At a Glance
Washington State admits 86.1% of applicants.
What You'll Actually Pay
See what families at different income levels actually pay after aid.
Net price data temporarily unavailable. Visit each school's net price calculator directly.
Where the Sticker Price Goes
Sticker price
Not reported by this school
Debt at Graduation
50.6%
receive need-based grant aid
$24,924
average debt at graduation
Washington State graduates carry an average of $24,924 in debt.
Merit Aid
4,243
students received merit aid
$5,570
average merit award
Getting In
Washington State admits 86.1% of applicants.
This school reports SAT section scores but leaves the composite range blank, so there is no mid-50% band to chart.
ACT composite range not reported by this school.
What They Value
Academic
Nonacademic
Washington State University gives essays less weight than many schools — academics drive most admissions decisions here. Demonstrated interest is Not Considered here — campus visits and emails to admissions won't affect your odds.
Student Life
34.8% of Washington State classes have fewer than 20 students.
Share of undergraduate class sections at each size, from CDS Section I-3. More red = more large lectures.
At Washington State, 34.8% of your classes will have fewer than 20 students.
Class size data reflects all undergraduate sections including labs, seminars, and lectures. Large research universities often have smaller upper-division and graduate-level sections that improve the overall distribution. First and second-year students typically experience larger classes than these averages suggest.
Source: Common Data Set 2025–26, Section I-3 (class sizes)
14:1
student:faculty ratio
Campus Life
From out of state (freshman class)
13.8%
Live on campus
26.14%
Men in fraternities
18.22%
Women in sororities
18.69%
Who Attends
Racial and ethnic breakdown of enrolled undergraduates, as reported in each school's Common Data Set. "Unknown / Other" includes students who did not report or selected "other."
Washington State's student body is 55.7% white.
Popular Majors
Will They Graduate?
Washington State graduates 44.2% of students in 4 years.
Graduating late means paying for extra semesters. The 6-year rate tells you who eventually finishes — the 4-year rate tells you what it actually costs.
Washington State graduates 44.2% of students in 4 years.
What finishing late actually costs
Based on each school's published cost of attendance. Public school costs shown at in-state rates.
Washington State
44.2%
4-yr grad rate
Data pending
* In-state cost of attendance. Out-of-state students pay significantly more.
Graduation rate data from Common Data Set 2025–26, Fall 2018 cohort (most recent available). 4-year rate = students completing in 4 years or less. 6-year rate = students completing within 6 years.
62.8%
Overall 6-yr rate
51.7%
Pell recipient rate
An 11.1 point graduation gap between lower-income and overall students suggests financial or academic challenges for some students.
Freshman Retention
80%
80% of first-year students return for sophomore year.
City & Culture
Beyond the data — what it's actually like to spend four years in Pullman.
Pullman is a classic college town — small, walkable, and almost entirely organized around WSU life. There's a lively bar and restaurant strip, a strong sense of community, and not much else beyond it, which some students love and others find limiting after a year or two. It suits students who want campus to be the center of their universe, with Spokane just 75 miles away when you need a city fix.
Notable Alumni
Edward R. Murrow
The defining broadcast journalist of the twentieth century, whose wartime radio reports from London and televised confrontation with McCarthyism set the standard for the trade. WSU's Murrow College of Communication is named for him.
Class of 1930
Drew Bledsoe
First overall pick of the 1993 NFL draft and, at 22, the youngest quarterback to play in a Pro Bowl. He threw for 7,373 yards here and took WSU to a Copper Bowl win in 1992.
Class of 1993
Alumni selected for name recognition and range of fields. Not from the Common Data Set.
The City
College town
Pullman, WA
Best For
Traditions
Cougar First Ride
Incoming freshmen gather for a massive campus bike ride to kick off their first semester, guided by upperclassmen through WSU's rolling Palouse landscape. It's equal parts orientation and bonding ritual — a low-key way to feel like a Coug before classes even start.
Apple Cup
WSU's annual football rivalry game against the University of Washington is one of the oldest and fiercest in the Pac-12, drawing alumni back to Pullman in force every fall. The energy in Martin Stadium — or wherever it's hosted — is genuinely electric, regardless of either team's record that year.
Butch's Bash
A large end-of-year celebration named after Butch the Cougar, WSU's beloved mascot, featuring live music, food, and campus-wide events as students wrap up the academic year. It's the tradition that sends seniors off and reminds everyone else why they chose Pullman.
Weekend Escapes
Within driving distance from Pullman
Spokane, WA
1.5 hoursA genuine small city with great restaurants, the Spokane River Gorge, a revitalized downtown, and enough live music and culture to feel like a real urban break without a long drive.
Palouse Falls State Park, WA
1 hourWashington's official state waterfall drops 198 feet into a dramatic basalt canyon — a jaw-dropping day hike that most out-of-state students can't believe exists this close to campus.
Coeur d'Alene, ID
1.5 hoursA resort town on a stunning Idaho lake that's perfect for hiking, kayaking, and beach days in summer — and a surprisingly charming downtown year-round.
Getting There & Game Days
Nearest airport
Spokane International Airport (GEG)
1.5 hours from campus
For international flights: Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) — about 4 hours 45 minutes by car.
Pro sports nearby
- Spokane Indians MiLBAbout 1 hour 30 minutes away
- Seattle Seahawks NFLAbout 4 hours 45 minutes away
- Seattle Mariners MLBAbout 4 hours 45 minutes away
Career Proximity
WSU students tap into agricultural tech, healthcare, and engineering industries anchored in the Pacific Northwest, with Spokane serving as the primary regional job market.
Top Industries Nearby
Major Employers
- Microsoft (remote/Redmond)
- Providence Health & Services
- Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories
- Washington State Department of Agriculture
- Avista Corporation
Spokane, WA — 1.5 hours from campus
Who Thrives Here
Washington State admits 86.1% of applicants and reads no SAT or ACT score in doing it: C8A is answered No and the policy grid beneath it is empty, so a transcript and what a student has done outside it are the application. What follows admission is the harder question. 80.0% of first-years return, 62.8% finish within six years and 44.2% in four. In-state tuition and fees are $14,361 against $32,032 from out of state, aid meets 62.4% of need — well short of covering it — and graduates who borrow leave owing $24,924. Pullman is a college town and the campus behaves like one: 26.14% of undergraduates live in university housing and roughly 18% of both men and women join Greek life, which is high enough that a student who wants none of it should know that going in. 85.2% of undergraduates are Washingtonians.