National university
#17 Best value colleges in the West in AmericaWashington State University
Pullman, WA · Public · 4-year
Your real cost
Average price after aid $14,971 a year
Median debt at graduation: $19,500 (all students)
Estimate your own price · the college’s net price calculator
Rankings
Where this college places on our top lists. Lists are worked out from official data and our own research; places in the top quarter of each list are shown. See every list
In America
- Best value colleges in America#50 of 674
- Colleges with the best earnings for the price in America#52 of 681
- Most affordable colleges with strong academics in America#64 of 690
- Lowest net price for middle-income families in America#90 of 682
- Colleges that pay for themselves fastest in America#90 of 598
- Best value colleges in the West in America#17 of 103
In Washington
- Best value colleges in Washington#2 of 13
- Best value colleges in the West in Washington#2 of 13
- Colleges with the best earnings for the price in Washington#2 of 13
- Colleges that pay for themselves fastest in Washington#2 of 13
- Lowest net price for middle-income families in Washington#2 of 13
- Most affordable colleges with strong academics in Washington#2 of 13
Academic Excellence
Each measure counts for the share shown.
- Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.61%
- First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.78%
- Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.Not reported
- Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.15 to 1
- Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$11,856
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.
| Family income | Price after aid |
|---|---|
| Up to $30,000 | |
| $30,001–$48,000 | |
| $48,001–$75,000 | |
| $75,001–$110,000 | |
| Over $110,000 |
Full cost of attendance before aid: $27,648 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.
| Undergraduate students Fall enrollment (IPEDS) | 21,923 |
|---|---|
| Men and women College Scorecard, fall 2023 | Men 47% · Women 53% |
| First-generation students College Scorecard | 34% |
| First-year students from another state IPEDS, fall 2023 | 15% |
| Total students | 26,490 |
| Average net price (per year) After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid | $14,971 |
| Cost of attendance (per year) | $27,648 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $19,500 |
| Graduation rate First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time | 61% |
| Graduation rate for Pell grant recipients College Scorecard, within 6 years | 59% |
| Graduation rate for first-generation students College Scorecard, within 6 years | 58% |
| Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years College Scorecard, within 3 years | 72% |
| First-year retention | 78% |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry | $68,905 |
| Admission rate | 87% |
| Application fee IPEDS, 2023–24 | $70 |
| Typical rent HUD fair market rent, FY2026 | About $891 a month for a one-bedroom |
| Students receiving Pell grants | 27% |
Value: Exceptional · Top 6% (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).
| Major | Median earnings |
|---|---|
| Computer science | |
| Computer engineering | |
| Construction Management | |
| Electrical engineering | |
| Chemical Engineering | |
| Mechanical engineering | |
| Civil engineering | |
| Nursing | |
| Materials Engineering | |
| Finance | |
| Management information systems | |
| Business administration | |
| International business | |
| Marketing | |
| Microbiological Sciences and Immunology | |
| Accounting | |
| Economics | |
| Applied mathematics | |
| Agricultural Production Operations | |
| Design | |
| Food Science and Technology | |
| Biological and physical sciences | |
| Public relations | |
| Political science | |
| Hospitality management | |
| Public Policy Analysis | |
| Speech-language pathology | |
| Criminal justice | |
| Communication studies | |
| Secondary education | |
| Social sciences | |
| Teacher education | |
| Kinesiology and exercise science | |
| Biology | |
| Family and human development | |
| Journalism | |
| Allied health | |
| History | |
| Broadcasting | |
| Sociology | |
| Ethnic and gender studies | |
| Psychology | |
| Neuroscience | |
| Liberal arts | |
| Apparel and Textiles | |
| English | |
| Geology and earth science | |
| Physiology and pathology | |
| Anthropology | |
| Zoology/Animal Biology | |
| Animal Sciences | |
| Music |
Also offered (no earnings published yet): Agricultural and Food Products Processing, Agricultural business, Agriculture, Applied Horticulture and Horticultural Business Services, Architectural Sciences and Technology, Architecture, Area studies, Arts management, Biochemistry, Biomedical/Medical Engineering, Chemistry, Computational Science, Computing and information science, Construction Engineering Technology/Technician, Criminology, East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Entrepreneurship, Fine arts, Forestry, Genetics, German, Human Biology, Information technology, Interdisciplinary studies, International relations, Landscape Architecture, Linguistics, Mathematics, Natural resources and conservation, Philosophy, Physical Sciences, Physics, Plant Sciences, Religious studies, Romance languages, Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Wildlife and Wildlands Science and Management.
What students study most
Share of bachelor’s degrees by field, first majors in 2023–24 (IPEDS).
| Field | Share of degrees |
|---|---|
| Business | |
| Social sciences | |
| Engineering | |
| Biology | |
| Psychology |
Campus life
| School colors | |
|---|---|
| Setting | Town |
| Part-time undergraduates | 10% |
| Undergraduates aged 25 and older | 15% |
| On-campus room and board (per year) | $13,622 |
| Sports | NCAA Division I · Pacific-12 Conference |
| ROTC | Army · Navy · Air Force |
| Study abroad | Offered |
| Students per faculty member | 15 to 1 |
| Undergraduates registered with the disability office | About 8%IPEDS, 2023–24 |
| Disability services | Visit the office’s pageThe college’s own page |
| Faculty who are full-time | 84%College Scorecard, fall 2023 |
| Endowment per student | $52,824IPEDS, 2023, per student |
| Dorm space | For about 32% of studentsBeds per undergraduate; not who lives on campus |
| Nearest airport with airline service | Pullman-Moscow Regional Airport (PUW)About 2 miles away · about 10 minutes by car |
| Town population | 32,229Census, 2020–2024 |
| Nearest city of 250,000 people or more | SeattleAbout 251 miles away · about 5 hours 50 minutes by car |
| Typical weather | 32°F in January · 67°F in JulyNOAA, 1991–2020, from Pullman 2 NW, WA |
Federal data (IPEDS and College Scorecard), except school colors.
Campus safety reports
On-campus crimes reported in 2024, per 1,000 students.
| Category | This campus | U.S. rate |
|---|---|---|
| Rape | 0.02 | 0.07 |
| Robbery | 0.00 | 0.01 |
| Aggravated assault | 0.03 | 0.04 |
| Burglary | 0.04 | 0.08 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 0.01 | 0.15 |
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.
Questions families ask
- What is Washington State University’s Compass Score?
- Good (grade B). It ranks in the top 40% of rated colleges. 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 State University cost after financial aid?
- The average net price is $14,971 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 State University?
- Washington State University admitted 87% of applicants in the most recent federal data.
- How do Washington State University’s graduates do?
- 61% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $68,905; the median federal debt at graduation is $19,500.
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About this school’s data
- IPEDS unit ID 236939
- Carnegie classification: Doctoral university (very high research)
- Accreditation: Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (U.S. Department of Education DAPIP)
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Colleges like this one
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