BaccalaureatePrivate nonprofit

Willamette University

Salem, Oregon·Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above·Far West·willamette.edu
6-yr Graduation
71%
Total enrollment
2,180
peer median 1,873
Avg net price
$25,121
-$9.4k vs Baccalaureate
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Admissions & acceptance rate

First-time freshman admissions: how selective the college is, and how many admitted students choose to enroll.

Applied
3,832
3,832 candidates competed
Admitted
2,954
77.1% acceptance rate
Enrolled
421
14.3% yield

Graduation rate & outcomes

Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.

Overall completion
71%
4-year graduation
62%
6-year graduation (bachelor’s)
71%
Full-time retention
87%

Pell equity

3.1pp gap
Pell recipients
69%68 of 99
Non-Pell (all)
72%207 of 287
Subsidized loan, no Pell
72%76 of 105
No Federal Aid
72%131 of 182

Non-Pell students graduate at a 3.1-point higher rate than Pell recipients.

Source: IPEDS Graduation Rates (GR) — Pell/SSL cohort, 2024 cohort.

Program outcomes

Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.

Of 52 Title IV programs, 13 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 1 fails. 38 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.

Total programs
52
Passing
13
25.0% of portfolio
Failing (GE)
1
1.9% of portfolio
Fail rate
1.9%
+1.3pp vs 0.6% national

Pass / fail distribution

52programs
  • Passing13 · 25.0%
  • No Data38 · 73.1%
  • Failing1 · 1.9%

Severity spectrum

Critical
0
Severe
1
Recoverable
0
At Risk
0
Watch
0
Safe
13
No data
38

Tiers band programs by how far graduate earnings sit above or below the benchmark, from Critical (below −15%) through Safe (above +25%). No data means earnings were privacy-suppressed.

Earnings premium gap

Graduate earnings versus the federal benchmark, worst gaps first.

14
Fine and Studio Arts
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
-7.3%
$32,256 vs $34,808
Design and Applied Arts
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
+28.9%
$44,870 vs $34,808
Biology General
Bachelor Degree · Biological And Biomedical Sciences
+29.8%
$45,197 vs $34,808
English Language and Literature General
Bachelor Degree · English Language And Literature/Letters
+43.8%
$50,060 vs $34,808
Natural Resources Conservation and Research
Bachelor Degree · Natural Resources And Conservation
+57.0%
$54,657 vs $34,808
Business Administration Management and Operations
Master's Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
+68.9%
$101,544 vs $60,112
Sports Kinesiology and Physical Education/Fitness
Bachelor Degree · Parks, Recreation, Leisure, And Fitness Studies
+70.5%
$59,337 vs $34,808
Economics
Bachelor Degree · Social Sciences
+81.7%
$63,255 vs $34,808

Debt vs earnings

Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.

13
Law
First Professional Degree · Legal Professions And Studies
151%
$152,092 debt · $100,524 earn
Fine and Studio Arts
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
81%
$26,000 debt · $32,256 earn
Business Administration Management and Operations
Master's Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
77%
$78,180 debt · $101,544 earn
Biology General
Bachelor Degree · Biological And Biomedical Sciences
52%
$23,331 debt · $45,197 earn
Natural Resources Conservation and Research
Bachelor Degree · Natural Resources And Conservation
42%
$23,000 debt · $54,657 earn
English Language and Literature General
Bachelor Degree · English Language And Literature/Letters
40%
$19,875 debt · $50,060 earn
Sports Kinesiology and Physical Education/Fitness
Bachelor Degree · Parks, Recreation, Leisure, And Fitness Studies
39%
$23,222 debt · $59,337 earn
Communication and Media Studies
Bachelor Degree · Communication, Journalism, And Related Programs
38%
$27,000 debt · $70,412 earn

Accreditation status & history

Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.

AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities

Accredited since 1924Next review Oct 2026

Programmatic accreditations · 4

Action history · 7

  1. Apr 2025Program Name Change
    Commission on English Language Program Accreditation · English Language
  2. Feb 2023Renewal of Accreditation
    American Bar Association, Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar · Law (LAW) - Professional schools
  3. Apr 2020Renewal of Accreditation
    Commission on English Language Program Accreditation · English Language
  4. Oct 2019Renewal of Accreditation
    Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
  5. Oct 2018Renewal of Accreditation
    American Bar Association, Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar · Law (LAW) - Professional schools

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Tuition & cost

What families actually pay, broken down by family income.

Net price by family income

Aid exceeds costFamily pays
$0–30k$16,182
$30–48k$16,825
$48–75k$18,225
$75–110k$22,382
$110k+$33,794

Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.

Avg net price (private)
$25,121
-$9,392vs Baccalaureate median $34,513
Federal loans
39.3%
In-state tuition
$51,156
Out-of-state
$51,156

Federal aid volume & trends

Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.

In AY 2024–25, 668 students received $3.9M in Pell grants, alongside $29.6M in federal Direct Loans.

Pell recipients
668
AY 2024–25
Pell disbursed
$3.9M
$3,861,393 total
Direct Loans
$29.6M
2,187 loan awards

Pell recipients · 5-year trend

0k
20
0k
21
0k
22
1k
23
1k
24

Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25

Subsidized$2.5M
604 loan awards
Unsubsidized · UG$2.8M
726 loan awards
Unsubsidized · Grad$8.2M
361 loan awards
Parent PLUS$3.8M
179 loan awards
Grad PLUS$12.4M
317 loan awards

Loan awards count each loan type a student holds, not unique borrowers; one student may carry several (e.g. subsidized and unsubsidized), so the per-type figures are the reliable detail.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student loan default rate

The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.

Of 518 borrowers who entered repayment, 3 (0.5%) defaulted within three years below the 2.3% national rate.

Default rate
0.5%
-1.8pp vs 2.3% national
Borrowers in repayment
518
Defaulted
3
Measurement window
3 years
Federal CDR standard

Default rate vs national, by cohort

2016
1.8%
2017
1.2%
2018
0.8%
2019
0.5%
2020*
0.0%
This institutionNational rate

* Cohorts 2020 and later read near 0% because the federal COVID-19 payment pause (CARES Act) suspended defaults nationwide. These years reflect a national policy, not institutional performance; the 2019 cohort is the last measured under normal repayment.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Academic programs at Willamette

Top program areas ranked by completions.

Distinct CIP programs49
UndergraduateOffered
GraduateOffered

Top program families by completions

428 total completions
01Legal Professions
10925.5%
02Business
8118.9%
03Social Sciences
6515.2%
04Multi/Interdisciplinary
6515.2%
05Natural Resources
235.4%
06Visual/Performing Arts
204.7%
07Physical Sciences
194.4%
08Health Professions
163.7%
09Computer Sciences
153.5%
10Parks/Recreation
153.5%

Enrollment trends & demographics

Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.

Fall total
2,180
12-mo unduplicated
2,330
Undergraduate
1,745
Graduate
585

Gender split

Men
40%929
Women
60%1,401

Race / ethnicity composition

White
65.0%
Hispanic
14.9%
Two or more
8.7%
Asian
3.9%
Black
2.5%
Unknown
2.4%
Non-resident
1.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander
0.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native
0.5%

Athletics & Title IX gender equity

How athletic participation, aid, and spending are split between men and women.

Athletes
370
209 M · 161 W
Women athletes
43.5%
Athletic aid
$0
Total student aid
Budget
$4.2M
Total expenses

Men vs women · spending splits

Athletic student aid
$0
$0
Recruiting expense
$27K
$34K
Head-coach salaries
$39K
$39K
Men Women

Sport-by-sport · 14

Football
77 M ·
$525K
Track and Field (Indoor)
34 M · 29 W
$90K
Track and Field (Outdoor)
34 M · 29 W
$269K
Soccer
27 M · 29 W
$344K
Swimming
10 M · 27 W
$228K
Basketball
22 M · 12 W
$495K

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Campus safety & crime statistics

Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.

Criminal offenses · per 1,000 students
9.00
19 offenses · 2,112 students

3-year trend

9.522 yrs ago16.241 yr ago9.00Latest
Offenses · 3-yr
67
Last three years
VAWA · 3-yr
15
DV, dating, stalking
Hate crimes · 3-yr
12
Res-hall fires · 3-yr
1

Criminal offenses by type

Burglary
12
Motor vehicle theft
6
Aggravated assault
1

By location

19total
  • On campus14
  • Non-campus3
  • Public property2

VAWA offenses

0
Domestic violence
1
Dating violence
4
Stalking
5 total under the Violence Against Women Act.

Hate crimes by bias

  • Race2
  • Religion1
  • Sexual orientation1

Arrests vs disciplinary referrals

CategoryArrestsReferrals
Weapons00
Drugs027
Liquor026

Residence-hall fires

  • Doney Hall1 fire
    Damage $0-$99

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student-faculty ratio

Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.

Student-to-faculty
13.0:1
Instructional staff (full-time equivalent)
172

Willamette vs Peer comparison

The peer institutions Willamette selected for federal comparison reporting.

GraduationRetentionSelectivityEnrollmentAffordabilityYield
This institutionPeer median

A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.

Carnegie
SubjectWillamette University
71%2,180$25,121Baccalaureate
70%85.2%1,709$26,536Baccalaureate
71%24.6%1,358$33,013Baccalaureate
75%78.5%3,504$36,013Baccalaureate
68%72.2%1,864$38,394Baccalaureate
81%44.2%1,881$38,263Baccalaureate
Peer group median71%72.2%1,873$34,513

Institutions like Willamette

Explore the federal data for institutions in Willamette's comparison group.

Willamette Institutional Research office

The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.

Office
Institutional Research
Email
inre-info [at] willamette.edu
Phone
503-370-6196
Address
Willamette University, 900 State Street, Salem, Oregon 97301, U.S.A.

The office of Institutional Research and Planning Support provides information about the University to both internal and external constituents and is the primary source for current and historical data about student enrollment, demographics and outcomes.

Visit IR office page
Team
2 members
  • Kelley Strawn
    Associate Provost of Institutional Research
  • Geoff Ball
    Institutional Research Analyst

Common Data Set

Willamette's own annual Common Data Set: the most detailed self-reported reference for selectivity, cost, outcomes, and the student body.

Source publications

Frequently asked questions about Willamette University

Quick answers to the questions most often asked about Willamette.

What is the graduation rate at Willamette University?

Willamette University reports a 6-year graduation rate of 71% per the latest IPEDS.

How many students attend Willamette University?

Willamette University reports a total enrollment of 2,180 students per the latest IPEDS.

What is the average net price at Willamette University?

The average net price at Willamette University is $25,121 per the latest College Scorecard. Net price is the published cost of attendance minus grant aid.

What is the yield rate at Willamette University?

Willamette University's yield rate is 14.3%, the share of admitted students who enrolled, per the latest IPEDS.

Where is Willamette University located?

Willamette University is located in Salem, Oregon 97301.

Who runs Institutional Research at Willamette University?

Willamette University's IR work is done by the Institutional Research.

About the data on this page

Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.

IPEDS2025 provisional data (Fall 2025–26 release, July 28, 2026)
Enrollment, completions, graduation rates, tuition, financial aid, staffing, and finance for every U.S. institution in federal student aid programs.
College ScorecardJune 10, 2026 release (merged 2025–26 files)
Institution and field-of-study costs, graduate earnings, debt, completion, and admissions outcomes compiled from federal aid records, tax data, and IPEDS.
FVT/GE program performanceProvisional preview, May 18, 2026 release
Program-level debt-to-earnings and earnings-premium measures behind the FVT/GE and STATS accountability frameworks.
DAPIP accreditationContinuously refreshed
Accreditation status for institutions and programs, reported by recognized accrediting agencies.
Federal Pell Grant volumeAY 2025–26 (through Q3), through March 31, 2026
Pell Grant recipient counts, award amounts, and disbursements by institution and award year.
Federal student loan volumeAY 2025–26 (through Q3), through March 31, 2026
Federal Direct Loan recipient counts and disbursement volume by institution and award year.
Cohort Default RatesFY 2022 official rates
Institution-level federal student loan default rates, measuring borrowers who default within three years of entering repayment.
Equity in Athletics (EADA)Academic year 2024–25
Athletics participation, coaching, revenues, and expenses by sport and gender for Title IV institutions.
Campus Safety & SecurityData through reporting year 2024
Criminal offenses, arrests, disciplinary actions, VAWA offenses, and fire statistics reported by campus under the Clery Act.

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