by our College Data Analytics TeamThis overview lays out the cost of attending Washington University in St Louis, from the published cost of attendance and projected degree cost through to net price, median student debt at graduation, default outcomes, and how aid varies by family income.
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The cost of attendance at Washington University in St Louis amounts to about $83,476.00 for a single academic year.
Below, the published cost is shown three ways — the full sticker price with no aid, the net price after the average grant package, and the net price for low-income students who typically receive the most aid.
| Tuition and fees | $65,790.00 |
| + Room, board & other expenses | $17,686.00 |
| Total cost | $83,476.00 |
| That is 154% above the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $83,476.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$66,702.00 |
| Net price | $16,774.00 |
| That is 49% below the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $83,476.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$86,772.00 |
| Net price | $-3,296.00 |
| That is 110% below the national average net price. | |
| Want the line-by-line detail? Dig into tuition and fees and room and board. |
Costs have trended upward in recent years by around 3.8% a year, so a full degree will cost more than a single year — the tables below carry that forward. The projections below run a full degree for a low-income aided student, an average-aid student, and the full sticker price. The repayment figures use a ten-year loan at 6.8%.
| Projected 4-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 3.8% | 3.8% | 3.8% |
| Freshman year | $-3,421.00 | $17,408.00 | $86,630.00 |
| Senior year | $-3,823.00 | $19,456.00 | $96,825.00 |
| Total 4-year net price | $-14,477.00 | $73,678.00 | $366,658.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $-5,515.00 | $28,069.00 | $139,684.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $-167.00 | $848.00 | $4,220.00 |
| Total amount paid | $-19,993.00 | $101,746.00 | $506,342.00 |
| Projected 2-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 3.8% | 3.8% | 3.8% |
| Freshman year | $-3,421.00 | $17,408.00 | $86,630.00 |
| Senior year | $-3,550.00 | $18,065.00 | $89,903.00 |
| Total 2-year net price | $-6,970.00 | $35,473.00 | $176,533.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $-2,655.00 | $13,514.00 | $67,253.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $-80.00 | $408.00 | $2,032.00 |
| Total amount paid | $-9,626.00 | $48,987.00 | $243,786.00 |
Jump to the net-price detail in the net-price section.
Net price reflects the true cost to attend after grant and scholarship aid is deducted. For most prospective students, net price gives a more realistic estimate than sticker tuition.
| Average net price (on-campus) | $21,786.00 |
| Average net price (off-campus) | $22,117.00 |
Net price varies sharply by family income, dropping as need-based aid grows. The breakdown below splits average net price across income brackets:
| Family income | Average net price |
|---|---|
| Under $30,000 | $4,391.00 |
| $30,000 to $48,000 | $2,321.00 |
| $48,001 to $75,000 | $1,863.00 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 | $19,344.00 |
| Over $110,000 | $42,712.00 |
Get a tailored estimate from the Washington University in St Louis Net Price Calculator, or reach out to the financial aid office.
Curious how grants and scholarships are distributed? Explore the grants & scholarships detail.
The typical debt load for borrowers leaving Washington University in St Louis stands at $15,000.00, which the Department of Education classifies as a Low ($10-20k) debt-load classification.
Here’s how debt at graduation distributes across borrowers:
| Percentile | Debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| 10th | $5,500.00 |
| 25th | $10,000.00 |
| Median (50th) | $15,000.00 |
| 75th | $27,000.00 |
| 90th | $35,610.00 |
The gap between 10th and 90th percentile borrowers gives a sense of how uneven debt outcomes are.
Read the complete debt breakdown on the student-loan-debt breakdown.
Student debt at graduation is not evenly distributed across income levels. The breakdown below segments borrowers by family income at entry:
| Family income | Median debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| Low income | $9,459.00 |
| Middle income | $9,500.00 |
| High income | $17,415.00 |
First-generation students frequently graduate with different debt than continuing-generation students.
| Student group | Median debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $12,999.00 |
| Continuing-generation students | $15,500.00 |
Pell Grants are the largest source of federal need-based aid for undergrads. Contrasting Pell and non-Pell borrowers shows how need shapes debt.
The Pell-versus-non-Pell median debt difference at Washington University in St Louis works out to $-7,446.00.
The federal default-rate classification for Washington University in St Louis is Low (<5%).
| Window | Cohort default rate |
|---|---|
| 2-year | 2.1% |
For scale, federal Stafford loan disbursements at Washington University in St Louis add up to $739,383,408.00 over 21,551 student borrowers.
Veterans and active-duty students can access dedicated federal education aid including the GI Bill and Tuition Assistance from the Department of Defense.
| GI Bill recipients | 98 |
| Avg GI Bill amount | $31,913.00 |
For the full rundown of veteran and military benefits, see the veterans benefits detail.
Use the figures above as a launch point, then think through Washington University in St Louis, keep these questions in mind:
Use the pages below to go deeper on a specific part of the cost story:
Data sources. Figures on this page draw from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), and MediaFactual editorial review. Net-price calculator and financial-aid office links are taken from the institution’s own published data.