University of Pennsylvania vs Washington University in St Louis

Philadelphia, PA · St. Louis, MO · largest Scorecard gap: acceptance rate

Scorecard match plate

Pair PA:MO

PRIVATE-NP-PAIR · CROSS-STATE · ACCEPT-TIGHT · NET-SPLIT · EARN-SPLIT · DEBT-SPLIT · COMPLETE-HIGH · GAP-ACCEPT

  • PRIVATE-NP-PAIR Private nonprofit pair
  • CROSS-STATE PA × MO
  • ACCEPT-TIGHT Tight admission
  • NET-SPLIT Net-price split
  • EARN-SPLIT Earnings split
  • DEBT-SPLIT Debt split
  • COMPLETE-HIGH High completion
  • GAP-ACCEPT Largest gap · Acceptance Rate

Instrument codes from this pair's College Scorecard ownership, geography, acceptance, net price, earnings, debt, and completion, plus the NET-SPLIT · 2013–2023 decade-path stamp below, not a ranking or recommendation.

Decade path · College Scorecard

One campus shows net-price relief; the peer does not

NET-SPLIT · 2013–2023

Over 2013–2023, only one school has a directional decline in average net price; the other stays a measured range. Cost gaps on this board are moving targets, not fixed snapshot deltas.

  • University of Pennsylvania: net price ranged $14,851–$31,229 across 11 years (2013–2023); endpoint change +36.1% is not a trend (r² 0.03).
  • Washington University in St Louis: average net price fell -33.9% from $33,484 (2013) to $22,117 (2023), r² 0.86.
  • University of Pennsylvania: acceptance rate tightened -52.0% across 2013–2023 (r² 0.89).
  • Washington University in St Louis: acceptance rate tightened -23.1% across 2013–2023 (r² 0.71).

College Scorecard institution series; dollars are nominal. Direction claims require r² ≥ 0.40 on the fitted annual slope, otherwise the page reports the observed range. Descriptive history, not a recommendation.

Scorecard metrics

Cards ordered by relative gap on this pair. Teal = better side.

Largest gaps: University of Pennsylvania vs Washington University in St Louis

  1. ACCEPTANCE-RATE University of Pennsylvania leads on acceptance rate (5.4% vs 12.1% at Washington University in St Louis)
  2. AVG-NET-PRICE Washington University in St Louis leads on avg net price ($21,786 vs $28,699 at University of Pennsylvania)
  3. MEDIAN-EARNINGS-(1 University of Pennsylvania leads on median earnings (10 yr) ($111,371 vs $86,182 at Washington University in St Louis)

University of Pennsylvania profile · Washington University in St Louis profile · Compare other colleges

Acceptance Rate and other Scorecard questions

On acceptance rate, who leads between University of Pennsylvania and Washington University in St Louis?
University of Pennsylvania leads on acceptance rate at 5.4% versus 12.1% at Washington University in St Louis. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
On avg net price, who leads between University of Pennsylvania and Washington University in St Louis?
Washington University in St Louis leads on avg net price at $21,786 versus $28,699 at University of Pennsylvania. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
On median earnings (10 yr), who leads between University of Pennsylvania and Washington University in St Louis?
University of Pennsylvania leads on median earnings (10 yr) at $111,371 versus $86,182 at Washington University in St Louis. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.

Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard College Scorecard institution outcomes (earnings, completion, debt); acceptance rate focus for this pair · 2025