College
Washington & Lee University
- A+Overall Grade
- 4 Year
- Lexington, VA
- 399 reviews
- AcademicsA+
- ValueA+
- DiversityB
- CampusB+
- AthleticsB-
- Party SceneA-
- ProfessorsA+
- LocationB-
- DormsA
- Campus FoodB
- Student LifeA
- SafetyB-
Athletic Division
NCAA Division III (with football)
Athletic Conference
Old Dominion Athletic Conference
Address
204 W Washington St
Lexington, VA 24450
Website
Washington & Lee University Rankings
Niche rankings are based on rigorous analysis of key statistics from the U.S. Department of Education and millions of reviews.
Admissions
Acceptance Rate
22%
SAT Range
1350-1490
ACT Range
31-33
Application Fee
$60
SAT/ACT
Required
High School GPA
Recommended
Early Decision/Early Action
Yes
Application Website
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Will You Get In?
Test Scores and High School GPA for Washington & Lee University See Other Colleges
Cost
Net Price
$25,029/ year
National
$15,523Average cost after financial aid for students receiving grant or scholarship aid, as reported by the college.
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Academics
Professors
A+
Based on faculty accomplishments, salary, student reviews, and additional factors.
Student Faculty Ratio
8:1
Evening Degree Programs
No
- 96%
- of students agree that professors put a lot of effort into teaching their classes.28 responses
- 59%
- of students agree that it is easy to get the classes they want.32 responses
- 31%
- of students agree that the workload is easy to manage.32 responses
Majors
Most Popular Majors
Students
Full-Time Enrollment
1,823Undergrads
Undergrads Over 25
0%
Pell Grant
9%
Varsity Athletes
26%
Campus Life
Freshmen Live On-Campus
100%
Poll
- 52%
- of students say that Greek life is pretty big.42 responses
Poll
- 50%
- of students say varsity sporting events are attended, but not a huge part of campus life.42 responses
After College
Median Earnings 6 Years After Graduation
$72,300/ year
National
$33,028Graduation Rate
92%
National
49%Employed 2 Years After Graduation
94%
National
83%- 100%
- of students feel confident they will find a job in their field after graduation.11 responses
Washington & Lee University Reviews
399 reviews
All Categories
Beware of what you get yourself into. Most alumni/ students will sugar coat the culture at W&L. Alcoholism and heavy drug use is rampant, open hostility towards LGBTQ and minority students is normal. The frat culture permeates every level of the university including student clubs/events/academic cliques. Hazing is alive and well which includes forced drinking, humiliation, and physical abuse. Classes are very academic and inordinately time consuming and 200-level classes for non-majors are taught at the graduate level. Most students are competitive and aggressive. The strict honor code leads to division inside and outside the classroom. Coincidentally, most tests can be taken anywhere on campus which is taken advantage of. Unless you have a scholarship or have enough money to be social, do not come here.
Washington and Lee is a great place to be as long as you are white, straight, conservative, and rich. The party scene is great as there is a party almost every night but they are exclusive. I have multiple gay friends who have been kicked out of parties because their sexuality "makes others uncomfortable". I know many people who are victims of sexual assault who the school did not help at all and even discounted their experiences saying that they should not have any affect on academics and were similar to a short term physical sickness. The greek system controls the social life since there is little to nothing to do in town. There are both boys and girls who will immediately stop talking to you if you are not a part of certain sororities/ fraternities. Washington and Lee does a great job with financial aid, so if you are strong willed and okay with being being in the minority, be sure to apply, but be aware that you may feel like an outsider at times.
Washington and Lee offers a wonderful liberal arts education at a premier southern institution. Although the campus environment is not for everyone, I enjoyed my time there.
Prospective students should know that Greek Life, while not mandatory in any sense, is deep-rooted in our campus culture. That being said, there are plenty of groups and organizations for everyone to feel involved and welcomed somewhere.
Professors genuinely care about students as individuals and many will make efforts to get to know you. Office hours are abundant and the professors are always willing to go over difficult material with students. Class sizes vary from 5 -20 students with few exceptions.
There are 5 dining areas on campus: one main dining hall and four smaller "cafes". The food is alright.
Prospective students should know that Greek Life, while not mandatory in any sense, is deep-rooted in our campus culture. That being said, there are plenty of groups and organizations for everyone to feel involved and welcomed somewhere.
Professors genuinely care about students as individuals and many will make efforts to get to know you. Office hours are abundant and the professors are always willing to go over difficult material with students. Class sizes vary from 5 -20 students with few exceptions.
There are 5 dining areas on campus: one main dining hall and four smaller "cafes". The food is alright.