Washington and Lee vs Williams College

Washington and Lee University and Williams College, both esteemed liberal arts institutions, offer distinct educational experiences. Washington and Lee, located in Lexington, Virginia, boasts a lower acceptance rate (18%) compared to Williams' (13%). While Williams excels in the social sciences, Washington and Lee is known for its strong business and management programs. Washington and Lee's student body is predominantly male (62%), while Williams has a more balanced gender ratio (49% male, 51% female). Both institutions boast impressive graduation rates, with Washington and Lee at 94% and Williams at 96%. Explore the detailed comparison table below to discover more key differences and determine which college aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Washington and Lee University	Williams College
Overview
Location	Lexington, Virginia	Williamstown, Massachusetts
Campus setting	Town: Distant	Town: Fringe
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 and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	96.0%	97.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	18.8%	8.8%
Application fees	$60	$65
SAT range	1410 - 1530	N/A
ACT range	32 - 35	N/A
Students submitting SAT score	26.0%
Students submitting ACT score	32.0%
Total number of applicants	6,621	12,452
Total number of admissions given out	1,248	1,099
Admitted students who chose to enroll	484	574
Yield rate	38.8%	52.2%
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)	Not required	Not required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$80,300	$78,060
Average net price	$26,063	$14,487
Tuition	$58,260	$59,350
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $8,600 Meal plan: $7,670	Room/dormitory: $7,625 Meal plan: $7,375
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan Other alternative tuition plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	56.0% Average amount $51,537	52.0% Average amount $52,053
Students receiving federal student loan	13.0% Average amount $4,878	13.0% Average amount $3,992
Students taking out private loans	6.0% Average amount $25,474	2.0% Average amount $3,884

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	1,857 Men 48.7% Women 51.3%	2,174 Men 48.1% Women 51.9%
Graduate students	381 Men 48.8% Women 51.2%	50 Men 44.0% Women 56.0%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Moderate
Out-of-state students	81.2%	N/A
International students	5.0%	9.8%
Campus local/setting	Town: Distant	Town: Fringe
Dormitory capacity	1,520	2,045
First year students are required to live on campus?	Yes	Yes
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Virginia North Carolina Texas New York Georgia	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Legal Profession Social Sciences Biological and Biomedical Sciences Foreign Languages and Literatures Physical Science	Mathematics and Statistics Visual & Performing Arts Social Sciences Foreign Languages and Literatures Ethnic Studies
Students to faculty ratio	8:1	6:1
Institutional accreditation	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges	New England Commission on Higher Education

Outcome
Graduation rate	93.6%	93.8%
Dropout rate	6.2%	3.1%
Transferred out	N/A	1.6%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	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	Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $109,470 Year 2: $96,183 Year 3: $99,047 Economics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $83,280 Year 2: $76,460 Year 3: $91,723 Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $55,217 Year 2: $53,358 Year 3: $63,034 Area Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $37,948 Year 2: $44,384 Year 3: $48,967 History (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $40,036 Year 2: $49,464 Year 3: $44,771 Fine and Studio Arts (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $25,993 Year 2: $38,289 Year 3: $43,402 English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $30,135 Year 2: $40,461 Year 3: $41,065 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $40,760 Year 2: $34,704 Year 3: $37,587 Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $41,029 Year 2: $33,993 Year 3: $26,432 Chemistry (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $35,668 Year 2: $25,525 Year 3: $14,771

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Washington and Lee vs Williams College

Washington and Lee University

Williams College

Overview

Admission

Tuition and Fees

Financial Aid

Students and Campus

Academics

Outcome

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