Cost & financial aid brief
Washington and Lee University Tuition, Costs & Financial Aid
How much does Washington and Lee University cost after financial aid?
Aid covers about 73% of the published cost for the average aid recipient, a reduction of $63,219 from the sticker price. The pattern across income bands is steeply progressive.
The lowest-income band, families earning under $30,000, averages -$1,777 — a negative figure meaning aid exceeds billed costs and covers some living expenses. The highest band, over $110,000, averages $40,646, a spread of $42,423 between the two ends.
The published cost of attendance at Washington and Lee University is $87,000. Azimuth ranks the university #831 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions.
After grants and scholarships, the average net price for aid recipients from families earning under $30,000 is -$1,777, for those earning $30,001 to $48,000 it is $75, for those earning $48,001 to $75,000 it is $4,497, for those earning $75,001 to $110,000 it is $8,162, and for those earning over $110,000 it is $40,646. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $42,423.
Aid covers about 73% of the published cost for the average aid recipient. The across all aid recipients is $23,781, which is $1,434 above the $22,347 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).
Borrowers who complete a degree carry a median of $19,500 in federal student loans. That is $5,500 below the $25,000 peer median for comparable institutions.
85.2% of federal aid recipients borrow federal loans. Parents who borrow through the separate Parent PLUS program hold a median of $38,000.
If repaid over ten years, the median federal student debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $222 a month. It estimates what a family at a given income might pay and borrow at this school.
Student loans: what does repayment look like?
The median federal student debt among borrowers who complete a degree is $19,500. The share of undergraduates who take federal loans is 85.2%.
That median is $5,500 below the $25,000 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported that 25% of graduates in a recent cohort of 461 borrowed from any source.
The average cumulative debt per borrower was $28,708. Of those graduates, 20% held federal loans, of whom the average was $17,392.
A smaller share, 3%, held private loans averaging $81,140. Parents who borrow through the separate Parent PLUS program hold a median of $38,000.
Federally aided graduates from Washington and Lee University who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $100,514 four years after completion. That puts earnings in the 97th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.
That is $44,599 above the $55,915 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Earnings scenarios, estimated from the program mix, span from $52,615 on the downside to $120,586 on the upside, with $100,514 as the typical case.
Borrowers who finish carry a median of $19,500 in federal loans, $5,500 below the $25,000 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). If repaid over ten years, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $222 a month.
With earnings far above the peer median and debt below it, the two figures point the same way.
For the separate population of parent borrowers, median Parent PLUS borrowing is $38,000. For student borrowers, the median federal debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $222 a month if repaid over ten years.
Repayment figures are in the Financial GPS card below. Borrowing populations and model assumptions.
Parent loans: what can the family afford?
How Parent PLUS borrowing affects families
- Median Parent PLUS debt
- $38,000
- Estimated parent payment
- $483/mo
| Household income | Share of income above basic expenses | Risk level |
|---|---|---|
| $35,000 | No room | High pressure |
| $50,000 | No room | High pressure |
| $75,000 | 28.5% | High pressure |
| $100,000 | 12.8% | High pressure |
| $150,000 | 6.1% | Caution |
| $200,000 | 4.0% | Safe |
The 10-year payment on the median Parent PLUS balance, as a share of household income above basic expenses ($54,640 a year: 200% of the 2026 federal poverty guideline for a household of three). No room is High pressure. Open the parent tool for your own numbers. Read the assumptions and limits.
Student and parent loans: the monthly payments
Financial GPS
What does repayment look like?
- Institution median student debt
- $19,500
- Institution Parent PLUS debt
- $38,000
Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included.
- Estimated student payment · monthly
- $222/mo
- Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly
- $483/mo
- Modeled student + parent payments
- $705/mo
Payments use school-wide median balances, not a specific major’s.
Student payment as a share of available income
At median graduate earnings of $100,514, with a $23,940 annual allowance for basic expenses:
3.5% of income above the allowance · Excellent
- Excellent Under 8% · selected scenario
- Good 8–under 12%
- Concerning 12–20%
- High risk Over 20%
How this estimate works
These are modeled earnings scenarios, not observed earnings percentiles. Annual student payments ÷ (earnings − basic-expense allowance). The starting allowance, $23,940, uses the published framework’s 2026 baseline; it is not a current local living-cost estimate. Change it for your budget, including taxes and other obligations. This combines school-level figures for illustration, not a typical individual’s budget or an official school rating. Parent PLUS is separate.
Payment assumptions
Payments are 10-year standard payments on the median balance, before loan fees, used as a yardstick. Rates for newly issued loans may differ, and loans made after July 1, 2026 can repay over a longer term; existing loans keep their original fixed rates.
Data & methodology
Sources and reporting periods: methodology.
Analysis and methodology by Daniel Rogers, founder of College Azimuth.
Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source.
Figure notes link to sources and limitations. About College Azimuth.
Net price and borrowing. The 2023–24 income-band averages include living costs and cover eligible first-time, full-time aid recipients; public-school figures reflect in-state tuition. They are not individual aid offers. Peer matching supplies overall net prices, not matched income-band averages. College Scorecard data and documentation.
A personal student-risk assessment also needs your major and borrowing plan; these school-level illustrations do not assign you a personal risk zone.
Payments are 10-year standard payments on the median balance, before loan fees, used as a yardstick. Rates for newly issued loans may differ, and loans made after July 1, 2026 can repay over a longer term; existing loans keep their original fixed rates. Private-loan figures from the Common Data Set are separate from these federal repayment illustrations.