86.6%
Acceptance Rate
$13,391
Avg Cost (In-State)
$29,950
Avg Cost (Out-of-State)
61%
Graduation Rate
21,099
Total Enrollment
Popular programs
Application requirements
Regular Deadline
January 31
Common App
Yes
Test Policy
Test Optional
Essays Required
1
Letters of Rec
0
Application Fee
$70
Interview
Not required
Essays: Personal statement required through Common App or Coalition App
Requirements are AI-generated from public data and may change. Always verify directly with the college.
Getting there
Graduate outcomes
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard
$45,272
Median Earnings at 6 Years
median graduate salary 6 years after starting
$62,569
Median Earnings at 10 Years
median graduate salary 10 years after starting
65%
4-Year Graduation Rate
students completing degree within 4 years
Earnings data: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Figures reflect federal aid recipients only — actual median earnings may be higher at schools where many students receive grants rather than loans.
Earnings by major
Median earnings 1 year after graduation, by bachelor's program. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard FieldOfStudy data.
| Program | Median earnings (1yr) | Earnings (4yr) | Graduates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing. | $83,894 | $91,495 | 489 |
| Social Sciences, General. | $43,069 | $61,617 | 380 |
| Psychology, General. | $36,216 | $56,681 | 366 |
| Mechanical Engineering. | $72,690 | $93,971 | 319 |
| Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication. | $45,820 | $67,647 | 288 |
| Accounting and Related Services. | $57,618 | $75,980 | 217 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods. | $46,998 | $61,304 | 180 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations. | $52,636 | $81,321 | 179 |
Tracked through federal tax records. Programs with fewer than 30 graduates with reported earnings are privacy-suppressed. 4-year figure tracks the same cohort 3 years later.
What current students say
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Personalized cost estimate based on your family's finances and academic profile
Calculate Your Cost at Washington State University
Get a personalized estimate of what you'd pay to attend Washington State University
Tactics that apply here
Things you can do that most families don't know about.
WA College Bound Scholarship
~$30k valueWashington pays full tuition + $500 book stipend at WA publics for low-income kids who sign the pledge in 7th-8th grade and stay on track.
Who it helps: Low-income WA 7th-8th graders. Must enroll before HS.
How to use: Enroll at readysetgrad.wa.gov by end of 8th grade. File FAFSA senior year.
Source ↗Early Action priority deadlines unlock the biggest merit pools
~$15k valueAt many public universities, applying by the EA deadline (Nov 1) instead of regular (Feb 1) decides whether you're considered for the top merit awards.
Who it helps: Students with their applications ready by November of senior year, especially those targeting merit-rich publics.
How to use: List each target school's EA deadline (commonly Nov 1, sometimes Oct 15 or Dec 1). Submit complete applications + test scores by then. Confirm merit-scholarship deadlines separately — some require a different priority date or supplemental essay.
Source ↗File FAFSA the day it opens
~$5k valueMost schools award state and institutional aid first-come-first-served from a fixed pool. Filing FAFSA in October beats filing in February by thousands.
Who it helps: Every student applying for need-based aid, but especially families relying on state grants or institutional aid.
How to use: Set a calendar reminder for the FAFSA opening date (currently Oct 1 most years; Dec 1 in the 2024-25 transition year). Use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool to auto-fill tax info. Submit even if you have to estimate; corrections are easy.
Source ↗CSS Profile is required by 200+ private schools — separate from FAFSA
Most selective private colleges use the CSS Profile in addition to FAFSA. It costs $25 + $16/school and reaches deeper into family finances than FAFSA does.
Who it helps: Any student applying to a private 4-year with significant institutional aid needs.
How to use: Check the CSS Profile school list for each of your target colleges. Open the app at cssprofile.collegeboard.org as soon as it opens (early Oct). Submit ahead of each school's earliest priority date — often before the FAFSA deadline.
Source ↗Scholarships
Scholarships you may qualify for.
Washington College Bound Scholarship
Full tuition + $500/books at public WA colleges
stateWA students who sign up in 7th or 8th grade, graduate high school, and have family income at or below 65% of state MFI.
Deadline: June 30 of 8th grade year (sign-up)
Learn more ↗WSU Cougar Award
$2,500-$10,000/year
universityTop WSU incoming freshmen via tiered automatic merit grid.
Deadline: January 31
Learn more ↗WA Passport to College Promise (Foster Care)
Up to $4,500/year
stateWA former foster youth attending WA postsecondary institutions.
Deadline: FAFSA/WASFA
Learn more ↗WA State Need Grant (Tier 2)
Varies
stateWA residents with family income 65-100% MFI; partial WCG award.
Deadline: FAFSA/WASFA
Learn more ↗UW Husky Promise
Full tuition + fees for low-income WA residents
universityWA residents at or below federal Pell level admitted to UW Seattle.
Deadline: FAFSA + admission
Learn more ↗UW Stamps Leadership Scholarship
Full cost of attendance + summer enrichment
universityTop ~5 UW freshmen via competitive Stamps process.
Deadline: December 1
Learn more ↗Whitman College Distinguished Scholarship
$10,000-$20,000/year
universityTop Whitman freshmen via competitive merit-based review.
Deadline: January 1
Learn more ↗Seattle Foundation Scholarships
$500-$5,000+
localKing County / Seattle area students.
Deadline: Varies
Learn more ↗U Washington Costco Diversity Scholarship
$2,500-$10,000/year + Costco internship
universityUnderrepresented WA students at UW with academic merit.
Deadline: January 15
Learn more ↗Net price by income
What it actually costs your family.
Average net price (tuition, fees, room/board minus grant aid) by household income tier, AY 2023–24. Source: IPEDS NPRC1.
| Household income | Average net price / year |
|---|---|
| $0 – $30,000 | $13,800 |
| $30,001 – $48,000 | $16,100 |
| $48,001 – $75,000 | $19,400 |
| $75,001 – $110,000 | $22,800 |
| $110,001+ | $25,800 |
Cost calculator
See the full income-tier cost breakdown for Washington State University →
Type your household income and get a per-family estimate, plus % off sticker and a methodology breakdown.
Round-by-round
Acceptance rates by application round.
The single overall 86.6% rate hides a 2–4x gap between ED and RD at most selective schools. Class of 2027 cycle.
Regular Decision
86.64%
acceptance
Bulk-imported from College Scorecard (admission_rate.overall). Deadline/notification dates are typical RD defaults; revise as needed.
Source ↗Class profile
Who actually goes here.
From the most recent Common Data Set and IPEDS.
29.0%
% Pell-eligible
Federal Pell grant recipients
27.0%
% first-generation
First in family to attend college
76.0%
% in-state
Residents of the college's home state
21.0%
% URM
Black, Hispanic/Latino, Native combined
26.0%
Yield rate
Share of admitted students who enroll
81.0%
1st-to-2nd year retention
Freshmen who return as sophomores
62.0%
6-year grad rate
Graduate within 150% normal time
Demonstrated interest
Not considered
Visits, info sessions and opening emails don't move the needle here.
Peer colleges
Similar colleges to consider.
Similar selectivity
University of Hawaii at Manoa
Honolulu, HI
86.6% acceptance
Both admit around 87% of applicants, with 15k undergrads and a u campus — a close selectivity match.
The University of Texas at San Antonio
San Antonio, TX
86.8% acceptance
Both admit around 87% of applicants, with 31k undergrads and a u campus — a close selectivity match.
Kent State University at Kent
Kent, OH
86.3% acceptance
Both admit around 86% of applicants, with 19k undergrads and a c campus — a close selectivity match.
Cheaper alternatives
Grand Canyon University
Phoenix, AZ
78.9% acceptance
Similar selectivity (79% vs 87%) but out-of-state cost runs $18k — meaningfully less than $30k.
California State University-Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA
91.3% acceptance
Similar selectivity (91% vs 87%) but out-of-state cost runs $20k — meaningfully less than $30k.
California State University-Fresno
Fresno, CA
95.3% acceptance
Similar selectivity (95% vs 87%) but out-of-state cost runs $20k — meaningfully less than $30k.
Reaches above this college
University of Idaho
Moscow, ID
75.5% acceptance
Same c setting in the West, but more selective (76% vs 87%) — a stretch target if Washington State University is already on your list.
Brigham Young University
Provo, UT
67.8% acceptance
Same c setting in the West, but more selective (68% vs 87%) — a stretch target if Washington State University is already on your list.
University of California-Davis
Davis, CA
41.8% acceptance
Same c setting in the West, but more selective (42% vs 87%) — a stretch target if Washington State University is already on your list.
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