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Cost & financial aid brief

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# Washington and Lee University Tuition, Costs & Financial Aid

Updated October 21, 2026

[Overview](/school/washington-and-lee-university/)Cost & aid[Outcomes](/school/washington-and-lee-university/outcomes/)[Admissions](/school/washington-and-lee-university/admissions/)[Majors](/school/washington-and-lee-university/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/washington-and-lee-university/similar/)

**On this page**+

## How much does Washington and Lee University cost after financial aid?

Washington and Lee University lists a published cost of attendance of $87,000, with tuition and fees of $68,045 and room and board of $18,685. For the average aid recipient, financial aid savings against the sticker price are $63,219.

Here the average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) is $23,781. That figure is $1,434 above the $22,347 median at comparable institutions (same type and size).

Azimuth ranks the university #831 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions.

The published cost of attendance at Washington and Lee University is $87,000. The average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/)—what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships—is $23,781, $1,434 above the median for comparable institutions (same type and size).

That average masks a wide spread by income. Aid recipients from families earning under $30,000 average -$1,777, meaning aid exceeds billed costs and covers some living expenses.

Those in the highest band, earning over $110,000, average $40,646, a spread of $42,423 between the two ends. Borrowers who complete a degree leave with a median of $19,500 in federal student loans, $5,500 below the peer median.

Azimuth places the university at the 41st percentile for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions.

The average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) is higher for each successive family-income band. 11.3% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants.

Aid recipients from families earning under $30,000 average -$1,777; those from families earning $30,001–$48,000 average $75; $48,001–$75,000 average $4,497; $75,001–$110,000 average $8,162; and over $110,000 average $40,646. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $42,423.

Average net price by family income

**$0–30K**
\-$1,777

**$30–48K**
$75

**$48–75K**
$4,497

**$75–110K**
$8,162

**$110K+**
$40,646

Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary.

Net price can be negative: when grants and scholarships exceed the listed cost of attendance, students can receive the difference as a refund for other expenses.

Overall average annual net price: **$23,781**. After grants and scholarships, including living costs. [Source and coverage](#cost-data-notes).

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](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) 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 average net price 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](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) 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](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) 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](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) 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](#combined-borrowing) are in the Financial GPS card below. [Borrowing populations and model assumptions](#cost-data-notes).

## Parent loans: what can the family afford?

[How Parent PLUS borrowing affects families](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/)

**Median Parent PLUS debt**
$38,000

**Estimated parent payment**
$483/mo

Modeled Parent PLUS pressure by income

| 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](/financial-gps/?tool=parent&school=washington-and-lee-university#parent-tool). [Read the assumptions and limits](#cost-data-notes).

## 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

1.  Excellent Under 8% · selected scenario
2.  Good 8–under 12%
3.  Concerning 12–20%
4.  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.

[Read the framework and its limits](/analysis/financial-gps-framework/).

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.

[Explore your own numbers in Financial GPS](/financial-gps/?tool=student&school=washington-and-lee-university#student-tool)

## Data & methodology

Sources and reporting periods: [methodology](/methodology/).

Analysis and methodology by [Daniel Rogers](/about/#founder), 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](/about/).

**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](https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/data/).

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.