Founded in 1882, Whitman College is a selective private, independent, co-ed, nonsectarian residential liberal arts college located in Walla Walla, Washington.
At the foot of the Blue Mountains in the southeastern corner of Washington state, Walla Walla has been named the best small town in America and one of the friendliest places to live. Famous for its wheat fields, sweet onions and wine, it’s three hours by car to Spokane, four to Portland and a little under five to Seattle. A mild climate means it’s perfect for outdoor activity all year long.
A global student body - Whitman’s 1,498 students come from 42 states and 31 countries. Our students are explorers of their world, whether that means digging in – to the rugged beauty of Washington’s landscapes during a pre-Orientation Scramble , for example – or heading out – as in, say, studying health and social policy in South Africa for a year. Friendship Families help international students settle in, and the four language houses on campus are home to native speakers of French, German, Spanish and Japanese, who help residents improve language skills and gain first-hand knowledge of cultural customs without ever leaving Walla Walla. Every Whitman student has the opportunity to become a global citizen.
Student-to-Faculty ratio is 9:1. With plenty of opportunities for students to conduct research alongside professors ( and present that work at our annual Undergraduate Research Conference ), no one gets lost in the intellectual shuffle. The Whitman faculty has received honors from the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, the Fulbright Program, the National Endowment for the Humanities and more, and small class sizes mean students benefit from close teaching.
Whitman has 48 departmental majors. In addition to these majors , which lead to a Bachelor of Arts, Whitman partners with other top schools to offer combined 3-2 engineering and computer science programs; 3-2 oceanography and biology or geology; 3-2 forestry and environmental management programs.
88 off-campus programs in 40 countries. Whitman works with various study abroad organizations to offer a wide range of semester- or year-long off-campus study options. Students can apply their Whitman need-based aid and merit scholarships toward the fees of any partner program. 40 percent of students study abroad during their junior year.
70% of students volunteer. Building community with an eye toward the future, about 350 students volunteer once a week through one of our six student-led service programs.
130+ internships funded by the Whitman Internship Grant in Summer 2017. Whitman funds more than a hundred internship grants per year. On campus, the Student Engagement Center is a one-stop shop for access to internship, community service and career development opportunities.
1:1 Student-to-tree ratio. Three blocks from downtown Walla Walla, Whitman’s park-like campus (1,472 trees) is home for about 67 percent of students, covers 77 acres and doubles as both art museum and arboretum. Residential facilities include halls, special interest houses, an all-women’s hall (which accommodates three national sororities), and four fraternity houses.
$30+ million awarded in scholarships and financial aid annually. Last year, the average annual need-based aid award package was $32,500. At Whitman, we offer a comprehensive, diversified financial aid program that includes scholarships, grants, employment opportunities and loans to assist in financing a college education. 78% of students receive need- and/or merit-based financial aid.
80% of students play intramural sports. Whitman is in the NCAA's Division III and is part of the Northwest Conference. Men and women compete in 15 varsity sports , 15 club sports and nine intramural sports including Ultimate and table tennis.
