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 |
Notes: List Excludes Military Academies; includes three Women’s Institutions; Ranking indicates the actual US News Best Colleges rank. In the 2024 Edition, US News dramatically altered its methodology eliminating a number of historical indicators and placing greater weight on inputs and outputs.
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 |