William & Mary

The College of William & Mary was founded in 1693, making it the second oldest college in the entire country. Located in Williamsburg, Virginia, the school is set in the suburbs on 1,200 acres of land. The school was actually established by King William III and Queen Mary II of England and is known for many notable firsts. It was the first school to establish an honor code for students, and the Marshall-Wythe School of Law was the country’s first law school (founded in 1779). The campus also houses the Sir Christopher Wren Building, which happens to be the oldest college building left in the U.S. William & Mary enrolls around 6,300 undergraduate and 2,400 postgraduate students every year. The school also offers many opportunities for studying abroad and, with over half of undergraduates taking part in these programs, William and Mary has the highest participation rate of any public university.

There are 117 undergraduate majors and 125 minors. Several of the well-known graduate schools include the Marshall-Wythe School of Law, the School of Education, and the Mason School of Business. The school conducts a high level of research through their graduate programs, especially in the fields of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). The most popular majors for undergraduates are social sciences; business, management, marketing, and related support services; biological and biomedical sciences; English language and literature/letters; and psychology. The student to faculty ratio is fairly low at 11 to 1 (the second lowest among all U.S. public institutions), and 49% of classes have fewer than 20 students. Most notably, nearly all undergraduate classes are taught by professors instead of graduate students or teaching assistants.

There are many opportunities for social activities outside the classroom. Student organizations are plentiful since the majority of students choose to live on campus. There is a significant Greek scene at William & Mary, as they were the first school to establish the academic honor society, Phi Beta Kappa in 1776. There are 18 fraternities and 15 sororities; about 27% of men belong to a fraternity and about 31% of women belong to a sorority. There are several other non-Greek social fraternities, including the Nu Kappa Epsilon music society and the Queens’ Guard.

Students can get involved in one of 11 a cappella groups, large musical ensembles (including a symphony orchestra, wind symphony, and choir), or groups like opera, string ensemble, or jazz combo. Students can also participate in the production of the official newspaper, The Flat Hat, or the conservative publication, The Virginia Informer; the campus even has their own monthly magazine, The DoG Street Journal. Students are constantly treated to concerts and special speakers as part of William & Mary’s Alma Mater Productions (AMP), which hosts events in the Kaplan Arena.

William and Mary athletes formerly competed as the Indians, but now they are named the Tribe. The teams participate in the NCAA Division I varsity sports like men and women’s basketball, cross country, golf, gymnastics, soccer, and swimming and diving. There are also teams for field hockey, lacrosse, and volleyball. William and Mary teams have also competed in the Colonial Athletic Association and the NCAA Division I-AA championships. Students interested in a public university with small class sizes and an active social scene should look into William and Mary’s programs.

Freshmen Admissions
Number of 2019 (Class of 2023) applicants: 14,670
Enrolled: 1,545
Yield: 29%
Overall acceptance rate: 36.9%

In-state acceptance rate: 45%
Out-of-state acceptance rate: 29%

Early Decision Admission Statistics
Number of 2019 (Class of 2023) ED applicants: 827
ED acceptance rate: 58%

Transfer Admissions
Number of transfer applicants: 832
Transfer applicants admitted: 431
Transfer acceptance rate: 51.8%

Waitlist Admission Statistics
Number of waitlisted applicants: 2,172
Admitted off waitlist: 94
Acceptance rate: 4.3%

Academic Qualifications
Average GPA: 4.24
Top 10% of High School: 77%

Middle SAT Range (25 to 75 Percentile)
SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing: 660-730
SAT Math: 650-760

Middle ACT Range (25 to 75 Percentile)
ACT Composite: 30-33
ACT English: 31-35
ACT Math: 27-32

SAT/ACT required

Writing portion not required

SAT Subject Tests considered if submitted

Graduation Rates
4 years: 85.2%
5 years: 90.6%
6 years: 91.1%

Transfer out: 6%

Loan default rate: 1.3%

Total Rhodes Scholars: 0

Salary after attending: $58,500

R&D Expenditures: $64.1 million

Campus Safety
Sex offenses: 13
Robberies: 2
Aggravated assaults: 2
Burglaries: 10
Car thefts: 2

In-state tuition, room and board (2019-2020): $36,554
* Virginia residents are guaranteed the same annual tuition for four years.

Total Estimated Cost of Attendance (2019-2020)
In-state: $39,604
Out-of-state: $63,100

Net Cost (in-state)
Average: $15,622

By income
$0 to $30,000: $997
$30,001 to $48,000: $3,001
$48,001 to $75,000: $11,877
$75,001 to $110,000: $19,171
$110,001 and more: $30,422

Graduates with student debt: 35%

Average student debt at graduation: $25,409

Student to Faculty Ratio: 12 to 1

Women: 58%

Undergraduate Class Sizes
Under 20: 47%
20 to 39: 39%
40 to 99: 12%
100+: 2%

Student Population
Total: 8,617
Undergraduate: 6,276

Student Residence
In State: 62%
Out of State: 31%
International: 6%
Unknown: 1%