Public Graduate Strong 74/100

Washington State University

See admissions data, costs, student outcomes, and academic programs, all verified from official US government sources.

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Pullman, Washington

About Washington State University

Thinking about Washington State University, a college in Washington where more students graduate in Business than anything else? The four things worth knowing are what it actually costs after aid, whether you would get in, whether students finish, and what they earn after they do.

Washington State University is a public institution offering graduate degrees based in Pullman, Washington. It enrolls 21,099 students (a very large student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Every figure on this page is reported by the federal government, not supplied by the college, so it can be compared like for like against anywhere else you are looking.

Acceptance
86.6%
Graduation
60.2%
Net Price
$14,971
Median Earnings (10yr)
$68,905
Enrollment
21,099
Student : Faculty
15:1

Accreditor Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
Academic Calendar Semester

How It Measures Up

These four scores answer one question: compared with similar colleges, is this one worth the money? Each runs 0 to 100 and is judged only against its peer group (4-Year Selective), so a community college is never marked down for not being Harvard. Everything is computed from federal data. Nobody can pay to move a score, and a pillar with missing data is left unscored rather than guessed.

Strong
74/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes 58
Value 89
Affordability 55
Selectivity 29

Admissions & Acceptance Rate

Washington State University admits 86.6% of applicants, which makes it open to most qualified applicants, so admission is unlikely to be the hurdle.

Acceptance Rate
86.6%
Easy
SAT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
ACT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
Test Policy Test Optional Applicants choose whether to submit SAT or ACT scores.

5-Year Admission Trend

Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether Washington State University is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.

Becoming less selective ↑ 9.6 pts since 2019
75.8%201979.9%202085.8%202183.1%202285.4%2023

Cost & Financial Aid

Ignore the sticker price. What matters is the net price, which is what a typical family pays here after grants and scholarships come off. At $14,971 a year on average, it sits below what public colleges charge nationally. That still leaves most families a gap to cover, but a manageable one. Figures are College Scorecard 2023-24.

The average hides a wide spread by household income, so it is worth estimating what a family at your income would actually pay before treating this as the price.

Average Net Price
$14,971
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
27%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
30%
Borrowing to attend

Full Cost Breakdown

Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.

Tuition & Fees (in-state)
$13,391
Tuition & Fees (out-of-state)
$29,950
Room & Board (on-campus)
$13,622
Room & Board (off-campus)
$13,622
Books & Supplies
$762
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$3,444
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$3,444
Total Cost of Attendance
$27,648

Application fee: $70 (one-time, due at submission)


Net Price by Family Income

Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.

  • Under $30,000
    $7,074
  • $30,001 – $48,000
    $8,971
  • $48,001 – $75,000
    $11,519
  • $75,001 – $110,000
    $18,426
  • Over $110,000
    $24,726

Debt at Graduation

Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.

$3,750
10% percentile
$6,500
25% percentile
$19,500
Median percentile
$25,000
75% percentile
$32,417
90% percentile

Median Debt by Student Type

Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.

GroupDebtvs Median
Pell recipients $15,380 ↓ $4,120
No Pell $14,000 ↓ $5,500
Dependent students $14,115 ↓ $5,385
Independent students $16,520 ↓ $2,980
Female students $14,899 ↓ $4,601
Male students $14,750 ↓ $4,750
Pell recipients: 17.2% (3,345 students)No Pell: 15.6% (3,045 students)Dependent students: 15.7% (3,070 students)Independent students: 18.4% (3,593 students)Female students: 16.6% (3,240 students)Male students: 16.5% (3,208 students)Overall Median$19,500
Worth knowing: Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $9,500, less than completers ($19,500), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.

Graduation Rate & Retention

60% of students who start here finish within six years, and 79% come back after first year. Roughly half finish on that timeline, so budget for the possibility of a longer run. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

Completion and earnings carry the most weight in this college's score, and how the UCD Score weighs each measure sets out exactly how they are combined.

6-Year Graduation Rate
60%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
79%
Returning for their second year

After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes

Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $68,905 a year, above the national median. That is a healthy return for most cost levels. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.

Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$68,905
Earning > $25K
85%
10 yrs after entry

Earnings Growth After Graduation

Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.

$50,000$55,000$60,000$65,000$70,0006 yrs8 yrs10 yrs

Earnings by Demographic

Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.

By Gender

Female graduates
$49,300

Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.

Male graduates
$65,100

Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.


By Family Income at Entry

Family income (lowest third)
$53,400

Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.

Family income (middle third)
$56,200

Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.

Family income (highest third)
$59,100

Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.

The gender gap: Male graduates earn $15,800, about 24% more than female graduates ten years out. The gap reflects industry mix, role choice, and structural pay differences that exist across most US colleges.

Loan Repayment Progression

Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.

Climbing: graduates increasingly paying down debt ↑ 12.3 pts across 6 years
76.8%1yr82.2%3yr86.7%5yr89.1%7yr
What this signals: Excellent. 89% of graduates were paying down at least $1 of principal seven years out.

Who Studies Here

Who you would actually be sitting next to: 21,099 students, a sprawling student community. Worth knowing: 34% are the first in their family to go to college.

Total Enrolled
21,099
Part-Time
10%
First-Generation
34%

Race & Ethnicity Breakdown

Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.

GroupShareStudents
White 57.5% 12,130
Hispanic 18.9% 3,977
Other 9.6% 2,017
Asian 6.8% 1,428
Black 3.2% 673
International 2.3% 483
White: 57.5% (12,130 students)Hispanic: 18.9% (3,977 students)Other: 9.6% (2,017 students)Asian: 6.8% (1,428 students)Black: 3.2% (673 students)International: 2.3% (483 students)Total21,099

Student Life & Campus Culture

Where students live, learn, and connect at Washington State University. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.

Setting
Town: Distant Pullman, Washington
Housing
Partly residential 7,029 beds available
Adult Learners
15% of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NCAA athletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
Semester scheduling structure

What You Can Study

After that comes the national picture for Health graduates, which shows what the field pays across every college rather than just this one.

Washington State University offers an extensive catalog of programs: 203 distinct programs across 27 majors. Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings. Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.

19 Programs
16 Programs
23 Programs
19 Programs
8 Programs
19 Programs

Faculty & Resources

There are 15 students for every instructor here: about average, so expect a mix of small seminars and big lectures.

Student : Faculty
15:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Instruction / Student
$13,981
Annual instructional spending per enrolled student
Endowment
$1.3B
Strong financial cushion supports aid and stability
Avg Faculty Salary
$97,965
9-month equivalent across all ranks

Faculty by Rank

1,410 instructional faculty across 6 ranks. The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.

Rank Faculty Count Share Avg Salary
Full Professors 406 29% $125,474
Associate Professors 470 33% $92,485
Assistant Professors 482 34% $81,442
Instructors 9 1% $108,439
Lecturers 38 3% $59,562
No Rank 5 0% $109,795

Pros & Cons of Washington State University

No college is right for everyone. Here is where Washington State University is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.

Read against a single profile these cut both ways, which is why it helps to put two colleges side by side on the same measures rather than judging one in isolation.

PROS
  • Below-average net price
  • Accessible admissions for most applicants
  • Reasonable class sizes
  • Above-average post-graduation earnings
CONS
  • No clear weaknesses in the data.
Best for: Based on the data, Washington State University is a fit for students who want a clear path to start college without a competitive admissions barrier; students prioritizing post-graduation earnings.

Frequently Asked Questions about Washington State University

The questions families ask most about Washington State University, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.

Is Washington State University hard to get into?
Not especially. Washington State University admits most qualified applicants, with an acceptance rate of 86.6%. Plan around cost and whether students finish, not your odds of getting in.
What is the acceptance rate at Washington State University?
86.6% of applicants are admitted. Most applicants who meet the basic requirements are admitted. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
How much does Washington State University cost?
Budget around $14,971 a year. That is the net price, what families typically pay once grants and scholarships come off, not the sticker price. Your own figure depends on household income, so treat this as a midpoint rather than a quote. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Washington State University worth it?
On the numbers, yes: solid return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $68,905 a year against a net price of $14,971, about 4.6 dollars of earnings for every dollar of annual cost. That ratio ignores whether you finish and what you study, which matter just as much. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is Washington State University known for?
Mostly Psychology, Business Administration, Nursing. Those are the fields where it awards the most degrees, which is a better guide to where the teaching strength sits than any reputation ranking. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What do Washington State University graduates earn?
About $68,905 a year, measured ten years after students first enrolled. Half earn more and half earn less, and what you study moves that figure far more than where you study. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Washington State University accredited?
Yes. Washington State University is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities.
How many students attend Washington State University?
21,099 students. Large, so expect big lectures and more independence in finding your own footing. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at Washington State University?
60% finish within six years. That leaves a meaningful share who do not finish on that timeline, so budget for the possibility of a longer run. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is Washington State University a public or private college?
It is Public. Public, so in-state students usually pay materially less than everyone else.
Where is Washington State University located?
Washington State University is located in Pullman, Washington.
What programs does Washington State University offer?
203 different programs, most commonly Psychology, Business Administration, Nursing. If the subject you want is not among them, check the full list before applying rather than assuming it is offered.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at Washington State University?
15 students per instructor. About average, so a mix of seminars and larger lectures. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

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