William & Mary

Public · Selective · VA

Photo: Bmzuckerman (CC BY 4.0)

School data & stats

TypePublic

LocationVA · South

SettingSuburban

Undergrads7,055

Student:faculty12:1

Outcomes

4-yr grad rate84.4%

6-yr grad rate89.4%

Drop-out rate5.4%

Study abroad—

Cost

In-state tuition$26k

Out-of-state tuition$51k

Application fee—

Community

Racial diversity37.7%

Gender diversity58.7%

International3.4%

Identity—

Overview

William & Mary, chartered in 1693, is the second-oldest college in America, set directly beside Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia in a setting where 18th-century history is a living backdrop rather than a museum piece. It combines the intensity and small-class feel of a liberal arts college with the price of a public university, earning it a long-standing 'Public Ivy' reputation. History runs through the campus literally and figuratively, from its founding-era alumni — including Thomas Jefferson — to the Wren Building, the oldest college building still in use in the country.

Academics

Government, history, and business are particular strengths, supported by small classes and close faculty mentoring more typical of a private liberal arts college than a public university. The school also has a genuine research tradition for undergraduates, encouraged through close faculty relationships rather than reserved for graduate students, and interdisciplinary programs draw on the college's historical setting and strength in the humanities. The founding-era pedigree reinforces an academic culture that takes civic study, writing, and historical rigor seriously across majors, not just in the history department itself.

Campus & student life

The campus sits directly adjacent to Colonial Williamsburg, giving students a living-history backdrop unlike almost any other school — costumed interpreters and restored 18th-century buildings are a normal part of the surrounding scenery. Traditions run unusually deep given the college's age, from long-standing rituals tied to the Wren Building to a strong sense of institutional continuity across centuries. The community is close-knit relative to most public universities of comparable name recognition, with student life organized more like a mid-sized liberal arts college than a large state flagship.

Getting in

William & Mary's process is holistic and notably rigorous for a public university, drawing applicants who could compete at elite private schools but want public-school value and a smaller, more personal environment. Essays and demonstrated intellectual seriousness carry real weight, and the admissions culture reflects the college's broader identity — genuinely academically intense rather than simply selective for its own sake.

After graduation

Strong pipelines exist into law, government and public service, and business, reflecting both the strength of those departments and the school's proximity to Richmond and Washington, D.C. The alumni network is notably tight and loyal for a public university, with particular density in Virginia and mid-Atlantic government, legal, and policy circles.

Worth knowing

The 'Public Ivy' label is earned rather than marketing — the academic intensity and small-class experience genuinely resemble a private liberal arts college more than a typical large public university, which is worth understanding for students choosing between W&M and a bigger state flagship. The Colonial Williamsburg setting is also unusually immersive and shapes daily life, not just the occasional field trip.

wm.edu ↗

Admissions

Acceptance rate34.1%

Enrolled mid-50%SAT 1400–1530 · ACT 32–34

Test policyoptional

Rec letters1

Deadlines (2026–27 cycle)

Early decisionNov 1

Regular decisionJan 5

Verified from the school’s admissions page ↗

Applying (2026-27 cycle)

Apply through Common App.

Early decision IIJan 5

Priority / scholarshipFeb 1

Financial aid formsMar 1

Early Decision I and II are binding commitments to enroll if admitted.

Verified from the school’s admissions pages ↗