Washington and Lee University acceptance rate and your odds of getting in
Washington and Lee University is a private college in Virginia that admits about 14% of applicants, which puts it in the highly selective range. A rate like this means it turns away most applicants; the bar is less about clearing a single cutoff and more about how your full profile compares to admitted students.
Use this page to see what Washington and Lee University weighs, where it ranks among Virginia schools, and how a profile like yours is likely to land. Admitted students post a 75th-percentile SAT around 1470, a useful checkpoint for where your scores sit, though it is a reference range and not a cutoff.
Washington and Lee University application deadlines, 2026-27 · Washington and Lee University supplemental essays, 2026-27
What do students study at Washington and Lee University?
Bachelor's degrees awarded by field in 2023 (IPEDS completions). Each field has its own page with the school's numbers, the model's major adjustment, and peers offering it.
Will I get into Washington and Lee University?
Direct answers to what applicants ask about getting into Washington and Lee University, plus a free way to calculate your own odds.
What are my chances of getting into Washington and Lee University?
At Washington and Lee University, your real chance depends on far more than the published 14% admit rate. Your real odds depend on how your GPA, course rigor, test scores, and activities compare to its admitted students. Run your profile through the free CollegeCalcAI calculator to get a personalized acceptance percentage for Washington and Lee University in about three minutes, with no account needed to start.
Is Washington and Lee University hard to get into?
Washington and Lee University is highly selective: it turns away most applicants, with about a 14% acceptance rate. Strong academics are expected here, so the rest of your profile usually decides the outcome.
What GPA do you need to get into Washington and Lee University?
There is no hard GPA cutoff at Washington and Lee University, but most admitted students present roughly a 3.8 to 4.0 GPA with a rigorous course load. Washington and Lee University reads your GPA alongside the rigor of your courses, so a challenging schedule matters as much as the number itself.
Your chances at Washington and Lee University by GPA and SAT
Estimated chance of admission at Washington and Lee University for plain profiles, from the same model as the calculator. Unweighted GPA, 6 AP courses, Regular Decision, no legacy, athletic or first-generation hook. The last column is test-optional (no score sent).
What are my chances at Washington and Lee University with a 3.9 GPA and a 1490 SAT?
About 27% (Target), by CollegeCalcAI's deterministic model, for an applicant with a 3.9 unweighted GPA and a 1490 SAT, the middle of Washington and Lee University's admitted range, applying Regular Decision without a hook. A 4.0 GPA with a 1540 SAT comes out near 30%. Courses, activities, essays and the application round move the number; the free calculator includes them.
Estimates, not guarantees. Get yours with your real courses and activities. Assistants and developers can fetch this table from the free API: /api/v1/colleges/washington-and-lee-university.
Early Decision, Early Action and the waitlist at Washington and Lee University
From Washington and Lee University's own 2025-26 Common Data Set (fall 2025 entering class): sections C1, C2, C21-C22 and D2.
What is the early decision acceptance rate at Washington and Lee University?
27.6%. Washington and Lee University admitted 289 of 1,048 Early Decision applicants for fall 2025, against 13.5% of all 8,963 first-year applicants (Washington and Lee University's 2025-26 Common Data Set).
Does applying early decision help at Washington and Lee University?
On the raw numbers, yes: Early Decision applicants were admitted at 27.6% versus about 11.7% for everyone who applied another way, 2.4x the rate, and Early Decision filled 23.8% of the admitted class. Part of that gap is who applies early (recruited athletes and legacy applicants often do), so it is not all the round itself. Early Decision is binding: apply only if Washington and Lee University is your clear first choice and the family can commit without comparing aid offers.
What is the transfer acceptance rate at Washington and Lee University?
7%: 7 of 100 transfer applicants were admitted for fall 2025 (Washington and Lee University's 2025-26 Common Data Set).
Source: Washington and Lee University Common Data Set 2025-26. Every figure appears verbatim in the document. See how early rounds compare across colleges in the Early Decision rankings.
How to get into Washington and Lee University
Built from Washington and Lee University's admitted class and what it reports weighing. The typical-admit GPA and SAT are CollegeCalcAI's modeled figures, not published cutoffs.
Getting into Washington and Lee University comes down to four decisions, each one visible in the data on this page.
CollegeCalcAI's modeled typical admit at Washington and Lee University carries about a 3.85 core GPA and a 1490 SAT, in the most rigorous schedule available. At this selectivity that is the entry ticket, not the deciding factor.
The admitted middle 50% is 1430 to 1540 SAT (33 to 34 ACT). Submit a score at 1485 or higher; below 1430, apply test-optional if the policy allows.
Washington and Lee University rates rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and application essay highest in its own Common Data Set. Put your depth there: essays that sound like you and answer the actual prompt, and a transcript whose rigor rises through junior year.
Selective private colleges admit a larger share of their class in binding Early Decision; if Washington and Lee University is your clear first choice and the net price works, ED is the single biggest lever an applicant controls. Most early deadlines fall on November 1 and Regular Decision on January 1 to 15; confirm Washington and Lee University's exact dates at www.wlu.edu.
How many students apply to Washington and Lee University, and how many get in?
6,820 students applied to Washington and Lee University for fall 2023; 1,184 were admitted (17.4%). 502 enrolled. Roughly 42% of admitted students enrolled, a typical yield for a school in this range. Washington and Lee University enrolls about 1,881 undergraduates in total, 51% of them women, with a student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS 2023 admissions and enrollment.
What SAT and ACT scores do you need for Washington and Lee University?
Admitted students at Washington and Lee University post SAT scores of 1430 to 1540 in the middle 50%, with an average of 1498. On the ACT the middle 50% runs from 33 to 34. A score above 1540 puts you in the top quarter of admits and turns the test into an asset; a score below 1430 puts you in the bottom quarter, where the rest of the application has to carry more weight. Washington and Lee University is test-optional: scores are considered if you submit them but not required. Send a score at or above the middle of the admitted range; otherwise apply without one and let your transcript lead.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10.
What Washington and Lee University looks for
What Washington and Lee University weighs most heavily in its admissions review, informed by its reported Common Data Set.
Washington and Lee University signals that it values rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and application essay above the rest of the file. At this level of selectivity, the difference between admits is rarely the transcript alone; essays, recommendations, and a coherent story matter. These ratings come from Washington and Lee University's reported Common Data Set, so the full chart below reflects what the school itself says it values, not a generic guess.
SAT score positioning at Washington and Lee University
How common SAT scores sit relative to the admitted middle. This is context, not a probability. Your full profile determines the real estimate.
How much does Washington and Lee University cost after financial aid?
The full sticker price at Washington and Lee University (tuition, fees, housing, food, books) is about $87,000 a year. Tuition and fees alone are $68,045. What families actually pay is different: the average net price after grants and scholarships is $23,781 a year, and it ranges from $0 for families earning under $30,000 to $40,646 for families earning over $110,000. 11% of undergraduates receive a federal Pell Grant.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10. Net price is what students receiving aid paid after grants, by family income.
What do Washington and Lee University graduates earn, and how many graduate?
Median earnings for Washington and Lee University students ten years after entry are $94,810 ($76,516 at the six-year mark). 94% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 97% return for a second year. Among graduates who borrowed, median federal debt at graduation is $19,500; 14% of undergraduates take federal loans.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10. Earnings cover students who received federal aid.
How Washington and Lee University compares in Virginia
Washington and Lee University ranks #1 most selective of 28 schools in Virginia in our database.
Among the 28 Virginia schools we track, Washington and Lee University ranks the most selective by acceptance rate. Nothing else in the state is harder to get into; the next tier down includes University of Virginia at 17%.
Similar to Washington and Lee University
Schools with a similar selectivity profile, worth comparing as you build a balanced list.
If Washington and Lee University is on your list, schools with a similar admit profile are worth a look: Colgate University, Tulane University, and Hamilton College. Running the same profile against each one in the free calculator is the fastest way to see where you are a reach, a match, or a likely.
Frequently asked questions
What is Washington and Lee University's acceptance rate?
Washington and Lee University admitted 1,184 of 6,820 applicants for the fall 2023 entering class, an acceptance rate of 17.4% (U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS). 42% of admitted students enrolled.
What SAT score do you need for Washington and Lee University?
The middle 50% of admitted students scored 1430 to 1540 on the SAT and 33 to 34 on the ACT. A score above 1540 is in the top quarter of admits. Washington and Lee University is test-optional, so only submit a score that helps.
Is Washington and Lee University test-optional?
Yes. Washington and Lee University reports that test scores are considered but not required. Submit a score at or above the middle of the admitted range; otherwise apply without one.
How much does Washington and Lee University cost after financial aid?
The average net price at Washington and Lee University, what students receiving aid paid after grants and scholarships, is $23,781 a year against a sticker price of about $87,000. Families earning under $30,000 paid about $0 on average.
What do Washington and Lee University graduates earn?
Median earnings ten years after entering Washington and Lee University are $94,810 a year among students who received federal aid, and 94% of students graduate within six years (College Scorecard).
What does Washington and Lee University value most in applicants?
Based on its admissions profile, Washington and Lee University weighs rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and application essay most heavily. The full factor breakdown is on this page.
Does Washington and Lee University consider legacy or demonstrated interest?
Many private colleges weigh legacy relationships and demonstrated interest. Washington and Lee University's full factor profile is charted on this page, and CollegeCalcAI models a legacy effect scaled to a school's selectivity.
How can I improve my chances at Washington and Lee University?
Focus on the highest-leverage parts of your application: course rigor and GPA trajectory first, then test scores, then a focused leadership or activity spike. CollegeCalcAI's Power-Ups quantify how much each change would move your odds at Washington and Lee University specifically.
What makes an application stand out at Washington and Lee University?
Beyond strong academics, Washington and Lee University rewards a clear, specific story: focused activities with real impact, essays in an authentic voice, and recommendations that corroborate it. Depth beats a long list of unrelated activities.
Acceptance rate, application counts, admitted test ranges, cost, and outcomes reflect publicly reported federal data (U.S. Department of Education: IPEDS 2023 and the College Scorecard) and each school's Common Data Set; figures are rounded and lag the current cycle by one to two years, so confirm deadlines and policies on the school's own site. The typical-admit GPA and SAT are CollegeCalcAI's modeled estimates. Estimates from CollegeCalcAI are a planning tool computed by a fixed, transparent model, not a guarantee of any admission decision.