Lexington, VA · Private · 1,881 undergraduates · town
Washington and Lee University
Highly selective
The four-week Spring Term creates space for a single immersive course without competing semester classes.
Institutional profile
Top tier Exceptional in career outcomes, and exceptional in academic standing.- Admission
- 17.4% admitted
- Price by income
- Varies across five income ranges
- Completion
- 94.3%
6,820 applicants in the reported year
Compare recent average annual costs by household income
$94,810 median earnings 10 years after enrollment
What sets Washington and Lee University apart
Academic design
The 12-12-4 calendar ends with a four-week Spring Term in which students take one intensive course, often involving travel or fieldwork. The curriculum also includes undergraduate business and journalism programs alongside the arts and sciences.
Campus pattern
The student-run Honor System gives trust and personal responsibility a prominent role in daily campus life. The Speaking Tradition, in which community members routinely greet one another, reinforces the close-knit character of the Lexington campus.
Defining feature
The four-week Spring Term creates space for a single immersive course without competing semester classes.
Can I get in?
17.4% admitted
Start with academic preparation, then show why this particular academic and campus environment fits you.
Recent applicant pool
6,820About 17 in every 100 applicants were admitted.
Academic range
Of admitted students, 27% submitted an SAT, and 25% submitted an ACT. Submission rates alone do not settle the choice. Submit a score if it strengthens the application.
In the season card
Where your GPA sits in the entering class
The full entering-class GPA distribution for Washington and Lee University, in nine bands from 4.0 down, with your own record marked on it.
See where I landIn the season card
What Washington and Lee University weighs when it reads a file
See how this college describes the role of grades, testing, essays, recommendations, activities, and demonstrated interest.
- Course rigor
- GPA
- Test scores
- Essay
- Recommendations
- Extracurriculars
- Demonstrated interest
What moves the application
The evidence that separates a strong file
Show preparation for this curriculum
The 12-12-4 calendar ends with a four-week Spring Term in which students take one intensive course, often involving travel or fieldwork. The curriculum also includes undergraduate business and journalism programs alongside the arts and sciences.
Make the fit specific
Students who want a traditional, highly communal liberal-arts campus but also value professionally oriented undergraduate study and strong institutional traditions.
Account for the tradeoff
The small Lexington setting and tradition-heavy residential culture are a better fit for students who want a cohesive campus community than for those seeking anonymity or big-city independence.
How to apply
Rounds, route, and required materials
Build the calendar around the earliest realistic application round and make the school-specific case concrete.
Fee waiver: accepted
Can I afford it?
Compare annual cost by household income.
Start with the average net price for your income range, then set that estimate beside your other realistic options.
In the season card
Average annual cost by household income at Washington and Lee University
Compare recent average net prices across five federal income ranges and estimate a 4-year cost for yours.
- $0–30k
- $30–48k
- $48–75k
- $75–110k
- $110k+
Is it worth it?
Completion, debt, and earnings
The four-week Spring Term creates space for a single immersive course without competing semester classes.
Degree completion across the reported entering cohort
First-year students who return for year two
And what that comes to against what they earn.
Reported 10 years after enrollment
Academic portfolio
Largest bachelor’s fields
How many students finish in each field, and median earnings four years after completing the program.
Business Administration, Management and Operations
Political Science and Government
Economics
Accounting and Related Services
Research and Experimental Psychology
What is campus life like?
Washington and Lee University beyond the classroom
The student-run Honor System gives trust and personal responsibility a prominent role in daily campus life. The Speaking Tradition, in which community members routinely greet one another, reinforces the close-knit character of the Lexington campus.
A defining academic feature
The 12-12-4 calendar ends with a four-week Spring Term in which students take one intensive course, often involving travel or fieldwork. The curriculum also includes undergraduate business and journalism programs alongside the arts and sciences.
What shapes an ordinary week
The student-run Honor System gives trust and personal responsibility a prominent role in daily campus life. The Speaking Tradition, in which community members routinely greet one another, reinforces the close-knit character of the Lexington campus.
What changes the experience
The four-week Spring Term creates space for a single immersive course without competing semester classes.