The Total Cost of W&L Attendance: 2026-27
The Total Cost of W&L Attendance: 2026-27
W&L raised tuition by 4.96% for this academic year, raising the total cost of attendance for some students who join Greek Life above $100,000 per year.
(Sorority houses at W&L. | SOURCE: Kappa Alpha Theta )
For the 2026-27 academic year, W&L has raised tuition to $73,575, a 4.96% increase from 2025-26. This makes the estimated total cost of attendance $99,880 before financial aid and optional expenses such as Greek Life are factored in. Sixty-three percent of W&L’s freshman class received financial aid, with an average award of $71,703.
(The total cost of attendance at Washington and Lee University from 2018-19 to 2026-7. | SOURCE: Washington and Lee University, graph created by the W&L Spectator)
This total cost of attendance estimate is similar to peer institutions, such as Davidson College’s $95,565 and the University of Richmond’s $92,320 for the 2026-27 academic year.
The raise in tuition, room, and board costs roughly mimics last year’s increase in percentage terms.
(Percentage increases to tuition, room, and board at Washington and Lee University. | SOURCE: Washington and Lee University, graph created by the W&L Spectator)
W&L’s published cost of attendance estimate does not include optional expenses such as fraternity or sorority dues. These optional expenses are particularly relevant because approximately 70% of W&L students join a Greek organization.
Greek life is the center of social life for many students at W&L. Akash Abraham ‘28, Editor-in-Chief of the Spectator, considered joining a fraternity but ultimately decided against it. He said that once he became a sophomore, he “became much more aware of the difference Greek Life makes for one’s experience at W&L.”
“Because a lot of my friends were now living in the fraternity houses,” Akash continued, “I saw them much less and struggled to stay in touch. My closest friends were suddenly almost all
independents.”
The average fraternity dues for an upper division student is $6,030, not including housing and food charges. For sororities, the average is $1,350. Both of these figures bring the total cost of W&L attendance for students that join Greek life over $100,000 per year. For freshmen, who typically join Greek organizations in their second term at W&L, dues average $750 for sororities and $1,413 for fraternities.
According to multiple students interviewed by The Spectator who have led orientation trips for incoming freshmen, some students who enter W&L are unaware of the prevalence of Greek Life and the costs associated with it.
John Santowski ‘26 told The Spectator that “it wasn’t something that was brought up during my recruiting or admissions process.” “I remember other first years asking our [orientation group] leaders about Greek life and it seemed like other students knew a lot more about it than I did.”
In a statement to The Spectator, Dean Kyle McCoil, who oversees the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life, said that costs related to Greek life are discussed with new students during information sessions and orientation events within the first week of classes starting.
This year, W&L is offering a new informational program on Greek Life for incoming freshmen. According to McCoil, “the First-Year Experience Team has invited campus offices to share information with incoming students via webinars, and the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life will host one in late July.”
McCoil added that there is “no compelling reason to prioritize sending [fraternity and sorority life] specific information to new students before their arrival on campus” because students cannot join Greek organizations until the winter term of the freshmen year and already have a series of onboarding and administrative tasks to complete during the summer. “We ensure that the information is available online in case prospective students have questions,” McCoil said.
Eric Owsley, the Director of Admissions and Financial Aid Communication, told The Spectator that “we do not present costs associated with Greek life in admissions publications, email messages, or on the admissions website.”
Due to the expenses associated with Greek Life, the decision of whether to join an organization can be financial rather than social.
The costs of Greek life can be mitigated for some students. Some fraternities, according to a former treasurer for a Greek life organization who spoke with The Spectator, offer internal financial aid. Since they are run directly by the fraternities, details about these programs are not public.
Beyond Greek life, many students at W&L incur substantial travel costs. These expenses are not included in W&L’s cost of attendance estimate. For the incoming class of 2030, 13% of students come from outside of the United States. Only 15% are from Virginia.
While Lexington does not offer direct rail or airline service, W&L has a shuttle program to help students reach the nearest airports and train stations. According to W&L, shuttles currently serve Roanoke Airport, Charlottesville Airport, Charlottesville Amtrak Station, Richmond International Airport, and Dulles International Airport. Pricing for the shuttle system varies.
Students without financial aid, if the 2026-27 cost of attendance was applied over four years, pay an estimated $399,520 to earn their degree. If three years of average upper-division fraternity dues and average freshmen dues are added, this raises the figure to $419,023 before accounting for travel. For sororities, the total cost becomes $404,320.
Per W&L’s financial aid website, “Undergraduate students whose total family income is under $200,000 with typical assets and who meets eligibility requirements will receive a minimum grant covering full tuition beginning in 2027-28.” Families earning less than $75,000,” the statement continues, “will pay no tuition, room, or board.”
As W&L’s endowment struggles to meet return goals and faculty salaries decline relative to peer institutions, the total cost of a W&L degree for students who join Greek life and do receive financial aid has quietly crossed $400,000.
