Current Undergraduate Peers

Washington and Lee University - Current Undergraduate Peers

The University's undergraduate peers are the top rated liberal arts institutions in the United States as ranked by various publications and a wide array of metrics. Although a ranking scheme may have many flaws, the metrics that undergird those schemes have merit when helping to assess and compare institutional inputs, outputs, and efficiencies.

College/University US News Rank 2018 Edition US News Rank 2019 Edition US News Rank 2020 Edition US News Rank 2021 Edition US News Rank 2022 Edition US News Rank 2023 Edition US News Rank 2024 Edition US News Rank 2025 Edition
Amherst College* 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
Barnard College 26 25 25 22 17 18 11 14
Bowdoin College* 3 5 6 6 6 6 9 5
Carleton College* 8 5 7 9 9 6 9 8
Claremont McKenna College* 8 9 7 6 8 9 11 8
Colby College* 12 18 11 15 17 24 25 25
Colgate University 12 16 17 20 17 18 21 22
Davidson College* 10 10 17 15 13 15 16 14
Grinnell College* 18 11 14 13 13 15 11 19
Hamilton College* 18 16 14 9 13 15 16 14
Harvey Mudd College* 12 18 23 25 28 29 16 12
Haverford College* 18 11 11 15 16 18 21 24
Middlebury College* 6 5 7 9 9 11 11 19
Pomona College* 6 5 5 4 4 3 4 5
Smith College* 12 11 11 15 17 13 16 14
Swarthmore College* 3 3 3 3 3 4 4 3
University of Richmond 23 25 23 22 22 18 25 22
Vassar College* 12 11 14 13 22 13 16 12
Washington & Lee University* 10 11 10 9 11 11 21 19
Wellesley College* 3 3 3 4 5 5 4 7
Wesleyan University 21 18 17 20 17 18 11 14
Williams College* 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

*Represents institution typically ranked in the top 15.

Note: List Excludes Military Academies; includes three Women’s Institutions; Ranking indicates the actual US News Best Colleges rank.

Other institutions that may be considered peers for various comparisons:

College/University U.S. News - 2021 Edition US News Rank 2022 Edition US News Rank 2023 Edition US News Rank 2024 Edition US News Rank 2025 Edition
Bates College 22 25 25 24 26
Colorado College 25 26 27 29 29
Macalaster College 27 27 27 27 26
Bryn Mawr College 28 30 31 30 29