Incredible opportunity
for those with
incredible potential.
Leading Lives of Consequence celebrates W&L’s ideals and represents a powerful investment in current and future students who will carry those values forward. This campaign funds critical priorities that will allow the transformative power of a W&L education to endure for generations to come.
Learn more about the campaign.
Why W&L
Washington and Lee University is a small liberal arts college nestled in the Virginia mountains. We are known for our personal and engaging undergraduate experience and highly regarded School of Law.
W&L Advantage
Founded in 1749, W&L is the 9th oldest college in the United States, even older than the U.S. Constitution.
Today, W&L is a top-ranked liberal arts university that continues to build on its innovative and flexible approach to education. W&L’s motto, “Not unmindful of the future,” reflects our commitment to an education that is relevant to the 21st century.
Making College Affordable
W&L is one of fewer than 25 colleges in the U.S. that can admit students without regard for financial need and guarantee to cover 100% of demonstrated need without loans.
Every year, W&L awards about $60 million in institutional grants and federal and state awards. 60% of the entering first-year class receives need-based financial aid, with an average aid award greater than $60,000.
Engaged Community
We are a close-knit, residential campus where students build lifelong friendships by living on campus, working and studying together, participating in clubs and activities, and serving the community.
A community which is strengthened by the student-run Honor System, and the commitment students make not to lie, cheat, steal or otherwise violate the trust of the community.
Pool of Opportunities
Our size, resources and commitment to innovation mean students have access to faculty and resources from day one.
One of the hallmarks of the W&L experience is the accessibility of faculty. Every class is taught by a faculty member who often becomes a mentor, colleague and champion, pushing students to raise the bar.
Adventure-Ready Location
Our campus is about 50 miles from Roanoke, 140 miles from the state capital of Richmond, and 180 miles from the national capital of Washington, D.C.
Lexington — and the adventure-ready landscape that surrounds it — become such a part of students’ lives that graduates often return to visit long after their college days are behind them.
Explore Our Curriculum
Scene on Campus
Scene on Campus is a frequently updated collection of candid photos highlighting W&L campus life.
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The Heart Of W&L
We have a long tradition of educating smart, ambitious students who have the ability and the desire to make a difference in the world.
Experiential Education
At Washington and Lee University, we believe in the power of learning by doing, so students are encouraged to push beyond traditional classroom experiences.
Global Education
Most students participate in an experience abroad during their W&L experience. This may be for a term or full-year, Spring Term, summer program, internship, research, or service.
Undergraduate Research
Students are encouraged to pursue undergraduate research whether independent or in partnership with faculty.
Distinctively W&L
Our size, resources, innovative teaching and interdisciplinary learning, means students get personal attention and have opportunities for distinctive experiences.
From The Columns
Read The Columns for W&L stories on campus and around the world.
Florence As It Was Chosen for National Competition
The interdisciplinary research project has been selected to participate in an open competition among medieval digital humanities projects for K-12 students.
The Kendrick Award, established in memory of Bryant Kendrick ’67, encourages W&L students to experience the natural world.
Student Organization Spotlight: Native American Student Organization
W&L’s Native American Student Organization (NASO) connects the campus to educational programming, events and resources celebrating Indigenous history, culture and community.
Minor Focus: Law, Justice and Society
W&L’s Law, Justice and Society minor examines legal concepts from an interdisciplinary lens.
Enjoy an Eventful 2024 Holiday Season
W&L celebrates the 2024 holiday season with a wide variety of campus and local events.
Three W&L students partnered with an NGO in Ghana this summer to create a training program for aspiring female entrepreneurs.
Nadia Ayoub, professor of biology, loves sharing her passion for open-ended scientific exploration with colleagues and students.
W&L Launches $650 Million Capital Campaign
Washington and Lee University announced on Friday, Oct. 25, the launch of a $650 million comprehensive capital campaign, Leading Lives of Consequence: The Campaign for Washington and Lee.
Historic Gift Allows Washington and Lee University to Adopt Need-Blind Admissions Policy
Alumnus Bill Miller donates $132 million to expand access and affordability.
W&L’s quantum computing program is among the first in the nation offered at a small liberal arts institution.
Adhip Adhikari ’27 spent much of his summer creating a library at a secondary school near his family’s home in Katmandu, Nepal.
‘W&L After Class’ Podcast Releases New Episode Featuring Melissa Kerin
In this month’s episode, Kerin, professor of art history, discusses how following her curiosity of the ways in which people tell stories opened her to opportunities to study remote Buddhist shrines in the Himalayas and examine how we live and die as the director of the Roger Mudd Center for Ethics.