Washington and Lee University Earnings: $101K (2026)

How much do Washington and Lee University graduates earn?

The reported median is $100,514 four years after completion. The peer comparison uses $55,915 as its benchmark; the difference is $44,599 per year.

Azimuth places the return for Washington and Lee University in the 98th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Four years after completing a degree, federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $100,514.

That figure sits in the 97th percentile nationally. The peer median for comparable institutions (same type and size) is $55,915, which puts Washington and Lee University $44,599 above that benchmark.

The earnings scenarios show a wide range tied to program choice. The downside earnings scenario sits at $52,615, while the upside scenario reaches $120,586.

At the program level, Business Administration and Management graduates report the highest median earnings four years after completion, at $121,699, from 94 degrees awarded. Accounting follows at $118,946, with 37 degrees awarded.

An estimated 36.2% of graduates continue to graduate study, a figure estimated from the program mix rather than observed enrollment. Because four-year earnings cover completers who are working and not enrolled, those continuing their education are outside that earnings snapshot.

How many Washington and Lee University first-year students return?

First-time, full-time bachelor’s cohorts · CDS 2025-26

Returned the following fall: 97.5%

Source: Washington and Lee University Common Data Set 2025-26, B22 retention.

How could earnings differ from the median?

Earnings four years after completion

Planning rangeReported median

Lower estimate: $52,615
Median · reported: $100,514
Higher estimate: $120,586

Downside shows a lower-earning scenario based on the college’s mix of programs; upside shows a higher-earning scenario. Typical is the school’s reported median four years after completion. These are planning scenarios, not a forecast of your salary or percentiles of individual graduates.

Why the downside matters explores the risk hidden by medians, using older ten-year entrant data. Read about the move to four-year earnings.

Do Washington and Lee University graduates earn more than expected?

Azimuth models what we would expect graduates to earn based on who the college enrolls, how selective it is and its local economy. The difference between that expectation and reported earnings is what Azimuth calls value added.

That comparison is not reported for Washington and Lee University. Unlike a peer comparison, it adjusts for who enrolls.

The breakdown separates the contribution attributed to observed factors from the remaining difference. Neither component establishes how much attending Washington and Lee University caused a student to earn. Read how expected earnings are estimated.

Which fields at Washington and Lee University report the highest earnings?

The five programs with published earnings at Washington and Lee University all report medians above the national benchmark for their fields. The highest-earning field is also the largest by degrees awarded.

Business Administration and Management awards 94 degrees a year and its graduates earn a median of $121,699 four years after completion. Economics, the second-largest program at 69 degrees awarded, reports $115,837 and Azimuth ranks it #36 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions in its field.

Accounting is smaller, at 37 degrees a year, but its graduates earn $118,946 and Azimuth ranks it #7 nationally, #1 in Virginia. At the more moderate end, Political Science awards 69 degrees and its graduates earn $95,190.

Washington and Lee University awards the largest shares of its bachelor's degrees in Social Sciences and Business, at 26.4% and 23.4% respectively. Azimuth ranks 2 of the university's programs nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions.

The highest-ranked program is Accounting, which Azimuth places #7 nationally and #1 in Virginia. It awards 37 degrees a year, and its completers earn a median of $118,946 four years after completion.

Economics is the other ranked program, at #36 nationally and #2 in Virginia. It awards 69 degrees annually, with median earnings of $115,837 four years out.

Further analysis

Earnings scenarios estimated from the program mix show a downside of $52,615, a typical outcome of $100,514, and an upside of $120,586. The spread reflects the variation by field.

Among the largest programs, Business Administration and Management sits at the high end with $121,699 four years after completion. Political Science, the lowest-earning large program, stands at $95,190.

Federally aided graduates of Washington and Lee University who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $100,514 four years after completing a degree. That median comes from an earnings cohort of 233 completers.

Azimuth places it at the 97th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Earnings scenarios are estimates derived from the program mix.

The typical earnings scenario is $100,514, with a downside of $52,615 and an upside of $120,586. Based on the program mix, an estimated 36.2% of graduates continue to graduate study.

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.