Washington and Lee vs Rochester

Washington and Lee University and the University of Rochester, two esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Washington and Lee, nestled in the picturesque Blue Ridge Mountains, boasts a lower acceptance rate, smaller student body, and a focus on liberal arts education. In contrast, the University of Rochester, located in vibrant upstate New York, offers a wider range of academic programs, including strong engineering and research opportunities, and a more diverse student body. While both universities share a commitment to academic excellence, their unique characteristics may appeal to different types of students. Explore our comprehensive comparison table to discover which university better aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	University of Rochester	Washington and Lee University
Overview
Location	Rochester, New York	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	Semester	4-1-4
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	91.0%	96.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	40.5%	18.8%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $50 Graduate: $50	$60
SAT range	1370 - 1520	1410 - 1530
ACT range	31 - 35	32 - 35
Students submitting SAT score	22.0%	26.0%
Students submitting ACT score	7.0%	32.0%
Total number of applicants	19,543	6,621
Total number of admissions given out	7,924	1,248
Admitted students who chose to enroll	1,623	484
Yield rate	20.5%	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	$79,456	$80,300
Average net price	$40,125	$26,063
Tuition	$58,276	$58,260
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $10,692 Meal plan: $6,696	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)	75.0% Average amount $37,870	56.0% Average amount $51,537
Students receiving federal student loan	37.0% Average amount $4,351	13.0% Average amount $4,878
Students taking out private loans	7.0% Average amount $22,054	6.0% Average amount $25,474

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	6,568 Men 48.0% Women 52.0%	1,857 Men 48.7% Women 51.3%
Graduate students	5,471 Men 44.9% Women 55.1%	381 Men 48.8% Women 51.2%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	81.2%
International students	30.7%	5.0%
Campus local/setting	City: Midsize	Town: Distant
Dormitory capacity	1,350	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	Business Health Professions Engineering Education Physical 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	Middle States Commission on Higher Education	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	85.9%	93.6%
Dropout rate	4.2%	6.2%
Transferred out	8.8%	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $91,070 Year 2: $89,524 Year 3: $104,615 Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $84,531 Year 2: $83,177 Year 3: $104,384 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $96,464 Year 2: $95,073 Year 3: $92,400 Educational Administration and Supervision (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $73,860 Year 2: $83,546 Year 3: $90,745 Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $67,134 Year 2: $73,321 Year 3: $87,028 Finance and Financial Management Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $63,597 Year 2: $82,440 Year 3: $83,153 Biomedical/Medical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $55,852 Year 2: $63,005 Year 3: $75,215 Economics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $63,873 Year 2: $57,705 Year 3: $73,661 Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $65,906 Year 2: $61,516 Year 3: $72,841 Business/Commerce, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $56,595 Year 2: $52,941 Year 3: $70,372	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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Rochester

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