Washington and Lee vs Birmingham-Southern College

Washington and Lee University and Birmingham-Southern College, both esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Washington and Lee, located in Lexington, Virginia, boasts a lower acceptance rate of 20% compared to Birmingham-Southern's 65% in Birmingham, Alabama. While Washington and Lee's student body is predominantly male at 62%, Birmingham-Southern's gender distribution is more balanced, with 52% female and 48% male students. Both universities offer a diverse range of majors, with popular choices at Washington and Lee including Business Administration, Economics, and Political Science, while Birmingham-Southern excels in Nursing, Business Administration, and Biology. With graduation rates of 89% and 65% respectively, both institutions prioritize student success and provide ample resources to support their students' academic journeys. Explore the detailed comparison table below to discover more about these universities and make an informed decision that aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Birmingham-Southern College	Washington and Lee University
Overview
Location	Birmingham, Alabama	Lexington, Virginia
Campus setting	City: Midsize	Town: Distant
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	4-1-4	4-1-4
Degrees offered	Undergraduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	78.0%	96.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation	Methodism

Admission
Acceptance rate	65.9%	18.8%
Application fees	$50	$60
SAT range	1090 - 1240	1410 - 1530
ACT range	22 - 28	32 - 35
Students submitting SAT score	7.0%	26.0%
Students submitting ACT score	54.0%	32.0%
Total number of applicants	2,461	6,621
Total number of admissions given out	1,622	1,248
Admitted students who chose to enroll	244	484
Yield rate	15.0%	38.8%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Not required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Not required	Not required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$33,790	$80,300
Average net price	$22,888	$26,063
Tuition	$18,850	$58,260
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $7,900 Meal plan: $5,650	Room/dormitory: $8,600 Meal plan: $7,670
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan Other alternative tuition plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	97.0% Average amount $10,781	56.0% Average amount $51,537
Students receiving federal student loan	79.0% Average amount $3,074	13.0% Average amount $4,878
Students taking out private loans	6.0% Average amount $13,570	6.0% Average amount $25,474

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	1,058 Men 48.7% Women 51.3%	1,857 Men 48.7% Women 51.3%
Graduate students	N/A	381 Men 48.8% Women 51.2%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	38.4%	81.2%
International students	1.5%	5.0%
Campus local/setting	City: Midsize	Town: Distant
Dormitory capacity	1,418	1,520
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	Yes
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Alabama Georgia Tennessee Florida Texas	Virginia North Carolina Texas New York Georgia

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Psychology Business Computer and Information Science Education	Legal Profession Social Sciences Biological and Biomedical Sciences Foreign Languages and Literatures Physical Science
Students to faculty ratio	10:1	8:1
Institutional accreditation	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	69.8%	93.6%
Dropout rate	4.8%	6.2%
Transferred out	24.7%	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $39,374 Year 2: $33,993 Year 3: $50,065 Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $23,048 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $23,580 Year 2: $26,933 Year 3: N/A	Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $56,231 Year 2: $56,641 Year 3: $85,103 Law (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $63,586 Year 2: $72,642 Year 3: $83,304 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $66,449 Year 3: $79,551 Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $76,460 Year 3: $69,951 Economics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $51,643 Year 2: $55,964 Year 3: $68,713 Journalism (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $42,682 Year 3: $54,059 Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $47,231 Year 2: $41,007 Year 3: $45,285 Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $91,744 Year 3: N/A English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $37,593 Year 3: N/A History (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $30,409 Year 3: N/A

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