Students at Washington University in St. Louis say their school has the “warmth of home,” which is in no small part due to its “beautiful” dorms.
Washington University tops our “Best College Dorms” ranking list, available online and in our Best 377 Colleges guidebook.
We tallied this list based on the responses of 122,000 students at 377 colleges to our survey question, “How do you rate the comfort of your campus dorms?”
To find out what students at Wash U have to say about their school’s academics, social life, and student body, read below!
Academics
Washington University “is a top-tier university” that “offers students an opportunity to explore interests in a number of areas both academically and extracurricularly” and, “manages to maintain core Midwestern values.” As one student notes, “While it may not be as well known on the East Coast, it is a hidden gem in the Midwest, rich with great people, amazing extracurricular opportunities, an underrated city just down the street, and an education that will challenge you.” “I was impressed by students’ abilities to pursue academically rigorous classes, balance numerous activities, and still find time to spend at various campus events with friends.” “Collaboration” over competition here “is key.” Washington University “provides the education of an Ivy League university with the atmosphere and warmth of home.” The co-curricular programs “are flexible enough to allow students to pursue academic interests in business, arts and sciences, art and architecture, and engineering all at once.” Undergraduates “truly have the flexibility to study what you want: You can take any class offered in any college, double major or minor across colleges, or even get dual degrees.” Professors “are engaged and lively.” Their “passion for the subject is contagious for the student body.” “Community is probably [Wash U’s] greatest asset.” “It’s a very positive, vibrant environment.”
Life
Wash U boasts “a beautiful campus” and “an active and friendly student body.” Students are also “genuinely concerned about the city of St. Louis and actively participate in social justice measures.” The food “is delicious,” the dorms “are beautiful,” and students “are happy.” Be it “an intramural sport, organizing a charity event, Greek life, the radio station, or the new live sketch comedy show, every student takes part in non-academic activities that build friendships and make college life far more colorful.” During their downtime, students “go to concerts, movies, the local mall, etc., for fun.” The popular Delmar Loop is “just a ten-minute walk from main campus.” Loaded with restaurants and small storefronts, “It’s an extremely popular place for students to walk around, shop at small boutiques, and grab a bite to eat.” Whether it’s “seeing a show,” “eating out on the Loop,” “chilling with friends,” or “watching a movie,” “There is always something to do.” “Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays are party night.” Though some confess, “A lot of people drink on the weekends...the fraternities’ parties are primarily open to all grades and are not exclusive,” others say, “There is very little pressure for people to drink, even for students involved in Greek Life.” Beyond campus parties and Greek life, there are “a ton of options for social events.” Headline-grabbing events include “W.I.L.D.,” “a huge all-day concert held in the quad with great musical performers.” Other “big draws” include the “performances held on campus, such as Diwali, Carnival, Mr. WU, and Black Anthology, which are always sold out.” Recently, “There has been a lot of programming in our student center, where we recently broke the world record for the largest nerf gun fight with more than 470 students participating.”
Student Body
Students here quickly fall captive to the “positive atmosphere.” “Everyone here is happy! Seriously, you’ll always see smiles everywhere you go on campus.” Students say there’s not “a ‘typical’ student at Wash U...I guess the best way to describe students here is that they defy the typical stereotypes. You’ll have a fraternity brother who’s a dancer [or] a premed student who’s minoring in architecture, etc.” Students “embrace that their fellow classmates have their own interests, even picking up new hobbies from their friends.” Wash U provides the backdrop for “a diverse set of social circles.” “There are the suburban East-coasters, the liberal Texans, the local kids from St. Louis, the California jocks, etc.” “The typical Wash U student graduated in the top two percent of her high school class, participated in at least four different clubs with an office in at least one (but probably two), was homecoming queen, and volunteered at an animal shelter on the weekends.” Students here are “very involved and take both academics and extracurriculars (particularly community service) very seriously.”
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