Washington University in St. Louis acceptance rate and admissions profile
With an acceptance rate near 12%, Washington University in St. Louis is a highly selective private college in Missouri. Because it turns away most applicants, admission turns on the strength of your whole profile rather than any one number.
Use this page to see what Washington University in St. Louis weighs, where it ranks among Missouri schools, and how a profile like yours is likely to land. Admitted students post a 75th-percentile SAT around 1550, a useful checkpoint for where your scores sit, though it is a reference range and not a cutoff.
Will I get into Washington University in St. Louis?
Direct answers to what applicants ask about getting into Washington University in St. Louis, plus a free way to calculate your own odds.
What are my chances of getting into Washington University in St. Louis?
Washington University in St. Louis admits about 12% of applicants, but that overall rate is not your personal chance. Your real odds depend on how your GPA, course rigor, test scores, and activities compare to its admitted students. Run your profile through the free CollegeCalcAI calculator to get a personalized acceptance percentage for Washington University in St. Louis in about three minutes, with no account needed to start.
Is Washington University in St. Louis hard to get into?
Washington University in St. Louis is highly selective: it turns away most applicants, with about a 12% acceptance rate. Strong academics are expected here, so the rest of your profile usually decides the outcome.
What GPA do you need to get into Washington University in St. Louis?
There is no hard GPA cutoff at Washington University in St. Louis, but most admitted students present roughly a 3.8 to 4.0 GPA with a rigorous course load. Washington University in St. Louis reads your GPA alongside the rigor of your courses, so a challenging schedule matters as much as the number itself.
What SAT score do you need for Washington University in St. Louis?
Washington University in St. Louis does not publish a required score, but the admitted-student 75th-percentile SAT is around 1550. A score at or above that range strengthens your application, while a lower score puts more weight on your rigor, activities, and essays. CollegeCalcAI shows how your exact score shifts your odds at Washington University in St. Louis.
What Washington University in St. Louis looks for
What Washington University in St. Louis weighs most heavily in its admissions review, informed by its reported Common Data Set.
In its review, Washington University in St. Louis leans most on rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and application essay. At this level of selectivity, the difference between admits is rarely the transcript alone; essays, recommendations, and a coherent story matter. These ratings come from Washington University in St. Louis's reported Common Data Set, so the full chart below reflects what the school itself says it values, not a generic guess.
SAT score positioning at Washington University in St. Louis
How common SAT scores sit relative to the admitted middle. This is context, not a probability — your full profile determines the real estimate.
How Washington University in St. Louis compares in Missouri
Washington University in St. Louis ranks #1 most selective of 35 schools in Missouri in our database.
Among the 35 Missouri schools we track, Washington University in St. Louis ranks the most selective by acceptance rate. Nothing else in the state is harder to get into; the next tier down includes College of the Ozarks at 12%.
Similar to Washington University in St. Louis
Schools with a similar selectivity profile, worth comparing as you build a balanced list.
Build around Washington University in St. Louis with peers at a comparable selectivity, such as Carnegie Mellon University, Haverford College, and College of the Ozarks. Running the same profile against each one in the free calculator is the fastest way to see where you are a reach, a match, or a likely.
Frequently asked questions
What does Washington University in St. Louis value most in applicants?
Based on its admissions profile, Washington University in St. Louis weighs rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and application essay most heavily. The full factor breakdown is on this page.
Does Washington University in St. Louis consider legacy or demonstrated interest?
Many private colleges weigh legacy relationships and demonstrated interest. Washington University in St. Louis's full factor profile is charted on this page, and CollegeCalcAI models a legacy effect scaled to a school's selectivity.
How can I improve my chances at Washington University in St. Louis?
Focus on the highest-leverage parts of your application: course rigor and GPA trajectory first, then test scores, then a focused leadership or activity spike. CollegeCalcAI's Power-Ups quantify how much each change would move your odds at Washington University in St. Louis specifically.
What makes an application stand out at Washington University in St. Louis?
Beyond strong academics, Washington University in St. Louis rewards a clear, specific story: focused activities with real impact, essays in an authentic voice, and recommendations that corroborate it. Depth beats a long list of unrelated activities.
Acceptance rate and admitted test ranges reflect publicly reported data (U.S. Department of Education / NCES IPEDS / Common Data Sets). Estimates from CollegeCalcAI are a planning tool computed by a fixed, transparent model, not a guarantee of any admission decision.