Graduates of Washington and Lee University earn median earnings of $100,514 four years after enrollment, placing Washington and Lee University in the 94.0 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. That figure runs well above the $57,042 median at comparable institutions (same control and size band). Azimuth ranks Washington and Lee University #34 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. The combination of strong absolute earnings and a favorable comparison to peers reflects an institution where graduates move into well-compensated roles relatively quickly after completing their degrees. The earnings pattern corresponds to Washington and Lee University's concentration in analytical and professional fields. Social Sciences is the dominant program family, accounting for 25% of degrees, followed by Business at 23% and other STEM fields at 4%. Business Administration combines high enrollment with strong pay, making it a key contributor to the institution's overall return profile. Azimuth ranks Business Administration #7 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, with 94 graduates earning median earnings of $121,699 — 1.8x the national benchmark for the field. The Economics program graduates 69 students with median earnings of $115,837, and Azimuth ranks the program #26 among nonprofit four-year institutions per the program-ranking methodology. The Political Science program graduates 69 students earning median earnings of $95,190, with Azimuth ranking the program #4 among nonprofit four-year institutions at 1.5x its national CIP-4 benchmark. Accounting adds further depth, with 37 graduates earning median earnings of $118,946 and Azimuth ranking the program #8 among nonprofit four-year institutions.
Graduates of Washington and Lee University earn median earnings of $100,514 four years after enrollment, placing Washington and Lee University in the 94.0 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. That figure runs well above the $57,042 median at comparable institutions (same control and size band). Azimuth ranks Washington and Lee University #34 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. The combination of strong absolute earnings and a favorable comparison to peers reflects an institution where graduates move into well-compensated roles relatively quickly after completing their degrees. The earnings pattern corresponds to Washington and Lee University's concentration in analytical and professional fields. Social Sciences is the dominant program family, accounting for 25% of degrees, followed by Business at 23% and other STEM fields at 4%. Business Administration combines high enrollment with strong pay, making it a key contributor to the institution's overall return profile. Azimuth ranks Business Administration #7 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, with 94 graduates earning median earnings of $121,699 — 1.8x the national benchmark for the field. The Economics program graduates 69 students with median earnings of $115,837, and Azimuth ranks the program #26 among nonprofit four-year institutions per the program-ranking methodology. The Political Science program graduates 69 students earning median earnings of $95,190, with Azimuth ranking the program #4 among nonprofit four-year institutions at 1.5x its national CIP-4 benchmark. Accounting adds further depth, with 37 graduates earning median earnings of $118,946 and Azimuth ranking the program #8 among nonprofit four-year institutions.
Latest FE earnings field: 10-year
How graduate earnings grow across the currently available FE horizons.
Financial justification for the investment.
Graduates of Washington and Lee University earn median earnings of $100,514 four years after enrollment, placing Washington and Lee University in the 94.0 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. That figure runs well above the $57,042 median at comparable institutions (same control and size band). Azimuth ranks Washington and Lee University #34 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. The combination of strong absolute earnings and a favorable comparison to peers reflects an institution where graduates move into well-compensated roles relatively quickly after completing their degrees. The earnings pattern corresponds to Washington and Lee University's concentration in analytical and professional fields. Social Sciences is the dominant program family, accounting for 25% of degrees, followed by Business at 23% and other STEM fields at 4%. Business Administration combines high enrollment with strong pay, making it a key contributor to the institution's overall return profile. Azimuth ranks Business Administration #7 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, with 94 graduates earning median earnings of $121,699 — 1.8x the national benchmark for the field. The Economics program graduates 69 students with median earnings of $115,837, and Azimuth ranks the program #26 among nonprofit four-year institutions per the program-ranking methodology. The Political Science program graduates 69 students earning median earnings of $95,190, with Azimuth ranking the program #4 among nonprofit four-year institutions at 1.5x its national CIP-4 benchmark. Accounting adds further depth, with 37 graduates earning median earnings of $118,946 and Azimuth ranking the program #8 among nonprofit four-year institutions.
Program mix and student pathways explain much of the earnings story.
Washington and Lee University's program mix is anchored in Social Sciences, with Social Sciences accounting for 25% of graduates, Business representing 23%, and other STEM fields contributing 4%. The largest programs by cohort size are Business Administration (94 graduates), Economics (69 graduates), Political Science (69 graduates), and Accounting (37 graduates). This concentration in social sciences and business-adjacent fields shapes the institution's overall earnings profile and reflects a liberal-arts identity with applied professional depth. The strongest national rankings cluster in quantitative and applied fields. Azimuth ranks Business Administration #7 among nonprofit four-year institutions for median earnings four years after enrollment, with 94 graduates earning $121,699. Azimuth ranks Accounting #8 among nonprofit four-year institutions for median earnings four years after enrollment, with graduates earning $118,946. Economics also stands out — Azimuth ranks it #26 among nonprofit four-year institutions for median earnings four years after enrollment, with 69 graduates earning $115,837. Business Administration, the program combining the largest cohort with strong pay, anchors the institution's aggregate return — Azimuth ranks it #7 among nonprofit four-year institutions for median earnings four years after enrollment, with graduates earning $121,699. Several of Washington and Lee University's strongest programs feed into grad-school-dependent pathways — fields like Political Science and Accounting where four-year earnings undercount lifetime trajectory because a meaningful share of graduates continue to law school, medical school, or doctoral programs. Business Administration and Accounting, by contrast, are high-mobility pathways where graduates enter the workforce directly and four-year earnings more closely reflect labor-market outcomes. Across 25 programs serving roughly 561 students annually, 5 meet Azimuth's ranking threshold.
Lower quartile, 10-year field
Upper quartile, 10-year field
Graduates of Washington and Lee University earn median earnings of $100,514 four years after enrollment, placing Washington and Lee University in the 94.0 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. That figure runs well above the $57,042 median at comparable institutions (same control and size band). Azimuth ranks Washington and Lee University #34 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. The combination of strong absolute earnings and a favorable comparison to peers reflects an institution where graduates move into well-compensated roles relatively quickly after completing their degrees. The earnings pattern corresponds to Washington and Lee University's concentration in analytical and professional fields. Social Sciences is the dominant program family, accounting for 25% of degrees, followed by Business at 23% and other STEM fields at 4%. Business Administration combines high enrollment with strong pay, making it a key contributor to the institution's overall return profile. Azimuth ranks Business Administration #7 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, with 94 graduates earning median earnings of $121,699 — 1.8x the national benchmark for the field. The Economics program graduates 69 students with median earnings of $115,837, and Azimuth ranks the program #26 among nonprofit four-year institutions per the program-ranking methodology. The Political Science program graduates 69 students earning median earnings of $95,190, with Azimuth ranking the program #4 among nonprofit four-year institutions at 1.5x its national CIP-4 benchmark. Accounting adds further depth, with 37 graduates earning median earnings of $118,946 and Azimuth ranking the program #8 among nonprofit four-year institutions.
See which programs drive the strongest earnings and career trajectories
