Washington University in St. Louis
WashU's admissions leadership has said publicly it expects to announce a change to this policy; re-check before the next cycle.
Data sourced from CDS, Institutional Website, for the record as a whole — figures marked with a star are sourced separately, as noted at the bottom of the page. Testing policy checked against the college's own pages on Oct 18, 2026.
Preparation
This is helpful preparation, not a formal admission requirement.
Admissions
How admission works here
- Where you apply
- The Common App. Common App requirements grid
- Test scores
- Submitting SAT or ACT scores is optional. WashU's admissions leadership has said publicly it expects to announce a change to this policy; re-check before the next cycle. WashU admissions
- Essays
- The Common App personal essay is required. Common App requirements grid
- Recommendations
- 1 teacher recommendation, a counselor recommendation, a mid-year report. Common App requirements grid
- Portfolio
- Portfolios go through SlideRoom. Common App requirements grid
- Application fee
- $75. The Common App fee waiver is accepted. Common App requirements grid
- Deadlines
- Early Action November 2, Early Decision (binding) November 2, Early Decision II (binding) January 4, Regular Decision January 4. Common App requirements grid
My Fit uses this overall rate to classify your chances here.
Not separately published; WashU's Common Data Set reports only a weighted average GPA of approximately 4.19
- 1Computer Science
- 2Finance
- 3Experimental Psychology
- 4Mechanical Engineering
- 5Biology
- 6Quantitative Economics
- 7Political Science
- 8Marketing
- 9Biomedical Engineering
- 10Neuroscience
Ordered by how many students graduated in each, 2023-24. Source: U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS Completions survey). Names are the federal categories, so Washington University in St. Louis may call a major something slightly different.
Applying
Applying through the Common App
- Application fee
- $75
- Common App fee waiver
- Accepted
- Common App personal essay
- Required
- Portfolios collected through
- SlideRoom
- Recommendations
- 1 teacher recommendation, counselor recommendation, mid-year report
Source: Common App requirements grid, updated 2026-09-18. Anything not listed here wasn't stated in the grid, which is not the same as not required.
College-specific prompts can change each application cycle. Check the school's official application page for the latest requirements.
View official application requirementsBeyond Grades
Sports
Academics
Flagship Programs
Career & Major Pathways
Cost
This is the full yearly cost before any financial aid. What your family would actually pay is in the Financial Aid section. Cost figures are approximate, so confirm current numbers on the college's website.
Financial Aid
What families actually paid, by household income
Average for students who received federal aid. Your own figure depends on your family's finances and the aid this school offers you.
- Under $30,000
- $1,716
- $30,001 – $48,000
- $1,928
- $48,001 – $75,000
- $5,578
- $75,001 – $110,000
- $12,603
- Over $110,000
- $42,170
College Scorecard (latest.cost.net_price.private.by_income_level.*), 2024
Every school is required to publish a net price calculator. It asks about your family's finances and returns an estimate for you specifically, which is worth more than any average on this page. Your school counselor and the college's financial aid office can also help.
Scholarships and merit aid
WashU meets 100% of demonstrated need and offers a set of named merit scholarships (e.g., Danforth, Ervin, Rodriguez Scholars), but these are extremely competitive and limited in number -- most admitted students should plan around need-based aid rather than merit.
Campus
Campus Fit
*College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education) · 2024
†Common App requirements grid · 2026-27
‡WashU admissions · 2026-27 · accessed Sep 29, 2026