Washington and Lee University (W&L)

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W&L, a liberal arts school, provides students a well rounded foundation in education by having a curriculum with a diverse range of subjects. This college is located in Lexington, VA, a predominately rural area. There are around 2,500 students enrolled each year at W&L.

An ACT or SAT exam may be required before applying to this school. Scores in the range of 1360 (25th percentile) to 1500 (75th percentile) on the SAT and within the range of 32 (25th percentile) to 34 (75th percentile) on the ACT is common among applicants accepted to W&L. By applying sampled GPA data from over 150 schools, we are able to estimate that the W&L average GPA ranges from 3.90 to 3.96 for accepted students. Only 19% of applicants are admitted to this school due to the large number of applicants and the increase competition for enrollment. You can get more information from the admissions office website at wlu.edu.

Overall W&L Acceptance Rate - Fall 2020

18.6%

The overall acceptance rate for Washington and Lee University was reported as 18.6% in Fall 2020 with over 6,180 applications submitted to W&L. Both in state and out of state applicants are included in these figures. We do not have data on transfer acceptance rates currently.

Accepted Applicants Profile

  • W&L ACT Scores: 32 - 34
  • W&L Average GPA: 3.90 - 3.96

How Hard Is It to Get into Washington and Lee University?

Applicant Selectivity: High

The selectivity of applicants for undergraduate admissions to Washington and Lee University is considered high, with many applicants scoring in the top percentiles on the SAT or ACT exam, as well as having an excellent high school GPA.

Historical Trend and Acceptance Rate 2024 Projection

The historical trend chart shows acceptance rates from the previous years, from which we have projected the acceptance rate for the 2024-2025 school year. The overall acceptance rate trend for Washington and Lee University has been on a downward trend over the past few years.

Acceptance Rate By Year

  • 2016-2017: 23.6%
  • 2017-2018: 22.0%
  • 2018-2019: 21.2%
  • 2019-2020: 18.6%
  • Projected W&L Acceptance Rate 2024-2025: 19.2%

How Does W&L Compare?

18.6%
This School
56.7%
National Avg

The acceptance rate for W&L is more than 100% lower than the national average of all colleges which is around 56.7%.

Nearby Similar College Acceptance Rates

SchoolAcceptance Rate
Virginia Military Institute59.5%
Southern Virginia University98.0%
Sweet Briar College79.4%
Randolph College89.6%
Lynchburg College91.0%

Admissions Rates & Enrollment Rates - Details

General Recommendations & Requirements for Admissions

  • High School GPA Scores are Recommended
  • High School Class Rankings are Recommended
  • School Records are Required
  • College Prep Classes are Required
  • Submit Recommendation Letters are Required
  • Standardized Test Scores (SAT,ACT,...) are Required
  • TOEFL Exam (Foreign Language Students) are Recommended

Number of Applicants, Percent Accepted, and Enrolled Students (Fall 2020)

TotalMaleFemale
Applicants6,17849.4%50.6%
Admitted1,14747.6%52.4%
Enrolled46249.8%50.2%

Average ACT/SAT Scores of Applicants to W&L (Fall 2020)

SAT® SectionScore Range
Critical Reading670 - 730
Math690 - 770
Total Score1360 - 1500
ACT®Score Range
English34 - 35
Math29 - 33
Composite Score32 - 34
To learn more about the data and calculations that power this site, please visit our data discussion page.

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School Details

Address

204 West Washington Street
Lexington, VA 24450-2116

Phone

(540) 458-8400

Website

School Code

#003768

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