Washington University in St. Louis

St. Louis, MO · founded 1853 · 16,000 students · private research university · NCAA Division III (University Athletic Association)

Known for: WashU is known for its exceptional pre-medical programs, strong research output, and beautiful campus. The university attracts high-achieving students with its merit scholarships and offers a collaborative academic environment with access to world-class medical and research facilities.

Rankings

U.S. News national: #24
QS World: #118
Times Higher Education: #57
ARWU Shanghai: #28
Forbes: #37

Top programmes

Medicine
Business (Olin)
Engineering
Architecture
Social Work
Biology

Notable alumni

William S. Burroughs — Beat Generation author
Tennessee Williams — Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright
Peter Sarsgaard — Actor
Harold Ramis — Actor, writer, and director of Groundhog Day
Daniel Nathans — Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine laureate
David Geffen — Entertainment mogul and philanthropist
Phyllis Schlafly — Conservative activist and author
Clark McConachy — World champion billiards player

Traditions

WILD (Walk In Lay Down) concert
Thurtene Carnival
Vertigo Late Night programs
Convocation ceremony
Moonlight Breakfast before finals

If Washington University in St. Louis were…

As a food: St. Louis gooey butter cake — Sweet, rich, deeply Midwestern, and more sophisticated than it first appears—just like WashU's combination of friendly campus culture and ferocious pre-professional ambition. Both are local treasures that outsiders under
As an athlete: Jayson Tatum — Supremely talented, quietly confident, does all the fundamentals right, and consistently performs at an elite level without the flashy ego of more famous names. WashU students grind harder than their East Coast Ivy peers
As a person alive today: Peter Thiel — Brilliant, ambitious, a bit contrarian, and laser-focused on winning—whether in tech, finance, or ideas. WashU breeds the same kind of hyper-competent, pre-professional strivers who want both intellectual credibility and
As a historical figure: William Danforth (Ralston Purina founder) — A St. Louis business titan who built an empire on discipline, innovation, and Midwestern work ethic, then poured his fortune into the university that bears his family name. WashU's identity is inseparable from this blend
As a movie or TV show: The Social Network — Smart, ambitious kids obsessed with résumés, status, and getting ahead, set against a backdrop of privilege and competition. WashU has the same mix of intellectual firepower and careerist hunger, minus the Cambridge myst
As a US president: William Howard Taft — Competent, accomplished, deeply respectable, but perpetually overshadowed by flashier names despite doing the work exceptionally well. WashU is the Taft of elite universities—top-tier in every metric but forever playing
As a city: Singapore — Immaculately organized, hyper-efficient, wealthy, and filled with ambitious strivers who prioritize results over bohemian ideals. Both WashU and Singapore are places where smart people go to get ahead, not to find themse
As an element: Rhodium — Extremely valuable, rare, and essential for high-performance applications, yet most people have never heard of it. WashU operates at the same elite level as the Ivies but with a fraction of the name recognition—precious
As a car: 2023 Audi A6 Prestige — St. Louis's studious overachiever combines Midwest friendliness with coastal ambition—refined, competitive, loaded with features, and frequently mistaken for Ivy League. The car that aced the MCAT and still has time for

Campus life

WashU students are academically driven and pre-professionally focused, particularly toward medicine and business. The campus has a friendly, collaborative atmosphere with active Greek life and numerous student organizations. Students enjoy St. Louis's cultural attractions including Forest Park, the Delmar Loop, and professional sports while maintaining strong campus engagement.