Princton vs Washington University in St Louis (WashU)

Princeton University and Washington University in St. Louis, two prestigious institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Princeton, an Ivy League university located in New Jersey, boasts a highly selective admissions process with an acceptance rate of 5.8%, while Washington University, a private research university in Missouri, has a more accessible acceptance rate of 15.3%. Princeton's student body is predominantly composed of domestic students, with international students comprising 13% of the undergraduate population, while Washington University's student body is more diverse, with international students making up 18% of the undergraduate population. Both universities offer a wide range of undergraduate programs, with popular majors at Princeton including computer science, economics, and molecular biology, and popular majors at Washington University including biology, business, and psychology. Princeton's graduation rate is slightly higher at 95%, compared to Washington University's 92%. Explore the detailed comparison table below to discover more key differences between these two esteemed
Princeton University logo

Princeton University

Washington University in St Louis logo

Washington University in St Louis

Overview

Location Princeton, New Jersey Saint Louis, Missouri
Campus setting City: Small Suburb: Large
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Private (Non Profit) Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system Semester Semester
Degrees offered Undergraduate and Graduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 96.0% 96.0%
Common app member Yes No
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 4.4% 13.0%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $70

Graduate: $75
Undergraduate: $75

Graduate: $45
SAT range 1460 - 1570 1490 - 1570
ACT range 33 - 35 33 - 35
Students submitting SAT score 56.0% 25.0%
Students submitting ACT score 35.0% 41.0%
Total number of applicants 37,601 33,634
Total number of admissions given out 1,647 4,373
Admitted students who chose to enroll 1,290 1,980
Yield rate 78.3% 45.3%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Not required Not required
Recommendation letters Required Required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Required Not required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $78,490 $81,620
Average net price $20,908 $28,298
Tuition $56,010 $57,750
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $10,690

Meal plan: $7,490
Room/dormitory: $12,350

Meal plan: $5,550
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Prepaid tuition plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

65.0%
Average amount $47,136
44.0%
Average amount $51,288
Students receiving federal student loan 2.0%
Average amount $5,278
14.0%
Average amount $4,790
Students taking out private loans 2.0%
Average amount $8,938
2.0%
Average amount $25,095

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 5,321
Men 50.3% Women 49.7%
8,034
Men 46.4% Women 53.6%
Graduate students 3,157
Men 58.3% Women 41.7%
8,939
Men 47.6% Women 52.4%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Moderate
Moderate
Out-of-state students 82.6% 88.2%
International students 22.8% 26.1%
Campus local/setting City: Small Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity 5,151 6,826
First year students are required to live on campus? Yes No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from New Jersey California New York Pennsylvania Texas California Missouri New York Illinois Florida

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Social Sciences
  • Engineering
  • Public Administration and Social Service
  • Physical Science
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • Business
  • Legal Profession
  • Engineering
  • Health Professions
  • Computer and Information Science
Students to faculty ratio 5:1 7:1
Institutional accreditation Middle States Commission on Higher Education Higher Learning Commission

Outcome

Graduation rate 97.6% 93.1%
Dropout rate 1.9% 6.5%
Transferred out N/A N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Computer Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $122,809
  • Year 2: $103,078
  • Year 3: $181,687
Public Policy Analysis (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $75,130
  • Year 2: $75,518
  • Year 3: $85,666
Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $37,831
  • Year 2: $47,260
  • Year 3: $66,134
Chemical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $65,473
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: N/A
Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $60,463
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: N/A
English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $24,879
  • Year 2: $47,260
  • Year 3: N/A
Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $37,568
  • Year 3: N/A
Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $38,447
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: N/A
Chemistry (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $76,460
  • Year 3: N/A
Research and Experimental Psychology (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $45,198
  • Year 2: $33,993
  • Year 3: N/A
Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $89,930
  • Year 2: $99,517
  • Year 3: $149,178
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $108,627
  • Year 2: $112,270
  • Year 3: $125,369
Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $83,311
  • Year 2: $91,744
  • Year 3: $123,261
Law (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $90,605
  • Year 2: $80,755
  • Year 3: $115,101
Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $92,604
  • Year 2: $85,538
  • Year 3: $96,865
Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $66,886
  • Year 2: $67,995
  • Year 3: $82,126
Medicine (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $57,989
  • Year 2: $58,334
  • Year 3: $73,030
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $65,467
  • Year 2: $64,379
  • Year 3: $68,070
Public Health (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $48,193
  • Year 2: $52,107
  • Year 3: $66,777
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $67,699
  • Year 2: $63,997
  • Year 3: $66,289

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