Washington and Lee University: A Parent's Guide to Admissions, Cost & Outcomes
Ellensburg, Virginia · Public · Open access · CDS 2024-2025
Washington and Lee University is a public university in Ellensburg, Virginia that admits about 90% of applicants, making it a open access school. The average family pays about $14,715 a year after financial aid, which matters more than the published sticker price. It is best known for Business Administration, Management and Operations, Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods and Psychology, General, its largest undergraduate programs by number of graduates. Its most recent Clery Act report shows roughly 2.0 criminal offenses per 1,000 students.
Washington and Lee University is a public institution located in Ellensburg, Virginia. For the most recent reporting cycle, Washington and Lee University admits the majority of qualified applicants, with an overall admission rate of 90%. The average net price after grants and scholarships is $14,715 per year, which is the figure most families actually pay rather than the published sticker price. For parents weighing whether Washington and Lee University is realistic for their teenager, the most useful planning step is comparing your child's current GPA and most recent SAT or ACT against these admitted-student ranges — not the headline acceptance rate alone.
What GPA does my child need for Washington and Lee University?
Washington and Lee University has a broadly accessible admissions profile, and most students who complete a standard college-prep curriculum with a 3.0 GPA or higher are competitive for admission. Parents tracking their child's GPA toward this tier of school can use Solyo's free calculator to see weighted, unweighted, and college-recalculated numbers side by side.
SAT and ACT scores Washington and Lee University typically admits
Many applicants to schools in this tier submit test scores, though the policy varies by year — check the latest test-optional status before deciding.
How much does Washington and Lee University actually cost?
Published tuition is $9,192 for in-state students and $26,771 for out-of-state, before grants and scholarships. Room and board adds roughly $16,314 annually. After need-based and merit aid, the average family pays a net price of $14,715 per year — the number that actually matters for budgeting. Roughly 31% of students receive Pell Grants, a useful indicator of how much need-based aid the school distributes.
| Average net price (after aid) | $14,715 |
Application deadlines and early decision data for Washington and Lee University
Most popular majors at Washington and Lee University
The most popular undergraduate programs at Washington and Lee University, measured by the number of students who actually graduate each year, are Business Administration, Management and Operations, Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods and Psychology, General. Across all programs, Washington and Lee University confers roughly 1,255 bachelor's degrees a year. Graduates of its Business Administration, Management and Operations program report a median income of about $65,927 five years after entering college. Major popularity is a practical signal of where a school concentrates its teaching strength and where your child will find the deepest course offerings and peer community.
| Major | Graduates / year | Median earnings (5 yrs out) |
|---|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 257 | $65,927 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | 246 | $62,318 |
| Psychology, General | 181 | $50,290 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | 137 | $62,919 |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | 128 | $61,698 |
| Air Transportation | 107 | $86,851 |
| Accounting and Related Services | 102 | $73,436 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | 97 | $43,355 |
Is Washington and Lee University safe? Campus crime & safety
In its most recent Clery Act report (2024), Washington and Lee University disclosed 16 total criminal offenses across its campus and surrounding public property, about 2.0 per 1,000 students. That figure includes 2 violent offenses and 10 reported sexual assaults or VAWA offenses. Per-1,000-student rates matter more than raw counts when comparing schools, because larger universities mechanically report more incidents. Under the federal Clery Act, every college that receives federal aid must publish these numbers annually.
Other colleges in Virginia parents ask about
- University of Virginia-Main Campus17% acceptance
- Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University93% acceptance
- College of William and Mary89% acceptance
- James Madison University86% acceptance
- Old Dominion University82% acceptance
- George Mason University91% acceptance
- Virginia Commonwealth University17% acceptance
- University of Richmond94% acceptance
How parents track GPA toward selective schools like Washington and Lee University
Solyo helps parents track grades pulled directly from school emails, calculate GPA the same way colleges like Washington and Lee University recalculate it, and ask an AI college counselor specific questions about their teen's odds. The platform is built for parents — not students — and turns what's usually a fragmented planning process into a single dashboard.
Common questions parents ask about Washington and Lee University
What GPA do I need for Washington and Lee University?
Washington and Lee University has a broadly accessible admissions profile, and most students who complete a standard college-prep curriculum with a 3.0 GPA or higher are competitive for admission.
What SAT or ACT score does Washington and Lee University typically admit?
Washington and Lee University does not publish standardized test ranges in the most recent reporting cycle. Test-optional policies have made scores less universally required, but submitting strong scores still helps when available.
How much does Washington and Lee University actually cost after financial aid?
The average net price at Washington and Lee University after grants and scholarships is $14,715 per year. That figure is more useful for budgeting than the published sticker price, because it reflects what families actually pay after aid is applied.
Is Washington and Lee University realistic for my child?
Compare your teen's current unweighted GPA and most recent SAT or ACT against the ranges above. If both numbers fall inside the school's middle-50, Washington and Lee University is a target school. If both fall below the 25th-percentile mark, treat it as a reach and balance the application list accordingly.
What is the acceptance rate at Washington and Lee University?
Washington and Lee University accepts about 90% of applicants. It admits the majority of qualified applicants.
Is Washington and Lee University a public or private school, and where is it located?
Washington and Lee University is a public institution located in Ellensburg, Virginia.
What are the most popular majors at Washington and Lee University?
The largest undergraduate majors at Washington and Lee University by annual graduates are Business Administration, Management and Operations, Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods and Psychology, General. The school awards about 1,255 bachelor's degrees a year in total. These figures come from federal IPEDS completion data.
Is Washington and Lee University safe? What is its campus crime rate?
Washington and Lee University reported 16 total criminal offenses in its most recent Clery Act disclosure (2024), roughly 2.0 per 1,000 students. Compare the per-1,000 rate rather than the raw total, since larger schools report more incidents.
Data sourced from the 2024-2025 Common Data Set submitted by Washington and Lee University, the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS, and Clery Act campus safety disclosures. Solyo extracts admissions data from official Common Data Set publications and refreshes it annually.