Washington University in St. Louis

Washington University in St. Louis (WashU) is a private research university in the St. Louis metropolitan area, Missouri, United States. Founded in 1853 by a group of civic leaders and named for the first U.S. president George Washington, the university spans 355 acres across its Danforth and Medical campuses. It comprises 10 schools and offers more than 150 undergraduate, 80 master's and professional, and 50 doctoral degree programs. As of 2024, Washington University enrolled 16,399 students representing all 50 U.S. states and more than 110 countries.

Established due to a concern of a lack of institutions of higher learning in the Midwest, the university held its first classes in 1854 in downtown St. Louis. In 1905, Washington University relocated to a new campus northwest of Forest Park, which allowed for expansion and new facilities to support its growing academic programs and student body. Construction of the first building, Busch Hall, began in 1900, followed by Brookings Hall, Ridgley, and Cupples. These buildings were not occupied until 1905 in order to accommodate the 1904 Summer Olympics and St. Louis World's Fair. By 1964, more than two-thirds of incoming students came from outside the St. Louis area. In 2021, the university adopted a need-blind undergraduate-admissions policy.

Washington University joined the Association of American Universities in 1923. The university received over 32,750 applications for the Class of 2028 and admitted 12 percent. It supports more than 400 undergraduate student organizations. The university's athletic teams, the Washington University Bears, compete in NCAA Division III as founding members of the University Athletic Association and as a member of the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin. Its mascot is a bear named Forest, and its official colors are red and green. The Bears have won 26 NCAA Division III championships.

Governance of the university is overseen by a board of trustees, and as of 2025, the university is led by Chancellor Andrew D. Martin and Provost Mark D. West. The university's endowment of $12.0 billion is among the fifteen largest in the United States. The university's motto is Per veritatem vis, which translates to "Strength through truth". It is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. Washington University has been the venue for four presidential debates and one vice-presidential debate.

As of 2024, 26 Nobel laureates, 11 Pulitzer Prize winners, 4 United States poets laureate, and 6 MacArthur Fellows have been affiliated with the university as faculty or alumni. A top producer of Fulbright scholars, Washington University alumni also include 18 university presidents, 21 members of the United States Congress, and 30 Rhodes Scholars.

History

Founding and early years

Washington University was founded in 1853 by 17 St. Louis business, religious, and political leaders concerned by the lack of institutions of higher learning in the Midwest. State Senator Wayman Crow and Unitarian minister William Greenleaf Eliot led the effort. Crow secured the university charter, and Eliot was named president of the board of trustees, with Crow serving as vice president. Joseph Gibson Hoyt became the university's inaugural chancellor.

Unlike most American institutions, Washington University initially lacked a financial endowment and did not have the backing of a religious organization, wealthy patron, or government support.

Originally called Eliot Seminary, the name faced opposition from Eliot himself, who favored a nonsectarian identity for the institution. To address this, Eliot appointed a subcommittee consisting of himself and Samuel Treat to recommend a new name. The subcommittee proposed Washington Institute, in honor of George Washington, the nation's first president, as the charter had been granted on his birthday, February 22. The board unanimously approved the proposal. In 1856, the board officially amended the name to Washington University.

Growth and expansion

Chartered as a university, it initially functioned primarily as a night school and did not have buildings, faculty, or established course offerings. Classes began on October 22, 1854, in the Benton Schoolhouse, a facility loaned by the public school board, which also covered utility costs and installed gas lighting for evening instruction. Tuition was offered free of charge. By the end of the first year, 270 students had enrolled, with ages ranging from 8 years old to 46 years old. The university hired four teachers from the public school system, two of whom later became the university's first full-time faculty members. In 1856, the university completed the first building on the three-acre site that it had purchased on Seventeenth Street and Washington Avenue. Washington University remained located in downtown St. Louis for its first fifty years.

In 1856, Eliot and other trustees established a preparatory academic department for boys. Admission was granted to boys aged ten and older who passed an exam in reading, writing, geography, and basic arithmetic. In 1859, a preparatory female department was established. In recognition of Eliot's leadership, the university insisted on naming it the Mary Institute, in honor of his daughter. In 1879, the academic department for boys was named Smith Academy.

Organization and administration

From its inception, Washington University has been governed by an independent board of trustees which, by charter, appoints its own members. Trustees serve four-year terms and may be eligible for re-election upon the completion of a term. The Board is responsible for the university's fiduciary oversight, strategic governance, and major institutional decisions, including setting policy and providing overall guidance. These include appointing the chancellor, reviewing and approving the annual budget, authorizing major capital expenditures, making final decisions on tenure and degree conferrals, and approving the creation of new academic programs.

From 1983 to 1987, the "Alliance for Washington University" campaign raised more than $630,500,000 (equivalent to $1,786,800,000 in 2025). From 1998 to 2004, the "Campaign for Washington University" raised more than $1,550,000,000 (equivalent to $2,898,000,000 in 2025).

On June 1, 2019, Andrew D. Martin was appointed the 15th chancellor of Washington University after Chancellor Mark S Wrighton announced his plans to retire. The chancellor is responsible for overseeing the university's day-to-day operations, including managing staff, implementing the board's policies and decisions, ensuring compliance, and leading strategic initiatives. The chancellor also provides vision and leadership across academics, research, fundraising, and administration.

In 2025, Mark D. West, former dean of University of Michigan Law School, was appointed Provost.

Washington University is a member of the Association of American Universities, American Association of Colleges and Universities, Universities Research Association, American Council of Learned Societies Research University Consortium, and is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.

Finances, costs, and financial aid

As of June 30, 2024, Washington University has an endowment of $12.0 billion, ranking it among the top 15 university endowments in the United States. Its total assets (including its campus) are valued at $20.48 billion. In Fiscal Year 2024, it had an operating budget of $5.23 billion of which 11 percent came from endowment spending. Of its $5.23 billion operating budget, it had expenses of $5.08 billion. Of the $5.08 billion, $3.026 billion went to instruction, $892.7 million to research, $489.8 million to academic support, $296.4 to institutional support, $165.1 million to auxiliary enterprises, $161.3 million to student services, and $51.6 million to other deductions.

For the 2025–‍2026 academic year, Washington University charged a tuition fee of $68,240 per student, with a total estimated on-campus cost of attendance of $92,932. Washington University practices need-blind admissions and meets 100 percent of admitted students' demonstrated needs. Of the 1,823 first-year students enrolled in 2023–2024, 929 applied for need-based financial aid, and 796 were determined to have financial need. Among those 796 students, 100 percent of demonstrated need was met on average (excluding any aid awarded beyond calculated need). It does not offer any athletic scholarships.

Campuses

Danforth

In 1899, the university held a national design competition for a new campus. The Philadelphia firm Cope & Stewardson, known for their work at the University of Pennsylvania, Bryn Mawr College, and Princeton University, won with a design based on Collegiate Gothic quadrangles inspired by the universities of Oxford and Cambridge.

The university's 169-acre Danforth Campus is bordered by the Forest Park section of St. Louis and Clayton and University City, Missouri. A large portion of the Danforth Campus is recognized as the Washington University Hilltop Campus Historic District, which is a National Historic Landmark.

Medical

Washington University Medical Center comprises 186 acres (75.3 ha) spread over 18 city blocks, located along the eastern edge of Forest Park within the Central West End neighborhood of St. Louis. The campus is home to the Washington University School of Medicine and its partners, Barnes-Jewish Hospital and St. Louis Children's Hospital.

In 2019, Washington University was awarded a $7.6 million grant from the National Cancer Institute to establish the Implementation Science Center for Cancer Control to address disparities in cancer care in parts of Missouri and Illinois. In 2022, Washington University's Institute of Clinical and Translational Sciences was awarded a five-year $61 million grant from the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences of the National Institutes of Health, to advance precision medicine, health equity, and diversity initiatives.

Academics

In 2023, Washington University was one of 10 universities picked to join the Kessler Scholars Collaborative, which provides support for selected first-generation and Pell-Grant eligible STEM students. The program aims to recruit 20 fully funded Kessler scholars per year and provide additional opportunities to close the wealth gap.

Admissions

For the class of 2028 (entering fall 2024), Washington University in St. Louis received over 32,750 applications and admitted 12 percent of applicants. Of those admitted, 86 percent who reported their rank were in the top 10 percent of their high-school class. Additionally, 25 percent of enrolled students were Pell Grant-eligible, and 18 percent were first-generation college students.

The middle 50 percent of admitted students who submitted standardized test scores scored between 33 and 35 on the ACT (out of a maximum score of 36), and between 1500 and 1570 on the SAT (out of a maximum score of 1600). National averages for these tests are approximately 19.4 for the ACT and 1050 for the SAT. For comparison, admitted students scored in the 98th to 99th national percentile, indicating that these students outperformed 98 to 99 percent of recent test takers.

The student-faculty ratio is 7:1.

Libraries

The Washington University library system comprises nine libraries, with Olin Library serving as the main library. According to the American Library Association, it is the 44th largest library in the United States by volume count, holding over 5.3 million volumes. It is a member of the Association of Research Libraries. The remaining eight libraries in the system include Al and Ruth Kopolow (Business) Library, Bernard Becker Medical Library, Brown School Library, East Asian Library, Gaylord Music Library, Kenneth and Nancy Kranzberg Art & Architecture Library, Law Library and West Campus Library.

The Department of Special Collections at Washington University Libraries encompasses four units: Rare Books, Manuscripts, University Archives, and the Film & Media Archive. These units collectively house a wide array of materials, ranging from ancient manuscripts to contemporary documentary film archives.

Washington University holds a copy of the Southwick Broadside, one of the few surviving printed broadsides of the Declaration of Independence. Donated to the university in 2015, it is now part of the university's Special Collections.

Rankings and reputation

Washington University is ranked 16th in the nation in the 2027 U.S. News & World Report National Universities ranking and 26th by The Wall Street Journal in their rankings. In 2025, the university was ranked 26th in the world by the Academic Ranking of World Universities.

Campus life

Student body

As of 2025, Washington University has 15,952 enrolled students who come from all 50 U.S. states and 105 countries. This includes 8,164 undergraduate students and 6,922 graduate students.

Of the 1,848 first year students enrolled in fall 2024, 37 percent were white/Caucasian, 26 percent were Asian, 12 percent were Latino/Hispanic, 8 percent were black/African-American, 11 percent were international, and 5 percent did not identify; 53 percent were female and 47 percent were male.

Student organizations

Washington University has over 400 undergraduate student organizations on campus. Most receive funding by the Washington University Student Union, which, as of fiscal year 2026 has an annual budget of $4.6 million. The Student Union sponsors major campus programs including WILD and distributes free copies of The New York Times, USA Today, and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch through The Collegiate Readership Program.

Washington University has 26 recognized chapters of fraternities and sororities. In 2020, nearly half of Washington University's fraternity and sorority members canceled their memberships following student-led criticism that historically white fraternities and sororities contributed to racism and sexism on campus. Two sororities folded completely, and others lost more than 80 percent of their membership. The university has since faced ongoing calls from students to remove fraternities and sororities from campus.

Residences

Comprising 10 residential colleges and 23 residence halls, the South 40 serves as the primary housing area for first- and second-year undergraduate students. It is named for its location south of the Danforth Campus and its size of 40 acres (16 ha). It includes Bear's Den (the largest dining hall on campus), Bear Necessities (a gift shop), Paws and Go (a convenience store), the Student Health Center, student businesses, meeting rooms, and sports fields.

The Village is a residential area on the Danforth Campus for undergraduate students in their third year or beyond. It includes two suite-style buildings, Lopata House and Village House, that contain multiple four-person single suites, each with two shared bathrooms.

Student media

Washington University is home to seven student-run media organizations: The Hatchet, Law Review, Washington University Political Review, Student Life, Spires, KWUR 90.3FM, and WUTV. Student Life was founded in January 1878 and is published twice weekly by Washington University Student Media, Inc., an independent nonprofit incorporated in 1999. KWUR (90.3 FM) serves as the students' official radio station. In 2003, KWUR won the critic's choice from the Riverfront Times for the Best Radio Station in St. Louis. WUTV is the university's closed-circuit television channel. It was founded in 1976.

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