Washington and Lee vs Macalester College

Washington and Lee University and Macalester College, two esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Washington and Lee, nestled in the historic town of Lexington, Virginia, boasts a lower acceptance rate and a predominantly male student body, while Macalester, located in the vibrant city of Saint Paul, Minnesota, has a higher acceptance rate and a more diverse student population. Both universities excel in academics, with Washington and Lee specializing in business, law, and journalism, and Macalester excelling in the social sciences, humanities, and natural sciences. Explore the detailed comparison table to discover more about these institutions' unique offerings, including graduation rates, popular majors, and financial aid opportunities, and make an informed decision that aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Macalester College	Washington and Lee University
Overview
Location	Saint Paul, Minnesota	Lexington, Virginia
Campus setting	City: Large	Town: Distant
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	Semester	4-1-4
Degrees offered	Undergraduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	96.0%	96.0%
Common app member	No	Yes
Religious affiliation	Presbyterian

Admission
Acceptance rate	31.3%	18.8%
Application fees	$40	$60
SAT range	1340 - 1515	1410 - 1530
ACT range	29 - 33	32 - 35
Students submitting SAT score	35.0%	26.0%
Students submitting ACT score	39.0%	32.0%
Total number of applicants	9,046	6,621
Total number of admissions given out	2,828	1,248
Admitted students who chose to enroll	601	484
Yield rate	21.3%	38.8%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Not required	Not required
Recommendation letters	Required	Required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Not required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$76,357	$80,300
Average net price	$30,939	$26,063
Tuition	$60,288	$58,260
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $7,272 Meal plan: $6,270	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)	87.0% Average amount $42,832	56.0% Average amount $51,537
Students receiving federal student loan	39.0% Average amount $4,799	13.0% Average amount $4,878
Students taking out private loans	29.0% Average amount $4,321	6.0% Average amount $25,474

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	2,244 Men 43.3% Women 56.7%	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	N/A	81.2%
International students	13.5%	5.0%
Campus local/setting	City: Large	Town: Distant
Dormitory capacity	1,332	1,520
First year students are required to live on campus?	Yes	Yes
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	Virginia North Carolina Texas New York Georgia

Academics
Popular study areas	Mathematics and Statistics Foreign Languages and Literatures Multidisciplinary Studies Social Sciences Computer and Information Science	Legal Profession Social Sciences Biological and Biomedical Sciences Foreign Languages and Literatures Physical Science
Students to faculty ratio	10:1	8:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	89.7%	93.6%
Dropout rate	10.0%	6.2%
Transferred out	N/A	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Economics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $47,163 Year 2: $64,493 Year 3: $72,135 Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $60,896 Year 2: $52,107 Year 3: $56,193 Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $28,635 Year 2: $35,274 Year 3: $43,620 Geography and Cartography (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $28,253 Year 2: $32,569 Year 3: $39,047 International/Global Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $22,368 Year 2: $34,526 Year 3: $36,933 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $24,116 Year 2: $31,133 Year 3: $34,521 Natural Resources Conservation and Research (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $26,444 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $21,508 Year 3: N/A Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $73,129 Year 2: $71,575 Year 3: N/A Education, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $33,281 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

Compare Similar Colleges

The list of suggested college comparisons provided below is generated automatically by our system, utilizing statistics gathered from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and various online sources. If you don't find the colleges you wish to compare, please visit our comparison page. There, you can search for the specific colleges and initiate your comparison.

Washington and Lee vs Macalester College

Macalester College

Washington and Lee University

Overview

Admission

Tuition and Fees

Financial Aid

Students and Campus

Academics

Outcome

Compare Similar Colleges

Find Colleges By State

Resources

About