Washington University in St. Louis

First-year admission

Applicants apply with the Common Application or Coalition Application, which open on August 1, and choose one of four plans: Early Action (application due November 2, decisions by December 23), Early Decision I (November 2, decisions by December 11), Early Decision II (January 4, decisions by February 12) and Regular Decision (January 4, decisions by April 1). Early Decision is binding and may be used at only one institution; Early Action is not binding. Applicants select one of five undergraduate schools: Architecture, Art, Arts & Sciences, Business or Engineering. The Class of 2030 profile shows a 12% overall admit rate, a middle 50% SAT of 1510-1550 and ACT of 33-35, and 88% of students reporting rank in the top 10% of their high school class.

No specific courses are required. Successful transcripts often include four years of English, four years of mathematics (calculus strongly recommended for architecture, business and engineering), three to four years of laboratory science, three to four years of history or social science, and at least two years of the same foreign language. The application also includes the school report and official transcript, a counselor recommendation, one teacher evaluation, a 250-word response on what the applicant wishes to study and why, extracurricular activities and the Common App or Coalition essay. A portfolio is required for the College of Art and strongly encouraged for the College of Architecture, submitted through SlideRoom.

WashU is test optional. Applicants may submit SAT or ACT scores (self-reported scores are accepted; writing is not required); 63% of applicants to the Class of 2030 applied with scores. An optional 90-second video supplement and Schoolhouse.world certifications are also accepted and applicants are not penalised for opting out. The application fee is $75, waived for all financial aid applicants and for those for whom it would be a hardship.

Transfer admission

Transfer applicants have finished secondary school, have completed some college study and have never attended a WashU full-time degree-granting school. Fall 2027 transfer applications are due March 1 (decisions by May 7); spring 2027 applications are due October 15 (decisions by November 20), are limited to the College of Arts & Sciences and are open to international students only if they already study at a U.S. university. Requirements are the Common Application, college and high school transcripts, a college instructor evaluation and a college report, plus a portfolio for Art and Architecture.

International applicants

International first-year applicants are citizens or permanent residents of other countries who will study on a temporary visa. Applicants may submit SAT or ACT results, predicted or actual national examination results (for example the Baccalauréat or Abitur), the IB Diploma, A-Levels or three AP exam scores; one score must be in mathematics for STEM majors in Arts & Sciences and for McKelvey Engineering and Olin Business. International students whose first language is not English submit TOEFL, IELTS or the Duolingo English Test. The university-wide minimums are IELTS Academic 6.5, Duolingo 125 and TOEFL iBT 5.0 (new scale) or 4.5 with an overall score of at least 90 (old scale). The most competitive undergraduate applicants are recommended to have a TOEFL iBT of 100 (for exams before January 21, 2026) or 5.0 (on or after that date), IELTS 7.0 or Duolingo 130. SAT/ACT scores are not accepted in place of an English exam for fall 2027 admission, and students with three or more years of English-medium study in the United States may be exempted case by case. Official scores must be less than two years old. Admitted students must provide an Affidavit of Financial Support and certified English bank statements showing funds for the first year before a Form I-20 can be issued; WashU can issue documents for F-1 or J-1 status, and study on a B-2 tourist visa is not permitted. All full-time degree-seeking students must hold health insurance, either the Student Health Insurance Plan or proof of adequate coverage.

Graduate and professional admission

Graduate and professional programmes (more than 60 doctoral and more than 80 master's and professional programmes) are offered through the nine schools, each of which runs its own application, admission requirements and tuition schedule.

• Danforth Campus (St. Louis): 169 acres bordering Forest Park; the academic home for most undergraduate, graduate and professional students. The South 40 residential neighbourhood is here.
• Medical Campus (Central West End, St. Louis): 18 city blocks and 186 acres housing WashU Medicine, affiliated hospitals, clinics, patient care centres and research facilities.
• West Campus: university administrative offices, the West Campus Library, the Dowd Illustration Research Archive and the Film and Media Archive.
• South Campus: athletic fields, a gymnasium, an auditorium/theatre and classrooms used for intramural and club sports; no academic classes are offered.
• North Campus: administrative functions.
• Tyson Research Center: a 2,000-acre outdoor laboratory for learning and research, 25 miles southwest of the Danforth Campus.

Facilities include nine libraries, Edison Theatre, the Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum, residential communities on the South 40 with social lounges, study rooms and computing labs, a Student Health Center and recreation and fitness facilities.