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At a Glance

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The W&L Story

W&L prepares students to meet the world’s challenges as ethical leaders, visionary thinkers and compassionate citizens.

Some decide to attend for its small size and personal attention; others will say it’s our academic reputation, scenic location or engaged community. Whatever their reason, once here, students find a place to grow intellectually, unlock opportunities and prepare for the future. W&L students hold each other to the highest standard of integrity, united by the student-run honor system. And when they graduate, they do so as critical thinkers with a network of support, lifelong friendships and a degree that opens doors.

“I have achieved so much in my short time at W&L, and I know the sky is the limit when it comes to the future!”

Tanajia Moye-Green ’23
Major: Sociology Minor: Poverty Studies, Data Science

Fast Facts

As a top-tier liberal arts university, W&L is a place where students grow intellectually, unlock opportunities and prepare for their futures.

Campus Setting

How does a school become a home? How does a town become a community? In Lexington, it’s your first day in the Campus Kitchen, in a local coffee shop, on the river, or in a classroom. Lexington really is a remarkable place.

Situated on 325 acres in historic Lexington, Virginia (population 7,000), W&L is approximately two hours from Richmond, Virginia, and three hours from Washington, D.C. W&L is nestled in the Shenandoah Valley only minutes away from the Blue Ridge Parkway and the Appalachian Trail.

Enrollment

Full-time Undergraduate - 1,857
Law School - 378
Men - 49%
Women - 51%
Underrepresented - 19%
Countries - 41
U.S. States - 49

62% of students live on campus
150+ clubs and organizations
75% of students participate in service efforts
About 60% of students study abroad each year

Academic Profile

W&L is composed of two undergraduate divisions, the College and the Williams School of Commerce, Economics, and Politics; and a graduate School of Law. W&L is the only leading liberal arts college to have nationally accredited programs in business and journalism, and one of the few offering an engineering program.

36 Majors and 41 Minors
Classes Taught by Faculty - 100%
Average Class Size - 15
Student-Faculty Ratio - 8:1
Graduation Rate - 4 years - 92%
Degrees - BA, BS, JD

Athletics

34% of W&L students compete on one of 24 varsity teams within the NCAA Division III ODAC Conference, not to mention those that compete through club and intramural teams.

²Ñ±ð²Ô’s Sports: Baseball, Basketball, Cross Country, Football, Golf, Lacrosse, Riding, Soccer, Swimming, Tennis, Track and Field, Wrestling

°Â´Ç³¾±ð²Ô’s Sports: Basketball, Cross Country, Field Hockey, Golf, Lacrosse, Riding, Soccer, Swimming, Tennis, Track and Field, Volleyball

W&L has won the ODAC Commissioner’s Cup for overall athletic excellence for 25 of the past 27 years!

Outcomes

In their first year, students are assigned a Career Advisor to support them one-on-one. Advisors have focus areas, such as finance, government, law, consulting, health care and marketing, for industry-specific support, and they also help undecided students explore career paths and post-graduate options.

W&L is consistently named a top producer of Fulbright students in the U.S.

93% of graduates are employed or in graduate school within six months of graduation.

93% of graduates are accepted to law, medical, dental, veterinary, and other professional programs.

Stories

W&L’s International Student Mentors Program pairs new international students with upper-division students to help them navigate life on campus.

Jay Margalus, Johnson Professor of Entrepreneurship and Leadership and director of the Connolly Center for Entrepreneurship, offers us an office tour.

Students in W&L’s Bonner Program spent the last year creating a digital map of health care networks for people experiencing homelessness worldwide.

A group of students passionate about research has been working tirelessly to make this year’s Science, Society and the Arts 2025 conference an event to remember. 

Mackenzie Brooks, associate professor and digital humanities librarian, has made an impact on campus through her innovative and collaborative approach to teaching and scholarship.

Mariam Drammeh ’25 has approached research, internships and campus involvement with an eye toward a future rooted in service to others.

Past presidents of ÄûÃÊÊÓƵ’s Executive Committee reflect on how it prepared them for a life of values-driven leadership.

At WLUR-FM, ÄûÃÊÊÓƵ’s radio voice since 1967, students get an introduction to audio production, podcasting and more.

This fall, W&L students learned environmental field methods at a six-acre site in Rockbridge County set aside for experiential learning.

Associate professor Ryan Brindle’s sleep lab gives students unparalleled opportunities to conduct hands-on research at the undergraduate level.

Students polished their pitching skills at a video pitch competition on Dec. 6 in the Harte Center for Teaching and Learning.

The interdisciplinary research project has been selected to participate in an open competition among medieval digital humanities projects for K-12 students.