Willamette University — admissions, outcomes, merit aid & scholarships

🎯 Parent/student verdict

Likely

Accessible for most applicants.

✅ Best for

Solid academic profile (SAT 1220–1430 · ACT 27–32 middle 50% + typically a 3.7+ unweighted GPA in rigorous coursework)
Students focused on Social Sciences (the school's signature program)
Families wanting a small liberal-arts experience

🎯 The reality

Bottom-quartile academic profile if: SAT below 1220, or ACT below 27, or unweighted GPA below ~3.50 (admitted-class quartiles; GPA floor is a calibrated heuristic where CDS not yet on file)

Verdict is composed from this college's structured data (admit rate, SAT bands, net price by income, Carnegie classification, scholarship grids) using transparent rule thresholds — not a chat-bot's opinion.

🏛️ Institutional snapshot

What kind of college is this?

Carnegie classification

Baccalaureate Colleges: Arts & Sciences Focus

Total enrollment

1,592

1,000 - 4,999

In-state tuition

$51,156

sticker, before aid

Tuition

$51,156

flat rate (no in/out-of-state split)

Admit rate

79.1%

Accessible

SAT middle 50%

1220–1430

EBRW + Math composite

ACT middle 50%

27–32

composite

Test policy

Test-optional

2023

10-yr earnings

$56,911

median, after entry

Source: federal IPEDS Admissions 2023 for scores + admit rate; federal College Scorecard (20260606 vintage) for earnings + outcomes. SAT/ACT bands are the 25th–75th percentile of enrolled submitters.

📊 Outcomes & cost

What graduates actually earn, finish, and owe.

Federal College Scorecard data. Earnings are median annual income measured years after entering. Debt is for federal-aid borrowers only (cash-pay students aren't counted).

Earnings, 6 yrs after entry

$38,932

Earnings, 10 yrs after entry

$56,911

4-year completion

71%

Median debt (completers)

$21,500

Cost of attendance

$67,501

sticker price, not net

Pell-eligible students

24%

💰 True ROI

5.7× return

What families actually pay (after aid) vs. the sticker — and how 10-yr earnings stack against the real cost. Most sites quote sticker; we quote what families really pay.

What families actually pay (4 yrs)

$100,484

$25,121/yr avg net

Aid that hides behind the sticker

$169,520

vs sticker $270,004

10-yr earnings total

$569,110

$56,911/yr median, 10 yrs out

Years to recoup actual cost

1.8 yrs

at the median earnings rate

"True ROI" = (10-yr median earnings × 10) ÷ (actual 4-yr net price). The actual net is from Scorecard (average across all families); your family's net price will vary by income — see the breakdown above. Earnings are 10 years after enrollment (Scorecard PP-FOS, all majors combined).

💰 What families actually pay

Net price by family income

Net price = sticker price minus grant aid. This is what families actually pay out-of-pocket after scholarships and need-based aid — the most honest affordability signal there is. At Willamette University, the average net price is $25,121/yr across all families.

Family income $0-30k

$16,182/yr

Family income $30-48k

$16,825/yr

Family income $48-75k

$18,225/yr

Family income $75-110k

$22,382/yr

Family income $110k+

$33,794/yr

🔎 Earning over $110K? The federal brackets above lump every family from $110K to $1M+ into one row.

Need-based aid usually phases out somewhere between $200K and $300K at private colleges — but the exact threshold varies a lot. For a precise estimate based on your family's actual income, assets, and your student's academic profile, use Willamette University's official Net Price Calculator:

Get your family's estimate from Willamette University →

Opens on Willamette University's site. Takes about 10–15 minutes; have your most recent tax return handy.

Source: College Scorecard (NPT41-NPT45). Net price = total cost of attendance minus federal, state, institutional, and other grants. Some brackets may be suppressed for student-privacy reasons (small cohorts). Title IV first-time, full-time undergraduates only. The $110K+ ceiling is a federal data limitation — Department of Education hasn't refreshed these brackets since the early 2010s.

📚 What students study here

Most popular majors at Willamette University

Top 5 fields of study by bachelor's degrees awarded (most recent IPEDS Completions). Use this to see what Willamette University actually graduates — not just what it markets.

1. Social Sciences

98 degrees · 48.8%

Typical career outcomes

Economist $118k Political Scientist $130k Sociologist $93k Market Research Analyst $75k

Economics + poli sci sub-disciplines pay much more than sociology + anthropology.

2. Biological & Biomedical Sciences

31 degrees · 15.4%

Typical career outcomes

Biological Scientist $87k Medical & Clinical Lab Tech $61k Pharmaceutical Rep $82k Physician (post-MD) $239k

Many bio majors → med school / grad school. Direct-employment bio roles are lower-paid than that pipeline.

3. Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness

29 degrees · 14.4%

Typical career outcomes

Athletic Trainer $58k Fitness Trainer / Coach $46k Recreation Director $65k

Coaching, athletic training, public-sector recreation, fitness industry.

4. Physical Sciences

22 degrees · 10.9%

Typical career outcomes

Chemist $85k Physicist $147k Geoscientist $93k Materials Scientist $100k

Chemistry, physics, geology — strong wages especially in industry roles.

5. Psychology

21 degrees · 10.4%

Typical career outcomes

HR Specialist $68k Market Research Analyst $75k Clinical Psychologist (post-PhD) $93k Social Worker $58k

Most undergrad psych grads go into non-clinical roles. Clinical/counseling psych requires a master's or doctoral.

Source: IPEDS Completions (C2023_a), bachelor's-level first majors aggregated to 2-digit CIP family. Share is of these top 5 only — not all majors.

💼 Top programs by earnings

Highest-earning majors at Willamette University

Median earnings 4 years after entry, by major (CIP code). From the federal College Scorecard program-level outcomes.

Major (CIP)	Credential	Cohort	1-yr earnings	4-yr earnings
Computer Science.	Bachelor's Degree	10	$80,077	$100,650
Physics.	Bachelor's Degree	11	—	$89,506
Chemistry.	Bachelor's Degree	9	—	$79,592
Communication and Media Studies.	Bachelor's Degree	19	$31,472	$70,412
Political Science and Government.	Bachelor's Degree	24	$35,162	$63,407
Economics.	Bachelor's Degree	40	$45,993	$63,255
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness.	Bachelor's Degree	23	—	$59,337
Natural Resources Conservation and Research.	Bachelor's Degree	28	$28,697	$54,657
English Language and Literature, General.	Bachelor's Degree	17	$32,863	$50,060
Biology, General.	Bachelor's Degree	30	$25,100	$45,197

For full college-vs-major comparison + ROI leaderboards, see /college-outcomes →

🤖 AI program signal

AI + computing education at Willamette University

CS degrees (annual)

5

CIP 11.0701 + 11.0101

Full multi-lens comparison: /ai-colleges →

⚖️ Compare side-by-side

Willamette University vs. another college

Type the college you want to compare against. We'll show admit rates, net price by your family income, top majors with career outcomes, and merit aid — all in one side-by-side view.

Alternatives to Willamette University

Matched not just by selectivity, but by strategic goal — what a family actually decides on.

🏆 Better merit-aid options

These similar-selectivity schools have published auto-merit grids that Willamette University doesnt — your kids scores could unlock real scholarship dollars.

University of Alabama in Huntsville

AL · Public

39 auto-merit scholarships on file

Texas Tech University

TX · Public

31 auto-merit scholarships on file

The University of Alabama

AL · Public

23 auto-merit scholarships on file

Mississippi State University

MS · Public

19 auto-merit scholarships on file