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Washington Adventist University: HMS Richards Hall - WAU
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Regional university

Washington Adventist University

Takoma Park, MD · Private nonprofit · 4-year

Your real cost

Average price after aid $18,526 a year

Median debt at graduation: $30,500 (all students)

Estimate your own price · the college’s net price calculator

Academic Excellence

B-Academic Excellence: B- (grade B-): 0 to 100 points out of 100, from federal data.
Good
From federal data, on fixed published scales.

Each measure counts for the share shown.

  • Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.29%
  • First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.64%
  • Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.SAT 980
  • Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.9 to 1
  • Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$18,786

Bars show points on each measure’s scale. How Academic Excellence is computed.

Source: College Scorecard (College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026))

What families pay, by income

Average yearly price after grants and scholarships, for students who receive federal aid.

Average net price by family income
Family incomePrice after aid
Up to $30,000$17,534
$30,001–$48,000$15,160
$48,001–$75,000$19,311
$75,001–$110,000$22,090
Over $110,000$21,480

Full cost of attendance before aid: $34,309 a year.

Use the college’s net price calculator for your own estimate.

Cost and value

Federal data: what families pay after aid, what graduates earn, and what they owe.

Value and outcomes
Undergraduate students
Fall enrollment (IPEDS)
605
Men and women
Undergraduates, fall 2023 (College Scorecard)
Men 44% · Women 56%
First-generation students
Share of students who are first-generation, by the College Scorecard’s definition
35%
First-year students from another state
Of first-time students whose home is a U.S. state, fall 2023 (IPEDS)
32%
Total students695
Average net price (per year)
After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid
$18,526
Cost of attendance (per year)$34,309
Median federal debt at graduation$30,500
Graduation rate
First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time
29%
Graduation rate for first-generation students
Finishing within 6 years (College Scorecard)
16%
Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years
Borrowers who repaid at least $1 of principal within 3 years (College Scorecard)
44%
First-year retention64%
Median earnings 10 years after entry$64,249
Admission rate46%
Application fee
Undergraduate application fee, 2023–24 (IPEDS)
No application fee
Students receiving Pell grants37%
Admitted students’ middle range:SAT 860–1130
Admission test scores (middle 50% of admitted students who submitted scores)
Average SAT980
SAT reading & writing450–580
SAT math410–550
ACT composite—
Test policyConsidered but not required

Value: Good · Top 45% (how it’s computed)

Sources: College Scorecard · IPEDS College Navigator · Net price calculator
College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026); IPEDS 2024-25 directory and institutional characteristics; fall 2023 enrollment.

Earnings by major

Median earnings of bachelor’s graduates a few years after finishing, by major (College Scorecard).

Median earnings by major
MajorMedian earnings
Nursing$94,173

Also offered (no earnings published yet): Accounting, Allied health, Biochemistry, Biology, Business administration, Business operations, Chemistry, Clinical and counseling psychology, Clinical laboratory science, Communication studies, Computer science, Computing and information science, English, Health administration, History, Information science, Interdisciplinary studies, Journalism, Kinesiology and exercise science, Liberal arts, Mathematics, Medical assisting, Music, Other communication, journalism, and related programs, Other education, Other health professions and related clinical sciences, Physics, Political science, Psychology, Rehabilitation and therapy, Religious Education, Religious studies, Secondary education, Social work, Sociology, Special education, Teacher education, Theology.

What students study most

Share of bachelor’s degrees by field, first majors in 2023–24 (IPEDS).

Most common bachelor’s fields
FieldShare of degrees
Health professions40%
Business17%
Liberal arts and general studies9%
Education8%
Biology8%

Campus life

School colors
SettingSuburb
Part-time undergraduates10%
Undergraduates aged 25 and older25%
On-campus room and board (per year)$11,421
SportsNAIA · Continental Athletic Conference
Study abroadOffered
Students per faculty member9 to 1
Faculty who are full-time26%Of instructional faculty, fall 2023 (College Scorecard)
Endowment per student$7,298Endowment at the end of fiscal year 2023, per full-time-equivalent student (IPEDS)
Dorm spaceFor about 66% of studentsCampus beds divided by undergraduate enrollment. Not how many students live on campus (IPEDS)
Nearest airport with scheduled flightsRonald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA)About 9 miles away in a straight line (OurAirports)
Town population17,6322020–2024 five-year estimate (U.S. Census Bureau)
Nearest city of 250,000 people or moreWashingtonAbout 6 miles away in a straight line (U.S. Census Bureau)
Average temperature in January34°F1991–2020 normal, from BELTSVILLE, MD US, about 5 miles away (NOAA)
Average temperature in July77°F1991–2020 normal, from BELTSVILLE, MD US, about 5 miles away (NOAA)

Federal data (IPEDS and College Scorecard), except school colors.

Campus safety reports

On-campus crimes reported in 2024, per 1,000 students.

On-campus crimes per 1,000 students
CategoryThis campusU.S. rate
Rape0.000.07
Robbery0.000.01
Aggravated assault0.000.04
Burglary0.000.08
Motor vehicle theft0.000.15

Numbers reflect what each campus reported. They differ with campus size and how reporting is done, so compare with care. U.S. rate: total reported offenses divided by total students at every institution in the report.

Source: Official data: U.S. Department of Education

Questions families ask

What is Washington Adventist University’s Compass Score?
Solid (grade C+). The grade comes from outcomes (40%: graduation, retention and earnings), entering students (40%: test scores and selectivity), cost (15%: debt and price after aid) and teaching (5%: class size), all from federal data.
How much does Washington Adventist University cost after financial aid?
The average net price is $18,526 a year for students who receive federal aid, after grants and scholarships. What your family pays depends on income; the college’s net price calculator gives your own estimate.
How hard is it to get into Washington Adventist University?
Washington Adventist University admitted 46% of applicants in the most recent federal data.
How do Washington Adventist University’s graduates do?
29% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $64,249; the median federal debt at graduation is $30,500.

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About this school’s data
  • IPEDS unit ID 162210
  • Carnegie classification: Master's university (small programs)
  • Accreditation: Middle States Commission on Higher Education (U.S. Department of Education DAPIP)
  • Religious affiliation (IPEDS): Seventh Day Adventist
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