How to get into Washington Adventist University
How to get into Washington Adventist: a small Seventh-day Adventist university outside DC with strong nursing and music tracks
46.2%
Acceptance rate
$26,604
In-state cost
What makes Washington Adventist University admissions different
Washington Adventist University is a tiny (~450 undergrad) Seventh-day Adventist university in Takoma Park, MD, just outside Washington, DC. The school's identity is mission-driven — Adventist Christian education with Sabbath observance, chapel, and a community-life expectation. Strong programs include Nursing (with clinical placements at Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove and Washington Adventist Hospital), Music, and Health Care Administration. The application is straightforward and the admit bar is reachable for applicants who meet the academic floor; the fit question (Adventist mission, Sabbath observance, vegetarian dining options on campus) matters more than at a typical small private.
What an actually competitive application looks like
- 1.
Apply through WAU's institutional online application. Submit transcripts, reference, and a personal statement addressing fit with Adventist mission.
- 2.
If Nursing is the goal, plan the prerequisite sequence carefully — WAU's BSN program admits separately and the clinical placements run through Adventist HealthCare partners.
- 3.
Apply for institutional scholarships (Presidential, Provost, Departmental) at the time of application. WAU's published cost is above $25,000 in tuition; institutional aid is the only way the math works for most families.
- 4.
File the FAFSA early to stack federal aid and Maryland state aid (Maryland residents) with WAU institutional aid.
- 5.
If music is the focus, plan an audition for the music program — WAU's music department admits performers through audition and offers music-specific scholarships.
Common mistakes that hurt applicants here
- ✕
Treating WAU like a generic small private. The Adventist identity is central — Sabbath observance, chapel, vegetarian dining are part of campus life and applicants who don't engage with this in their decision regret it.
- ✕
Missing institutional scholarship deadlines. WAU's net cost depends heavily on stacked institutional aid; late applicants compete for less.
- ✕
Treating Nursing as automatic. The BSN admit process is separate and the clinical-placement constraint limits class size.
The specifics for Washington Adventist University
Application deadlines
- Priority application2026-03-01Apply by March 1 for full scholarship and housing consideration.
- RollingRollingRolling admissions through summer for fall start.
What makes this admissions process distinctive
Seventh-day Adventist mission and Sabbath observance
WAU is an SDA institution with Sabbath observance, chapel, and required religion coursework. Vegetarian dining options and a campus community shaped by Adventist mission.
Adventist HealthCare nursing partnership
The Nursing program runs clinical placements through Adventist HealthCare (Washington Adventist Hospital, Shady Grove) — a structural advantage for nursing students in the DC metro area.
What graduates actually do
Washington Adventist University in Takoma Park, Maryland, is a small Seventh-day Adventist institution with strong pipelines into Adventist healthcare (AdventHealth, Kettering Health) and the church's K-12 and ministry network. The nursing program is the largest at the school and feeds DC-area hospitals including Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove and Holy Cross. Graduates also serve the Adventist global mission network.
Notable alumni
- Charles E. Bradford — Former president of the North American Division of Seventh-day Adventists
Transfer pathway
Washington Adventist accepts transfer students with a 2.0+ GPA and honors Maryland's ARTSYS articulation system for state community college transfers. Montgomery College feeds the largest transfer cohort given geographic proximity. The Adventist Colleges Abroad network and inter-Adventist transfer agreements ease movement from sister institutions.
Articulation partners
Montgomery College · Prince George's Community College
Specifics verified 2026-05-18 from the school's own admissions page + Common App (supplements re-verified this pass). Always confirm current-year details directly on the school site before applying.
If you're on the bubble
WAU admits applicants who meet the academic floor and engage with the mission. If you're Adventist or open to the Adventist community and academically prepared, this is a likely admit. Cost is the deciding question for most — run the net price calculator and verify scholarship stacking before committing.
Next steps
Last updated: November 2025. Acceptance rate and cost data refreshed nightly from college reporting.