Walla Walla University has been ranked as the second best college for financial aid in Washington state and the 22nd best college for financial aid in the nation by LendEDU. WWU has moved up six places on the list since the last report in 2019. 

To provide helpful financial information for prospective college students, LendEDU analyzes the most recent financial data for more than 500 four-year colleges to share which provide the best financial aid packages. Overall rankings take into account need-based financial aid, non-need based financial aid, and financial aid for international students. 

WWU also ranked in the top 50 in the region for best value, a category that weighs both the affordability and quality of education. 

According to Niche, a well-known college search tool that also incorporates data from national student surveys, WWU is in the top 10 of more than 300 U.S. Christian colleges for overall best value. WWU was second only to Andrews University in the category of Seventh-day Adventist institutions. Rankings by Niche aim to gauge student satisfaction as well as more traditional metrics of academic quality. 

Not only does WWU rank highly for best value, it was also the highest ranked Seventh-day Adventist institution in financial aid according to LendEDU. LendEDU and Niche reported that WWU meets 93% of student financial needs and that prospective students can expect a 75% likelihood of receiving need-based aid. 

WWU emphasizes combining academic excellence with Christian community through small class sizes, personalized attention, and hands-on learning opportunities. Niche noted that WWU’s student faculty ratio is much lower than the national average. 

Critics have warned against placing too much value in college rankings due to their subjective criteria, but the Adventist Review suggested that they are still a good resource for prospective students looking to get a glimpse into which schools are doing well. WWU’s nursing, engineering and business programs were favorably mentioned in a number of other rankings by U.S. News and the Wall Street Journal. According to their lists, WWU is in the top 25% of Christian colleges, the top 15% of the most diverse institutions, and the top 15% of best value schools nationwide. 

Learn more about how Niche conducts their college rankings at niche.com or find more details about college financial aid rankings at lendedu.com.

Posted Oct. 11, 2023