Washington State University
Washington State University at a Glance
Reviewed by James A. Barham, PhD, Vice President and Academic Editor. Influence ranks come from our InfluenceRanking™ methodology; other figures come from federal data, with the year shown under each section. Report an error
Washington State University Featured Rankings
- #1 Best Online MBAs Washington
- #2 Best Colleges in Washington
- #2 Best Research Universities in Washington 2026
- #2 Best Public Colleges in Washington 2026
- #2 Most Affordable Colleges in Washington 2026
- #2 Washington's Best Online Master's Degrees
- #2 Best Grad Schools in Washington
- #2 Washington's Best Online Colleges 2026
- #3 Most Influential US Universities by State
- #5 The Most Affordable Online Criminology Doctorate Degree Program
- #10 Online Bachelor's in Strategic Communications
- #12 The Most Influential Colleges in Track & Field Today
- #20 The Most Influential Colleges in Football Today
About Washington State University
According to Wikipedia, Washington State University is a public land-grant research university with its flagship, and oldest, campus in Pullman, Washington. Founded in 1890, WSU is also one of the oldest land-grant universities in the American West. With an undergraduate enrollment of 24,278 and a total enrollment of 28,581, it is the second largest institution for higher education in Washington state behind the University of Washington. It is classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research activity".
Washington State University Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information
| Annual Applications | Acceptance | Retention Rate | Graduation Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 26,166 | 87% | 78% | 63% |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); acceptance rate for fall 2024; test scores for fall 2024; applications and enrollment for fall 2023; retention for students who started in fall 2023; graduation rate within six years for students who started in 2019.
How Much Does Washington State University Cost To Attend?
| Tuition and fees (in-state) |
|---|
| $13,888 |
| Income | Average Net Cost |
|---|---|
| 0 - 30K | $6,750 |
| 30K - 48K | $7,495 |
| 48K - 75K | $8,683 |
| 75K - 110K | $15,212 |
| 110K+ | $24,537 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); tuition and fees for 2025–26; net price for 2024–25, for first-time, full-time students receiving financial aid.
How Much Do Washington State University Graduates Make?
Ten years after starting college, former Washington State University students who received federal financial aid earn a median of $72,280 a year, and 93% of those not still in school are working.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard; students who started college in 2011–12 or 2012–13, measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars.
Washington State University's Demographics
Students enrolled at any time during the 2023–24 school year, including part-time and online students.
| Student Body | Under-Grads | Graduates |
|---|---|---|
| 29,708 | 24,297 | 5,411 |
Source: National Center for Education Statistics; 12-month enrollment for 2023–24.
Where is Washington State University?
Washington State University is located at French Administration Building, Pullman, WA 99164-5910.
How Safe is Washington State University?
Relative to its enrollment, Washington State University has a violent crime rate of 0.06% and a property crime rate of 0.07%. Pullman has a violent crime rate of 0.14% and a property crime rate of 0.87%. Sources: campus: U.S. Department of Education Campus Safety and Security data, on-campus offenses in 2024 (violent: murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault; property: burglary, motor vehicle theft and arson, which excludes ordinary theft); city: FBI Crime Data Explorer, offenses reported to the city police in 2024.
What Is Washington State University Known For?
Washington State University is known for its academic work in the following disciplines:
- Biology
- Sociology
- Chemistry
- Criminal Justice
- Earth Sciences
- Psychology
- Business
- Engineering
- Economics
- Anthropology
- Computer Science
- Physics
- History
- Mathematics
- Education
- Medical
- Communications
- Political Science
- Nursing
- Literature
- Social Work
- Philosophy
- Religious Studies
Washington State University's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered
Each rank compares how much Washington State University's faculty and alumni have shaped a field with other schools, using Wikipedia, Wikidata and scholarly citation databases such as Crossref and Semantic Scholar. World and U.S. ranks reflect modern influence; the historical rank counts influence across all time. How we rank influence
Washington State University ranks #82 in the U.S. and #245 worldwide for influence in Biology.
biology DegreesWashington State University ranks #91 in the U.S. and #279 worldwide for influence in Sociology.
sociology DegreesWashington State University ranks #101 in the U.S. and #455 worldwide for influence in Chemistry.
chemistry DegreesWashington State University ranks #102 in the U.S. and #146 worldwide for influence in Criminal Justice.
criminal-justice DegreesWashington State University ranks #102 in the U.S. and #407 worldwide for influence in Earth Sciences.
earth-science DegreesWashington State University ranks #109 in the U.S. and #228 worldwide for influence in Psychology.
psychology DegreesWashington State University ranks #110 in the U.S. and #311 worldwide for influence in Business.
business DegreesWashington State University ranks #112 in the U.S. and #469 worldwide for influence in Engineering.
engineering DegreesWashington State University ranks #116 in the U.S. and #482 worldwide for influence in Economics.
economics DegreesWashington State University ranks #120 in the U.S. and #339 worldwide for influence in Anthropology.
anthropology DegreesWashington State University ranks #122 in the U.S. and #441 worldwide for influence in Computer Science.
computer-science DegreesWashington State University ranks #126 in the U.S. and #501 worldwide for influence in Physics.
physics DegreesWashington State University ranks #135 in the U.S. and #374 worldwide for influence in History.
history DegreesWashington State University ranks #139 in the U.S. and #514 worldwide for influence in Mathematics.
math DegreesWashington State University ranks #146 in the U.S. and #551 worldwide for influence in Education.
education DegreesWashington State University ranks #166 in the U.S. and #531 worldwide for influence in Medical.
medicine DegreesWashington State University ranks #172 in the U.S. and #595 worldwide for influence in Communications.
communications DegreesWashington State University ranks #188 in the U.S. and #723 worldwide for influence in Political Science.
political-science DegreesWashington State University ranks #207 in the U.S. and #543 worldwide for influence in Nursing.
nursing DegreesWashington State University ranks #223 in the U.S. and #640 worldwide for influence in Literature.
literature DegreesWashington State University ranks #230 in the U.S. and #537 worldwide for influence in Social Work.
social-work DegreesWashington State University ranks #253 in the U.S. and #826 worldwide for influence in Philosophy.
philosophy DegreesWashington State University ranks #441 in the U.S. and #1920 worldwide for influence in Religious Studies.
religious-studies-hub DegreesWho Are Washington State University's Most Influential Alumni?
Washington State University's most influential alumni include professors and professionals in the fields of Criminal Justice, Psychology, and Biology. Here are some of Washington State University's most famous alumni:
- Timothy Leary
- An American psychologist .
- Edward R. Murrow
- An American broadcast journalist .
- William Julius Wilson
- An American sociologist.
- Gary Larson
- An American cartoonist.
- Philip Abelson
- A US physicist, editor of the journal Science, and director of the Carnegie Institution of Washington's Geophysical Laboratory.
- Robert D. Keppel
- An American criminologist.
- Howard Bowen
- An American economist .
- James T. Richardson
- An American sociologist.
- Keith Jackson
- An American sports announcer.
- George B. Thomas
- An American mathematician.
- Gordon G. Gallup
- An American psychologist.
- Robin Collins
- An American theologian.
Who Are Washington State University's Most Influential Faculty?
Washington State University's most influential faculty include professors in the fields of Criminal Justice, Psychology, and Biology. Here are some of Washington State University's most famous faculty:
- Anthony Greenwald
- An American psychologist.
- Janet E. Helms
- An American psychologist.
- Vijay Kumar Thakur
- A Researcher.
- James Franklin
- An American college football player, college football coach, quarterback.
- Matthew Pratt Guterl
- A Historian.
- Yuehe Lin
- A Researcher.
- Rien Long
- An All-American college football player, professional football player, defensive lineman.
- Patricia Hunt
- An American molecular biologist.
- Mike Hopkins
- An American basketball player-coach.
- Aurora E. Clark
- An American computational chemist.
- John Worrall
- A Criminologist.
