe$6.5k–$25k

90th percentile$32,417

Green marks a figure above the typical Doctoral University: $63,395 earned 10 yrs after entry.

Admissions

Getting in · applied for fall 2024

Admit rate

87%

Test policy

Test free

Checked Sep 2026

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Essay prompts

If Washington State University asks for supplemental essays, the prompts are in the Common App.

The personal essay is separate: see the Common App essay prompts.

Student Body

Gender

Men 47%Women 53%

Who enrolls

Faculty ratio

15 : 1

Pell grant

27%

First-gen

34%

Family income

$44,850

Independent

26%

Veterans

Age at entry

22.0

Part-time

10%

Race & ethnicity

White

57%

Hispanic

19%

Black

Asian

Two or more

Non-resident

AI/AN

NH/PI

Unknown

Varsity sports

NCAA Division I-FBS · EADA 2024-25

Baseball
Men's
Basketball
Men's · Women's
Football
Men's
Golf
Men's · Women's
Rowing
Women's
Soccer
Women's
Swimming
Women's
Tennis
Women's
Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)
Men's · Women's
Volleyball
Women's

Programs & Earnings

Bachelor's degrees by annual completions · 4yr national median earnings

Median earnings, all programs · measured 2020 & 2021

After 6 yrs

$53,510

After 10 yrs

$68,905

Psychology, General513

Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing351

Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication262

Biology, General243

Social Sciences, General233

Marketing230

Mechanical Engineering221

Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods218

Business Administration, Management and Operations216

Finance and Financial Management Services200

Computer Science193

Accounting and Related Services182

Criminology177

Hospitality Administration/Management145

Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences136

Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services135

Type your major above to highlight and detail relevant programs.

Institutional

Resources

Endowment

$1.4B

Full-time faculty

84%

Faculty salary

$11,233/mo

Teaching spend

$11,856

per student

Federal loans

30%

Classification

Carnegie type

Doctoral University

Research activity

R1 — very high research

$403M research spending · 280 research doctorates a year

Undergraduate profile

Four-year, selective admissions