Does anyone know how safe Washington University, St. Louis is, considering the fact that the city of St. Louis is always in the news for riots. protests, police/civilian clashes etc.?
WU is not directly in St. Louis proper. No concerns sending my son.
The biggest safety issue at Wash U is sexual assault / rape among students. See the government stats here: https://ope.ed.gov/campussafety/#/institution/details
Our student is a Junior at Wash U and has had no problems. Common sense goes a long way. And St. Louis is “not always in the news for riots, protests, etc.” no more than Chicago, Los Angeles or New York are in the news for gun violence. St. Louis, like many cities, has its challenges, but I encourage you to visit it if you are concerned.
@Parche agree with you. Most of WashU is actually in Clayton (pretty upscale suburb of St. Louis). Some parts of the Delmar Loop do get dicey at night but nothing bad. Common sense should be taken but we’re not talking USC and its environs.
I just got accepted to WashU Olin. My fam lives in St. Louis though and I visit STL often. Having been in one of washu’s summer programs (2 weeks), washu itself seems pretty secluded since it borders forest park and the central west end. There’s not a lot of crime in this area, and even if there was it would be rare for the campus to be affected by it. However, I think St. Louis itself has this stigma of “murder capital” that may be valid, but every city has its issues. Ferguson, for example, was portrayed so negatively in the news for riots, police brutality, etc, but if one was to take the time and actually drive around there today (which I have), you realize it’s not at all what the media paints it to be. Sure, St. Louis has a high crime rate, but if you’re careful and observant, you’ll be fine. Have fun and don’t let those things scare you away. Just ask around, know which parts to go to and which not at what times. But I must say, St. Louis is a beautiful city with so much to do, and washu wasn’t ranked #1 in best student life quality for nothing 
Does anyone know how safe Washington University, St. Louis is, considering the fact that the city of St. Louis is always in the news for riots. protests, police/civilian clashes etc.?