Western Washington University
Bellingham, WA · Public · Small city · WWU · Western Washington College of Education · Western Washington State College
Public institution in Bellingham, WA · 13,574 undergraduates · 91% acceptance rate · $62,569 median earnings 10 years after entry.
- Top 9%Undergraduates
- Top 23%Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- Top 25%In-state tuition & fees
Stats
College Scorecard figures, each with where this school sits nationally among institutions that report the same measure. A dash means the school does not report it.
Cost
- Average net price
- $18,680961st cheapest of 1,985 reporting
- In-state tuition & fees
- $9,286514th cheapest of 2,042 reporting
- Out-of-state tuition & fees
- $27,8531,172nd cheapest of 2,042 reporting
- Cost of attendance
- $28,305872nd cheapest of 1,985 reporting
- Median graduate debt
- $18,500490th lowest of 1,880 reporting
Outcomes
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $62,569451st highest of 1,969 reporting
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $45,272865th highest of 1,964 reporting
- Graduation rate (4-year)
- 65.5%571st highest of 2,031 reporting
- Full-time retention
- 79.7%691st highest of 1,853 reporting
Admissions
- Acceptance rate
- 91.3%1,286th most selective of 1,608 reporting
- Average SAT
- 1235316th highest of 1,024 reporting
- Median ACT
- 26270th highest of 954 reporting
Campus
- Undergraduates
- 13,574188th largest of 2,162 reporting
- Student-faculty ratio
- 17.0:11,598th smallest of 2,159 reporting
- Pell Grant share
- 20.8%1,681st highest of 2,140 reporting
Nearest large-hub airport: 89 mi (SEA)
On 2 of our 111 lists
Every published ranking this school appears on, with its rank there.
Applying
- EANov 1
- RDJan 31
- Common App member
- Yes
- Application fee
- $70
- Personal essay
- Optional / not required
- Writing supplement
- No
Deadlines and essay flags come from the Common App Requirements Grid, joined by school name. Always confirm against the school’s own admissions page before applying.
Best-paying fields of study
Median earnings one and two years after graduating, by field. Showing 12 of 69 reported programs.
| Field | Level | 1 yr | 2 yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingHealth Professions | bachelors | $72,022 | $76,460 |
| Industrial Production Technologies/TechniciansEngineering Technology | bachelors | $69,338 | $60,325 |
| Electrical, Electronics and Communications EngineeringEngineering | bachelors | $68,219 | — |
| Computer and Information Sciences, GeneralComputer Science | bachelors | $66,541 | $81,333 |
| Polymer/Plastics EngineeringEngineering | bachelors | $63,749 | — |
| Manufacturing EngineeringEngineering | bachelors | $62,260 | — |
| Management Information Systems and ServicesBusiness | bachelors | $55,840 | $57,318 |
| Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/TechniciansEngineering Technology | bachelors | $54,713 | $50,465 |
| Special Education and TeachingEducation | bachelors | $48,980 | $45,826 |
| Research and Experimental PsychologyPsychology | bachelors | $48,432 | — |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsEducation | bachelors | $48,198 | $45,328 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsBusiness | bachelors | $46,282 | $48,522 |
Campus facts
- Founded in 1893source
- Motto: "Active Minds Changing Lives"source
- Athletic nickname: "Vikings"source
- Competes in NCAA Division IIsource
- Mascot: Victor E. Vikingsource
- Campus size: about 215 acressource
- Athletic conference: GNACsource
- Plays for the "Cascade Cup" (since 1922)source
- Fight song: ""Viking Victory March""source
- Notable alum: Tori Blacksource
- Notable alum: Laurence J. Petersource
- Notable alum: Agnes Martinsource
- Notable alum: Carrie Brownsteinsource
Athletics — 7 sports
NCAA Division II without football · NCAA Division II
Athletic scholarships allowed · Athletic aid $1,932,955 (M $753,599 · W $1,179,356)
- Basketball: 2012
- Rowing: 2026, 2024, 2017, 2011, 2010 +3
- Soccer: 2022, 2016
Self-reported EADA participants (2024-2025). Athletic aid is institution-level, not per sport.
Key links
- Official websitewwu.edu
- College ScorecardFederal source for every figure above (UNITID 237011)
- Compare colleges in WARe-score with your weights
- The Most Selective Colleges in WashingtonEvery eligible four-year in this state, ranked by published admission rate
- Showdown: Western Washington University vs Central Washington UniversityHigher-or-lower on real Scorecard metrics — round 1 is these two
- Sports directoryAll 7 EADA programs at this school
- Build an admissions plan8th–12th grade actions for this college — sports, activities, timeline
- MethodologyWhat these figures do and do not capture
- How to read a school page end to endStats, standings, lists, athletics, news — one profile, many jobs. Know which panel answers which question.
- Sticker price is a trapPublished tuition is a starting rumor. Net price is closer to what families actually pay.
- What acceptance rate actually measuresSelectivity is a competition statistic — not a quality score, and not your personal odds.
- A plan from eighth grade — without fake certaintySchool-anchored milestones, sports scarcity honesty, and EC playbooks — not invented admit odds.