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Southern Methodist 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
- Washington and Lee places more graduates in BigLaw or federal clerkships: 40.9% of the Class of 2025, against 36.4% at Southern Methodist.
- Washington and Lee costs about $29K less over three years after the average scholarship: $156K against $184K, and more of its students get a scholarship (97% vs 94%).
- Washington and Lee is harder to get into: a 167 median LSAT and a 22.7% acceptance rate, against 167 and 24.6% at Southern Methodist.
- Southern Methodist has the higher first time bar pass rate: 97.8% against 93.5%.
Southern Methodist
vs
Washington and Lee
Where graduates go
Southern Methodist leads 3 of 5
36.4%
BigLaw + federal clerkships
✓40.9%
✓33.8%
BigLaw (501+ attorney firms)
31.8%
2.7%
Federal clerkships
✓9.1%
✓98.2%
Graduates employed
92.7%
✓97.8%
First time bar passage
93.5%
What it costs
Washington and Lee leads 4 of 4
$184K
Three year net cost
✓$156K
94%
Students receiving a scholarship
✓97%
$26,000/yr
Median scholarship (recipients)
✓$33,500/yr
$25,027/yr
Average scholarship (all students)
✓$29,942/yr
Who gets in
Acceptance rate: Southern Methodist 24.6% · Washington and Lee 22.7%
LSAT
Bars run from the 25th to the 75th percentile, with the median marked.
Southern Methodist
163167168
Washington and Lee
161167168
158160162164166168170
GPA
Undergraduate GPA of the entering class, same scale for both schools.
Southern Methodist
3.523.813.92
Washington and Lee
3.513.753.85
3.453.553.653.753.853.95
Southern Methodist University
Washington and Lee University
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Frequently asked questions
Is Southern Methodist or Washington and Lee better for BigLaw?
Washington and Lee placed more of its Class of 2025 in BigLaw or federal clerkships: 40.9% against 36.4%. By BigLaw alone (firms of 501+ attorneys), Southern Methodist placed 33.8% and Washington and Lee placed 31.8%. Federal clerkships were 2.7% at Southern Methodist and 9.1% at Washington and Lee.
Which is harder to get into, Southern Methodist or Washington and Lee?
Southern Methodist's Fall 2025 entering class had a median LSAT of 167 and a median GPA of 3.81, with a 24.6% 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, Southern Methodist or Washington and Lee?
After the average scholarship, three years cost about $184K at Southern Methodist 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, Southern Methodist or Washington and Lee?
94% of Southern Methodist students receive a scholarship, with a median award of $26,000 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?
97.8% of Southern Methodist'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 Southern Methodist 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