Washington and Lee University admits approximately 17.4% of applicants, meaning roughly 1 in 6 applicants receives an offer of admission. This places Washington and Lee among highly selective institutions nationally, with admission rates typical of elite private liberal arts colleges and universities. The peer median admission rate of 75.6% highlights the substantial difference between Washington and Lee's selectivity and typical four-year institutions—the university admits students at a rate 58.2 percentage points lower than its peer group. This level of selectivity means that even academically exceptional students face meaningful uncertainty in the admission process. Students with outstanding credentials who would thrive at Washington and Lee may not receive admission due to the limited number of available spots relative to applicant volume. For this reason, students considering Washington and Lee should treat it as a reach school regardless of their academic qualifications and build comprehensive college lists that include institutions with higher acceptance rates but comparable academic quality and career outcomes. The institution's 95.4% retention rate and 94.9% six-year graduation rate indicate that students who gain admission typically find strong institutional fit and support for degree completion.
A directional estimate — not a prediction
Admitted students at Washington and Lee University demonstrate exceptional academic preparation across standardized testing measures. The middle 50% of enrolled students score between 1410-1530 on the SAT, with a median of 1504, placing the institution at the 99.9th percentile nationally for test score selectivity. SAT Math scores range from 700-780, while SAT Verbal scores span 710-750, indicating strong preparation across both quantitative and verbal reasoning. ACT scores range from 32-35 with a median of 34, ranking at the 99.9th percentile for ACT performance. These ranges represent enrolled students, not minimum requirements—the 25th percentile (1410 SAT, 32 ACT) indicates that 25% of enrolled students scored below these levels, while the 75th percentile (1530 SAT, 35 ACT) shows that 25% scored above these benchmarks. Compared to peer institutions, Washington and Lee students score 364 points higher on the SAT and 11 points higher on the ACT, reflecting the institution's position among the most academically selective colleges nationally. Students whose scores fall below the 25th percentile should expect to be at a competitive disadvantage but are not automatically excluded from consideration. Those scoring within or above the middle 50% ranges are academically competitive for admission, though Washington and Lee's holistic review process considers many factors beyond test scores. Prospective students should evaluate whether their academic profile aligns with this range when building their college application list.
Understanding institutional priorities and student support
Washington and Lee University enrolls a student body that reflects both academic excellence and economic privilege. The institution enrolls 11.1% Pell-eligible students, indicating that approximately 1 in 9 students comes from lower-income families eligible for federal grant aid. This Pell share is notably lower than the national average for four-year institutions and reflects the economic composition typical of highly selective private colleges. Transfer students comprise just 0.8% of the student body, indicating that Washington and Lee primarily serves students who enter as first-year students and complete their entire undergraduate experience at the institution. The limited transfer enrollment suggests that gaining admission as a transfer student presents even greater challenges than first-year admission. While Washington and Lee maintains need-blind admission and meets full demonstrated financial need, the student body composition reflects patterns common at elite private institutions where academic preparation, extracurricular achievement, and cultural capital often correlate with family socioeconomic status. Students from first-generation college backgrounds should note that they will be joining a community where most peers have family experience with higher education. For students from lower-income backgrounds, the 11.1% Pell share indicates they will find other students with similar financial circumstances, though they will represent a distinct minority within the overall student population.
Given Washington and Lee's 17.4% acceptance rate, most applicants will need alternative options with comparable career outcomes. The schools below offer similar post-graduation value with more accessible admission or different geographic locations.
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Students who enroll at Washington and Lee University demonstrate exceptional persistence and completion rates once admitted. 95.4% of freshmen return for sophomore year, compared to a peer median of 74.0%, indicating that students find strong institutional fit and academic support. The six-year graduation rate reaches 94.9%, substantially exceeding the peer median of 54.9% by 40 percentage points. These completion rates rank among the highest nationally and reflect both the academic preparation of admitted students and the institution's effectiveness in supporting degree completion. While Washington and Lee does not report separate completion rates for Pell-eligible students, the overall graduation rate suggests that students from diverse economic backgrounds who gain admission typically complete their degrees successfully. The 95.4% retention rate indicates that the vast majority of students who start at Washington and Lee find the academic and social environment conducive to their success and choose to remain through graduation. Students who gain admission can expect to join a community with exceptionally high completion rates and strong institutional support for academic achievement. The combination of selective admission and high completion rates suggests that Washington and Lee effectively identifies students who will thrive in its academic environment and provides the resources necessary for degree completion across its student population.
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