More selective than 68% of Oregon colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $67,501. College Scorecard.
Higher than 72% of Oregon colleges we cover and 80% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 40% of Oregon colleges we cover and 61% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
Willamette University acceptance rate & admissions
Of 4,107 applicants, Willamette University admitted 3,249 and 504 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1240–1440 on the SAT or 28–33 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
Willamette University 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 Willamette University costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Willamette University 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 Oregon. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $16,182 | $68,126 | 3.3 years |
| $30–48k | $16,825 | $70,833 | 3.5 years |
| $48–75k | $18,225 | $76,727 | 3.8 years |
| $75–110k | $22,382 | $94,228 | 4.6 years |
| $110k+ | $33,794 | $142,273 | 7.0 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.2 years, the average time graduates took (60% 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 ($56,911) minus $36,549 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in OR (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $20,362 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.
Willamette University majors, earnings & careers
Willamette University offers 40 bachelor's majors across 8 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Humanities & Languages · 16
- Arts & Design · 6
- Science & Math · 6
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 5
- Business & Finance · 2
- Health & Medicine · 2
- Technology & Computing · 2
- Communications & Media · 1
Highest-earning majors at Willamette University
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | $100,650 | — |
| Physics | $89,506 | $22,989 |
| Chemistry | $79,592 | $20,500 |
| Communications | $70,412 | $26,000 |
| Political Science | $63,407 | $21,331 |
| Economics | $63,255 | $19,500 |
| Kinesiology / Exercise Science | $59,337 | $25,343 |
| Environmental Science / Conservation | $54,657 | $22,511 |
Quick list of all 40 majors
- Anthropology—
- Archeology—
- Area Studies—
- Biology$45,197
- Business Administration—
- Chemistry$79,592
- Classics—
- Communications$70,412
- Computer Science$100,650
- Cultural Studies / Critical Theory and Analysis—
- Data Science—
- Economics$63,255
- English$50,060
- Environmental Science / Conservation$54,657
- Ethnic / Gender Studies—
- Film and Photography—
- German—
- Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design$44,870
- History—
- International / Global Studies—
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science$59,337
- Liberal Arts / General Studies—
- Linguistics—
- Mathematics—
- Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other—
- Music—
- Neuroscience—
- Philosophy—
- Physics$89,506
- Political Science$63,407
- Psychology—
- Public Health—
- Religious Studies—
- Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics—
- Sociology—
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages—
- Studio Art$32,256
- 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 →Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design → Graphic designer
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to shrink 1.7% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Environmental Science / Conservation → Environmental scientist
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 6.1% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Salem
Overall prices in the Salem, OR area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,692. Housing costs 10% above the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 47 inches of rain a year, 1 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
No hazard rated high.
FEMA National Risk Index, Marion County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Marion County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare Willamette University with similar schools
Similar private colleges in Oregon 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Willamette University | 77% | $25,121 | 71% | $56,911 | This school |
| Lewis & Clark College | 78% | $36,013 | 75% | $62,205 | |
| Linfield University | 85% | $26,536 | 70% | $78,638 | |
| Pacific University | 90% | $35,273 | 67% | $60,583 | |
| George Fox University | 94% | $31,679 | 72% | $59,761 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Willamette University would cost you $10,892 less per year than Lewis & Clark College, on average.
- Lower sticker price at Willamette University, mostly from lower tuition & fees (−$13,672).
- Lewis & Clark College gives aided families $1,594 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Oregon resident | Willamette University | Lewis & Clark College | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $51,156 | $64,828 | −$13,672 |
| Books & supplies | $933 | $1,050 | −$117 |
| Housing & meals | $15,490 | $15,002 | +$488 |
| Personal & travel | $2,810 | $2,052 | +$758 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$2,888 | −$2,945 | +$57 |
| Sticker price | $67,501 | $79,987 | −$12,486 |
| Average grants | −$42,380 | −$43,974 | +$1,594 |
| You pay | $25,121 | $36,013 | −$10,892 |
“+” means Willamette University 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 Willamette University
What is the Willamette University acceptance rate?
Willamette University accepts 77% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 3,249 of 4,107 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1240–1440 on the SAT or 28–33 on the ACT.
How much does Willamette University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $67,501 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $25,121 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $16,182 and families earning $110k+ pay $33,794.
How much do Willamette University graduates earn?
Former Willamette University students earn a median $56,911 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the Willamette University graduation rate?
71% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 87% return for their second year.
How long does a Willamette University degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Willamette University costs about $76,727 after grants ($18,225 a year for 4.2 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $56,911 ten years after starting, $20,362 more than high school graduates in Oregon ($36,549), so the cost is repaid in 3.8 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: “Willamette University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/willamette-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).