More selective than 94% of Washington colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $78,092. College Scorecard.
Higher than 96% of Washington colleges we cover and 90% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 84% of Washington colleges we cover and 83% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
Whitman College acceptance rate & admissions
Of 6,185 applicants, Whitman College admitted 3,092 and 444 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1310–1480 on the SAT or 29–33 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
Whitman College tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for students who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
What Whitman College costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Whitman College took 4.2 years on average to finish, so the yearly price adds up to the total below. Payback compares former students' earnings with what high school graduates earn in Washington. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $13,567 | $56,710 | 2.1 years |
| $30–48k | $11,596 | $48,471 | 1.8 years |
| $48–75k | $21,915 | $91,605 | 3.3 years |
| $75–110k | $27,237 | $113,851 | 4.2 years |
| $110k+ | $47,679 | $199,298 | 7.3 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.2 years, the average time graduates took (68% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of former students 10 years after starting ($67,589) minus $40,219 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in WA (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $27,370 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard (net price, earnings); IPEDS Graduation Rates (time to finish); U.S. Census Bureau ACS (high school earnings). Calculated by EducationGuide.
Whitman College majors, earnings & careers
Whitman College offers 46 bachelor's majors across 9 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Science & Math · 14
- Humanities & Languages · 12
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 8
- Arts & Design · 6
- Technology & Computing · 2
- Business & Finance · 1
- Communications & Media · 1
- Engineering · 1
- Health & Medicine · 1
Highest-earning majors at Whitman College
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Economics | $88,393 | $17,500 |
| Political Science | $51,740 | $16,750 |
| Psychology | $38,158 | $15,221 |
Quick list of all 46 majors
- Anthropology—
- Applied Mathematics—
- Area Studies—
- Astronomy and Astrophysics—
- Behavioral Sciences—
- Biochemistry—
- Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Other—
- Biology—
- Chemistry—
- Classics—
- Cognitive Science—
- Communications—
- Computer and Information Sciences—
- East Asian Languages (Chinese / Japanese / Korean)—
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology—
- Economics$88,393
- Engineering—
- English—
- Ethnic / Gender Studies—
- Film and Photography—
- Geology / Earth Science—
- German—
- Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design—
- History—
- Liberal Arts / General Studies—
- Mathematics—
- Mathematics and Computer Science—
- Mathematics and Statistics, Other—
- Music—
- Neuroscience—
- Philosophy—
- Physics—
- Political Science$51,740
- Psychology$38,158
- Psychology (Research)—
- Psychology, Other—
- Public Health—
- Religious Studies—
- Social Sciences, Other—
- Sociology—
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages—
- Statistics—
- Studio Art—
- Theatre—
- Visual and Performing Arts—
- Writing—
— means too few graduates to report earnings.
College Scorecard field of study, latest release
All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →Communications → Public relations specialist
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 1.8% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Computer and Information Sciences → Software developer
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 10.2% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Walla Walla
Overall prices in the Walla Walla, WA area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,561. Housing costs 13% below the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 19 inches of rain a year, 7 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
No hazard rated high.
FEMA National Risk Index, Walla Walla County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Walla Walla County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare Whitman College with similar schools
Similar private colleges in Washington by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whitman College | 38% | $33,313 | 81% | $67,589 | This school |
| Walla Walla University | — | $23,329 | 60% | $61,885 | |
| Whitworth University-Adult Degree Programs | 29% | — | — | $58,561 | |
| University of Puget Sound | 72% | $38,394 | 68% | $69,594 | |
| Heritage University | — | $14,598 | 54% | $49,416 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Whitman College would cost you $9,984 more per year than Walla Walla University, on average.
- Higher sticker price at Whitman College, mostly from higher tuition & fees (+$29,823).
- Whitman College gives aided families $22,205 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Washington resident | Whitman College | Walla Walla University | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $64,050 | $34,227 | +$29,823 |
| Books & supplies | $1,400 | $765 | +$635 |
| Housing & meals | $14,640 | $10,416 | +$4,224 |
| Personal & travel | $800 | $1,755 | −$955 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$2,798 | −$1,260 | −$1,538 |
| Sticker price | $78,092 | $45,903 | +$32,189 |
| Average grants | −$44,779 | −$22,574 | −$22,205 |
| You pay | $33,313 | $23,329 | +$9,984 |
“+” means Whitman College costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.
Common questions about Whitman College
What is the Whitman College acceptance rate?
Whitman College accepts 38% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 3,092 of 6,185 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1310–1480 on the SAT or 29–33 on the ACT.
How much does Whitman College cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $78,092 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $33,313 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $13,567 and families earning $110k+ pay $47,679.
How much do Whitman College graduates earn?
Former Whitman College students earn a median $67,589 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the Whitman College graduation rate?
81% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 87% return for their second year.
How long does a Whitman College degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Whitman College costs about $91,605 after grants ($21,915 a year for 4.2 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $67,589 ten years after starting, $27,370 more than high school graduates in Washington ($40,219), so the cost is repaid in 3.3 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).
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Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Whitman College: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/whitman-college (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).