Liberal arts college
#2 Best colleges in WashingtonWhitman College
Walla Walla, WA · Private nonprofit · 4-year
Your real cost
Average price after aid $33,313 a year
Median debt at graduation: $18,437 (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 small colleges in America#33 of 906
- Best colleges for communications and journalism in America#63 of 1,238
- Best colleges in America#123 of 1,829
- Best colleges for psychology in America#102 of 1,418
- Best test-optional colleges in America#110 of 1,481
- Best colleges for biology and pre-med in America#105 of 1,358
Show 15 more
- Best colleges for English in America#104 of 1,283
- Best colleges for history in America#107 of 1,247
- Best colleges for art and design in America#105 of 1,187
- Best colleges for mathematics in America#108 of 1,215
- Best colleges for chemistry in America#108 of 1,162
- Best colleges for political science and pre-law in America#107 of 1,116
- Best colleges for music in America#103 of 1,063
- Colleges with the highest graduation rates in America#192 of 1,829
- Best colleges for engineering in America#82 of 749
- Best colleges for NCAA Division III athletes in America#50 of 430
- Best colleges for economics in America#105 of 788
- Colleges that spend the most on teaching in America#118 of 704
- Most selective colleges in America#115 of 683
- Colleges with the lowest student debt in America#120 of 684
- Colleges with the biggest discount off the sticker price in America#124 of 690
In Washington
- Colleges with the biggest discount off the sticker price in Washington#1 of 13
- Best small colleges in Washington#1 of 12
- Most selective colleges in Washington#1 of 12
- Best colleges in Washington#2 of 24
- Best colleges for psychology in Washington#2 of 21
- Best test-optional colleges in Washington#2 of 20
Show 16 more
- Best colleges for communications and journalism in Washington#2 of 19
- Best colleges for biology and pre-med in Washington#2 of 18
- Best colleges for history in Washington#2 of 17
- Best colleges for mathematics in Washington#2 of 17
- Best colleges for art and design in Washington#2 of 16
- Best colleges for chemistry in Washington#2 of 16
- Best colleges for engineering in Washington#2 of 16
- Best colleges for English in Washington#2 of 16
- Best colleges for music in Washington#2 of 16
- Best colleges for political science and pre-law in Washington#2 of 16
- Colleges with the highest graduation rates in Washington#3 of 24
- Best colleges for economics in Washington#2 of 13
- Colleges with the lowest student debt in Washington#2 of 13
- Colleges that spend the most on teaching in Washington#2 of 13
- Colleges with the most faculty per student in Washington#2 of 13
- Colleges where the most freshmen return in Washington#3 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.81%
- First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.87%
- Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.SAT 1,410 · ACT 31
- Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.10 to 1
- Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$23,597
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: $78,092 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) | 1,544 |
|---|---|
| Men and women College Scorecard, fall 2023 | Men 43% · Women 57% |
| First-generation students College Scorecard | 12% |
| First-year students from another state IPEDS, fall 2023 | 63% |
| Total students | 1,544 |
| Average net price (per year) After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid | $33,313 |
| Cost of attendance (per year) | $78,092 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $18,437 |
| Graduation rate First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time | 81% |
| Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years College Scorecard, within 3 years | 93% |
| First-year retention | 87% |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry | $67,589 |
| Admission rate | 38% |
| Application fee IPEDS, 2023–24 | $50 |
| Early decision deadline College website, 2026-27 | November 15 |
| Second early decision deadline College website, 2026-27 | January 5 |
| Typical rent HUD fair market rent, FY2026 | About $1,181 a month for a one-bedroom |
| Students receiving Pell grants | 16% |
| Average SAT | 1410 |
|---|---|
| SAT reading & writing | 670–740 |
| SAT math | 640–740 |
| ACT composite | 29–33 |
| Test policy | Considered but not required |
Value: Good (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 |
|---|---|
| Economics | |
| Political science | |
| Psychology |
Also offered (no earnings published yet): Anthropology, Applied mathematics, Area studies, Astronomy and Astrophysics, Behavioral Sciences, Biochemistry, Biology, Chemistry, Classics, Cognitive Science, Communication studies, Computing and information science, Design, East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Ecology and evolutionary biology, Engineering (general), English, Ethnic and gender studies, Experimental psychology, Film and video, Fine arts, Geology and earth science, German, History, Liberal arts, Mathematics, Mathematics and Computer Science, Music, Neuroscience, Other biological and biomedical sciences, Other mathematics and statistics, Other psychology, Other social sciences, Philosophy, Physics, Public health, Religious studies, Romance languages, Sociology, Statistics, Theatre, Visual and performing arts, Writing and rhetoric.
What students study most
Share of bachelor’s degrees by field, first majors in 2023–24 (IPEDS).
| Field | Share of degrees |
|---|---|
| Social sciences | |
| Biology | |
| Psychology | |
| Physical sciences | |
| Visual and performing arts |
Campus life
| School colors | |
|---|---|
| Setting | City |
| Part-time undergraduates | 1% |
| Undergraduates aged 25 and older | 2% |
| On-campus room and board (per year) | $15,080 |
| Sports | NCAA Division III · Northwest Conference |
| Study abroad | Offered |
| Students per faculty member | 10 to 1 |
| Undergraduates registered with the disability office | About 23%IPEDS, 2023–24 |
| Faculty who are full-time | 87%College Scorecard, fall 2023 |
| Endowment per student | $483,718IPEDS, 2023, per student |
| Dorm space | For about 57% of studentsBeds per undergraduate; not who lives on campus |
| Nearest airport with airline service | Tri Cities Airport (PSC)About 40 miles away · about 1 hour 5 minutes by car |
| Town population | 33,925Census, 2020–2024 |
| Nearest city of 250,000 people or more | PortlandAbout 211 miles away · about 4 hours 40 minutes by car |
| Typical weather | 36°F in January · 76°F in JulyNOAA, 1991–2020, from Walla Walla Regional Airport, WA, about 3 miles away |
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 | 0.64 | 0.07 |
| Robbery | 0.00 | 0.01 |
| Aggravated assault | 0.00 | 0.04 |
| Burglary | 1.28 | 0.08 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 1.28 | 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 Whitman College’s Compass Score?
- Exceptional (grade A). It ranks in the top 8% 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 Whitman College cost after financial aid?
- The average net price is $33,313 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 Whitman College?
- Whitman College admitted 38% of applicants in the most recent federal data.
- How do Whitman College’s graduates do?
- 81% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $67,589; the median federal debt at graduation is $18,437.
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About this school’s data
- IPEDS unit ID 237057
- Carnegie classification: Baccalaureate college (arts & sciences)
- Accreditation: Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (U.S. Department of Education DAPIP)
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