Fordham University vs Washington and Lee University
Where graduates end up, what each school really costs, and who gets in, side by side from each school's official ABA data. Add your LSAT and GPA to see your chances and scholarship estimates at both.
VS
Add your numbersSee your admission chances and scholarship estimates at both schools.
The short version
- Fordham places more graduates in BigLaw or federal clerkships: 47.9% of the Class of 2025, against 40.9% at Washington and Lee.
- Washington and Lee costs about $106K less over three years after the average scholarship: $156K against $262K, and more of its students get a scholarship (97% vs 87%).
- Fordham is harder to get into: a 168 median LSAT and a 16.2% acceptance rate, against 167 and 22.7% at Washington and Lee.
- Washington and Lee has the higher first time bar pass rate: 93.5% against 90.8%.
Fordham
vs
Washington and Lee
Where graduates go
Washington and Lee leads 3 of 5
✓47.9%
BigLaw + federal clerkships
40.9%
✓44.8%
BigLaw (501+ attorney firms)
31.8%
3.1%
Federal clerkships
✓9.1%
91.7%
Graduates employed
✓92.7%
90.8%
First time bar passage
✓93.5%
What it costs
Washington and Lee leads 3 of 4
$262K
Three year net cost
✓$156K
87%
Students receiving a scholarship
✓97%
✓$35,000/yr
Median scholarship (recipients)
$33,500/yr
$29,405/yr
Average scholarship (all students)
✓$29,942/yr
Who gets in
Acceptance rate: Fordham 16.2% · Washington and Lee 22.7%
LSAT
Bars run from the 25th to the 75th percentile, with the median marked.
Fordham
165168170
Washington and Lee
161167168
158160162164166168170172
GPA
Undergraduate GPA of the entering class, same scale for both schools.
Fordham
3.603.793.88
Washington and Lee
3.513.753.85
3.453.553.653.753.853.95
Fordham University
Washington and Lee University
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Frequently asked questions
Is Fordham or Washington and Lee better for BigLaw?
Fordham placed more of its Class of 2025 in BigLaw or federal clerkships: 47.9% against 40.9%. By BigLaw alone (firms of 501+ attorneys), Fordham placed 44.8% and Washington and Lee placed 31.8%. Federal clerkships were 3.1% at Fordham and 9.1% at Washington and Lee.
Which is harder to get into, Fordham or Washington and Lee?
Fordham's Fall 2025 entering class had a median LSAT of 168 and a median GPA of 3.79, with a 16.2% acceptance rate. Washington and Lee's had 167 and 3.75, with 22.7%. Add your LSAT and GPA above to see your estimated chances at both.
Which costs less, Fordham or Washington and Lee?
After the average scholarship, three years cost about $262K at Fordham and $156K at Washington and Lee, including living costs. Public schools are shown at out of state tuition. Your own scholarship can move these numbers a lot, so add your numbers above for an estimate.
Which gives more scholarship money, Fordham or Washington and Lee?
87% of Fordham students receive a scholarship, with a median award of $35,000 a year among recipients. 97% of Washington and Lee students receive a scholarship, with a median award of $33,500 a year among recipients.
Which has the better bar passage rate?
90.8% of Fordham's first time takers passed in 2025, against 93.5% at Washington and Lee. Each school's profile shows how that compares with the states where its graduates sat.
Should I choose Fordham or Washington and Lee?
It depends on your goals, your odds and your offers. Compare where each school's graduates end up, then add your LSAT and GPA above to see your estimated chances and scholarships at both. Your scholarship offer usually changes the cost more than anything else.
What a higher LSAT changes
Move the LSAT slider in the admissions calculator to watch your odds and scholarship estimates change at every school.
Figures come from each school’s official ABA disclosures. Admission chances and scholarship estimates are modeled from that data and are not predictions of any individual decision. Our data and methodology