Willamette University is a private nonprofit institution offering graduate degrees based in Salem, Oregon. It enrolls 1,592 students (a mid-sized 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.
AccreditorNorthwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
Academic CalendarSemester
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.
Good
67/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes79
Value31
Affordability28
Selectivity68
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
Willamette University admits 77.1% of applicants, which makes it open to most qualified applicants, so admission is unlikely to be the hurdle.
Acceptance Rate
77.1%
Easy
SAT Range (25th–75th)
1240 – 1440
Reading + Math combined
ACT Range (25th–75th)
28 – 33
Cumulative composite
Test PolicyNot ConsideredStandardized test scores are not used in admissions decisions.
5-Year Admission Trend
Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether Willamette University is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.
Stable ↑
1.2 pts
since 2019
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 $25,121 a year on average, it sits in line with what private nonprofit colleges charge nationally. Plan for the gap between that and what you can pay without borrowing. Figures are College Scorecard 2023-24.
Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.
Tuition & Fees
$51,156
Room & Board (on-campus)
$16,150
Room & Board (off-campus)
$16,150
Books & Supplies
$1,222
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$2,912
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$2,912
Total Cost of Attendance
$67,501
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
$16,182
$30,001 – $48,000
$16,825
$48,001 – $75,000
$18,225
$75,001 – $110,000
$22,382
Over $110,000
$33,794
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.
$5,50010%percentile
$11,00025%percentile
$21,500Medianpercentile
$29,25075%percentile
$37,00090%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 $19,500
↓ $2,000
No Pell $18,458
↓ $3,042
Dependent students $19,000
↓ $2,500
Independent students $11,000
↓ $10,500
Female students $19,066
↓ $2,434
Male students $18,500
↓ $3,000
Worth knowing:
Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $8,277, less than completers ($21,500), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.
Graduation Rate & Retention
66% of students who start here finish within six years, and 86% 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
66%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
86%
Returning for their second year
What this means:
High first-year retention. Students who arrive tend to stay.
After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes
Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $56,911 a year, above the national median. That is a healthy return for most cost levels. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$56,911
Earning > $25K
75%
10 yrs after entry
Earnings Growth After Graduation
Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.
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
$52,400
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)
$56,000
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)
$59,200
Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.
The gender gap:
Male graduates earn $12,700, about 20% 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 ↑
14.4 pts
across 6 years
What this signals:
Excellent. 94% of graduates were paying down at least $1 of principal seven years out.
Who Studies Here
Who you would actually be sitting next to: 1,592 students, a mid-sized community.
Total Enrolled
1,592
Part-Time
1%
First-Generation
19%
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
White 65.0%1,035
Hispanic 14.9%237
Other 9.7%155
Asian 3.9%62
Black 2.5%39
International 1.6%26
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at Willamette University. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
Willamette University offers
a varied set of programs:
36 distinct programs across
20 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.
There are 12 students for every instructor here: about average, so expect a mix of small seminars and big lectures.
Student : Faculty
12:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Endowment
$375M
Solid financial position
Avg Faculty Salary
$98,227
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
175 instructional faculty across 4 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
79
45%
$111,930
Associate Professors
44
25%
$94,914
Assistant Professors
30
17%
$99,331
Instructors
22
13%
$54,140
Pros & Cons of Willamette University
No college is right for everyone. Here is where Willamette University is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.
Predominantly serves middle- and upper-income families
Best for:
Based on the data, Willamette University is a fit for
students who want a clear path to start college without a competitive admissions barrier.
Frequently Asked Questions about Willamette University
The questions families ask most about Willamette University, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.
Is Willamette University hard to get into?
Not especially. Willamette University admits most qualified applicants, with an acceptance rate of 77.1%. Plan around cost and whether students finish, not your odds of getting in.
What is the acceptance rate at Willamette University?
77.1% of applicants are admitted. Most applicants who meet the basic requirements are admitted. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What SAT score do you need for Willamette University?
Aim for 1440 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 1240 and 1440 (Reading plus Math), so anything above the top of that range makes you competitive and anything below the bottom means the rest of your application has to carry more weight. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What ACT score do you need for Willamette University?
Aim for 33 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 28 and 33 on the composite, so the upper half of that band is where you want to land. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
How much does Willamette University cost?
Budget around $25,121 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 Willamette University worth it?
On the numbers, yes: moderate return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $56,911 a year against a net price of $25,121, about 2.3 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 Willamette University known for?
Mostly Law, Business Administration, Economics. 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 Willamette University graduates earn?
About $56,911 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 Willamette University accredited?
Yes. Willamette University is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities.
How many students attend Willamette University?
1,592 students. Small enough that you will recognize faces across campus, and small enough that course choice can be limited. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at Willamette University?
66% 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 Willamette University a public or private college?
It is Private Nonprofit. Private nonprofit, so the sticker price is higher but institutional aid is often larger too.
Where is Willamette University located?
Willamette University is located in Salem, Oregon.
What programs does Willamette University offer?
36 different programs, most commonly Law, Business Administration, Economics. 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 Willamette University?
12 students per instructor. Low enough that staff are likely to know who you are. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
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Free, data-backed guides to help you decide, built on the same federal data as this profile.
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