The student population at Washington and Lee University is 2,241 (1,886 undergraduate and 355 graduate students) . The number of students has increased by 69 (3.18%) over the past decade.
- Class Level: The percentage of undergraduate students at W&L is 84.16% which is increased by 32 over last 10 years. The graduate student population increased by 37 and it has been increasing.
- Gender Breakdown: In 2025, there were 99 male students for every 100 female students, down from 107 in 2015.
- All students have enrolled in on-campus classes (Washington and Lee University does not offer online degree/certificate program).
Student Population Changes
The average student population over the last 11 years is 2,222 where 2,241 students are attending the school for the academic year 2024-2025.
Total enrollment fluctuated between 2016 and 2025, with 6 year-over-year increases and 3 decreases. It peaked at 2,277 students in 2024 and was lowest at 2,160 in 2017. Overall, enrollment rose from 2,172 to 2,241 students, a net gain of 69 (3.2%).
The following table and chart illustrate the changes in student population by gender at Washington and Lee University since 2015.
Undergraduate Enrollment Changes
The average number of Undergraduate students over the last 11 years is 1,853 where 1,886 students are attending the Undergraduate school for the academic year 2024-2025. The following table and chart illustrate the changes in Undergraduate enrollment by attending status and gender at Washington and Lee University since 2015.
Graduate Enrollment Changes
The average number of Graduate students over the last 11 years is 369 where 355 students are attending the Graduate school for the academic year 2024-2025. The following table and chart illustrate the changes in Graduate enrollment by attending status and gender at Washington and Lee University since 2015.
Enrollment by Race/Ethnicity Changes
The percentage of white students is 65.68%. The percentage was 80.43% 10 years ago and W&L still has a high percentage of white students. 5.22% of enrolled students is Asian and 5.22% is black students. Hispanic students comprise 8.70% of the student body.
Over the past 10 years, the racial composition has shifted. The percentage of white students decreased from 80.43% to 65.68%. Asian enrollment grew from 3.13% to 5.22%. Black student enrollment increased from 2.58% to 5.22%. Hispanic student representation expanded from 4.37% to 8.70%.
The overall racial diversity, measured by the Census Bureau Diversity Index, is 0.5540 which indicates that moderately diverse. This increased from 0.3486 a decade ago, suggesting that racial diversity has improved.
The following table and chart illustrate the student population trends by race/ethnicity at Washington and Lee University over the past 11 years (2015-2025).
Distance Learning (Online Courses) Enrollment Changes
Washington and Lee University does not offer online degree/certificate programs. All Students have enrolled in on-campus programs.