Whitman College

Walla Walla, WA · founded 1859 · 1,500 students · liberal arts college · Northwest Conference

Known for: Whitman College is known as the premier liberal arts college in the Pacific Northwest, with a rigorous academic program, strong outdoor recreation culture, and a close-knit community in the small agricultural town of Walla Walla, Washington's wine country.

Rankings

U.S. News liberal arts: #54

Top programmes

Biology
Politics
English
Psychology
Environmental Studies
Chemistry

Notable alumni

Walter Brattain — Nobel Prize-winning physicist, co-inventor of the transistor
Adam West — Actor who played Batman in the 1960s TV series
Nate Boyer — Former NFL player and U.S. Army Green Beret
Tallulah Bankhead — Legendary stage and screen actress (attended briefly)
Johanna Wald — Education policy expert and civil rights advocate
Kathleen Woodward Lips — Prominent herpetologist and conservation biologist
Brewster Kahle — Founder of the Internet Archive

Traditions

Renaissance Faire (annual spring festival)
Whitman Undergraduate Conference (student research showcase)
Frisbee golf on Ankeny Field
Midnight Breakfast during finals
Interest House system

If Whitman College were…

As a food: hand-foraged mushroom risotto with local Walla Walla wine — Sophisticated yet unpretentious, rooted in place, requires patience and knowledge to appreciate — like Whitman's intellectual-outdoorsy culture in wine country.
As an athlete: Alex Honnold — Intellectually curious, outdoorsy, quietly intense, and committed to mastery through discipline — embodies Whitman's blend of rigorous academics and climbing wall culture.
As a person alive today: Neil deGrasse Tyson — Intellectually enthusiastic, makes complex ideas accessible, slightly nerdy but charismatic — captures Whitman's earnest love of learning and scientific inquiry.
As a historical figure: John Muir — Naturalist, philosopher, outdoorsman, and intellectual — perfectly represents Whitman's combination of environmental consciousness, hiking culture, and serious scholarship.
As a movie or TV show: Dead Poets Society — Intellectually passionate, tight-knit community, emphasis on thinking for yourself, and slightly isolated setting — captures Whitman's earnest academic culture in remote Walla Walla.
As a US president: Teddy Roosevelt — Outdoorsman, intellectual, conservation-minded, and believed in the strenuous life — embodies Whitman's combination of rigorous academics and outdoor adventure.
As a city: Boulder, Colorado — Outdoorsy, intellectual, slightly isolated, surrounded by natural beauty, and populated by fit people who read philosophy — pure Whitman energy.
As an element: Titanium — Strong, lightweight, used in both aerospace and outdoor gear, resistant to corrosion — like Whitman's durable intellectual community and outdoorsy resilience.
As a car: 1985 Volvo 240 Wagon — Quirky, durable, and beloved by Pacific Northwest intellectuals who hike before seminar—this boxy Swedish classic matches Whitman's offbeat charm and unpretentious rigor in remote Walla Walla. It's the car that gets you

Campus life

Whitman students are academically serious, outdoorsy, and form an exceptionally tight-knit community in the isolated but charming setting of Walla Walla. The campus culture balances rigorous academics with extensive outdoor recreation including skiing, hiking, and climbing, plus a vibrant social scene centered on campus events and the Greek system. Students are collaborative rather than competitive, with strong environmental values and a quirky, independent spirit.