by our College Data Analytics TeamWashington and Lee University is a private not-for-profit institution in Lexington, Virginia enrolling 1,881 undergraduates. It accepts 14% of applicants and has an on-time graduation rate of 94%, above the national average of 33%. College Factual ranks it #109 of 5,159 colleges nationwide in its 2027 Best Colleges ranking (top 2%), and its Value for Your Money analysis rates it a Fair Price.
Source: IPEDS 2025; College Scorecard July 2026; College Factual rankings 2027. Data as of: July 2026.
Washington and Lee University ranks #109 of 5,159 colleges nationwide in College Factual’s 2027 Best Colleges ranking, placing it in the top 2%.
In its yearly rankings, College Factual analyzes over 2,000 colleges and universities to determine which ones are the best in a variety of categories, such as overall value, quality, diversity, which schools are the best for each major, and much more.
Washington and Lee University was awarded 365 badges in the 2027 rankings.
According to College Factual’s 2027 analysis, Washington and Lee, W&L, WLU is ranked #109 out of 5,159 schools in the nation that were analyzed for overall quality. This puts it in the top 5% of all schools in the nation.
Washington and Lee, W&L, WLU is also ranked #7 on the Best Colleges in Virginia list.
See all of the rankings for Washington and Lee University.
With an acceptance rate of 14%, Washington and Lee, W&L, WLU is one of the most selective schools in the country. Good grades and high test scores alone may not be enough to get you into the school, so do your best to submit a stellar application.
About 24% of students accepted to Washington and Lee, W&L, WLU submitted their SAT scores. When looking at the 25th through the 75th percentile, SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing scores ranged between 710 and 760. Math scores were between 720 and 780.
Washington and Lee, W&L, WLU received ACT scores from 20% of accepted students. When looking at the 25th through the 75th percentile, ACT Composite scores ranged between 33 and 34.
Learn more about Washington and Lee University admissions.
At Washington and Lee, W&L, WLU, the student to faculty ratio is an excellent 7 to 1. That’s much better than the national average of 15 to 1. This indicates that many classes will probably be small, and students will have ample opportunities to work closely with their professors and classmates.
In addition to the student to faculty ratio, some people look at what percentage of faculty members are full-time as a sign of how much time professors will be able to spend with their students. This is because part-time teachers may not be on campus as much as their full-time counterparts.
The full-time faculty percentage at Washington and Lee University is 88%. This is higher than the national average of 47%.
Washington and Lee University has a freshmen retention rate of 97%. That’s a good sign that full-time students like the school and their professors enough to want to stick around for another year. It’s also a sign that the admissions team did a good job in choosing applicants who were a good fit for the school.
The on-time graduation rate for someone pursuing a bachelor’s degree is typically four years. This rate at Washington and Lee, W&L, WLU for first-time, full-time students is 94%, which is better than the national average of 33.3%.
Find out more about the retention and graduation rates at Washington and Lee University.
In the current academic year, there are 1,881 undergraduates at Washington and Lee, W&L, WLU.
Get more detailed information on the diversity at Washington and Lee University.
The average net price of Washington and Lee, W&L, WLU is $17,140. The affordability of the school largely depends on your financial need since net price varies by income group. See the table below for the net price for different income groups.
| $0-30 K | $30K-48K | $48-75 | $75-110K | $110K + |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $-1,777 | $75 | $4,497 | $8,162 | $40,646 |
The net price is calculated by adding tuition, room, board and other costs and subtracting financial aid. Note that the net price is typically less than the published price for a school. For more information on the sticker price of Washington and Lee, W&L, WLU, see our tuition and fees and room and board pages.
While almost two-thirds of students nationwide take out loans to pay for college, the percentage may be quite different for the school you plan on attending. At Washington and Lee, W&L, WLU, approximately 14% of students took out student loans averaging $5,892 a year. That adds up to $23,568 over four years for those students. The student loan default rate is 2.2%. This is significantly lower than the national default rate of 10.1%, which is a good sign that you’ll be able to pay back your student loans. Get more details about paying for Washington and Lee University.
Yearly salaries vary depending on what you major in, but on average, bachelor’s degree recipients from Washington and Lee University make around $94,810 per year during the early years of their employment. This is good news for future Washington and Lee University graduates since it is 93% more than the average college graduate’s salary of $49,219 per year.
See which majors at Washington and Lee University make the most money.
Washington and Lee University is a private not-for-profit institution found in Lexington, Virginia. Lexington is a great place for students who enjoy small town life. Get more details about the location of Washington and Lee University.
Contact information for Washington and Lee University are listed below.
| Contact Details | |
|---|---|
| Address: | 204 West Washington Street, Lexington, VA 24450-2116 |
| Phone: | 5404588400 |
| Website: | www.wlu.edu/ |
| Wikipedia: | en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_and_Lee_University |
| Facebook: | facebook.com/washingtonandlee |
| Twitter: | twitter.com/wlulex |
During the most recent year for which we have data, students from 18 majors graduated from Washington and Lee University. The following table lists the most popular undergraduate majors along with the average salary graduates from those majors make.
| Most Popular Majors | Completions | Average Salary of Graduates |
|---|---|---|
| Multi-Disciplinary Studies | 737 | NA |
| Law | 110 | $63,586 |
| Business Administration & Management | 104 | $56,231 |
| Accounting | 57 | NA |
| Political Science & Government | 55 | $47,231 |
| Economics | 40 | $51,643 |
| Child Development & Psychology | 37 | NA |
| Computer Science | 28 | NA |
| History | 24 | NA |
| Neurobiology & Neurosciences | 21 | NA |
Curious how schools stack up against Washington and Lee, W&L, WLU? Match them up using College Combat, our free interactive tool that lets you compare colleges on the features that matter most to you.
Footnotes
*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.
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