William & Mary
William & Mary at a Glance
Reviewed by James A. Barham, PhD, Vice President and Academic Editor. Influence ranks come from our InfluenceRanking™ methodology; other figures come from federal data, with the year shown under each section. Report an error
William & Mary Featured Rankings
- #2 Most Influential US Universities by State
- #4 Best Colleges in Virginia 2026
- #4 Best Grad Schools in Virginia 2026
- #4 Best Public Colleges in Virginia
- #4 Best Research Universities in Virginia
- #14 15 Colleges with the Happiest Freshmen
- #20 Non-GMAT Online MBAs
- #36 The Fastest Traditional MBA Degree Programs
- #44 Best Public Colleges
- #48 Best Public Grad Schools
About William & Mary
Featured Alumna
Jerry Coyne ranks among our Top Influential Biologists Today.
William & Mary is a public research university in Williamsburg, Virginia. Founded in 1693 by letters patent issued by King William III and Queen Mary II, it is the second-oldest institution of higher education in the United States, after Harvard University.
Source: Wikipedia
According to Wikipedia, The College of William & Mary is a public research university in Williamsburg, Virginia. Founded in 1693 under a royal charter issued by King William III and Queen Mary II, it is the second-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and the ninth-oldest in the English-speaking world. It is classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High Research Activity". In his 1985 book Public Ivies: A Guide to America's Best Public Undergraduate Colleges and Universities, Richard Moll included William & Mary as one of the original eight "Public Ivies".
William & Mary Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information
| Annual Applications | Acceptance | Retention Rate | Graduation Rate | Median SAT Score | Median ACT Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17,548 | 34% | 95% | 88% | 1465 | 33 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); acceptance rate for fall 2024; test scores for fall 2024; applications and enrollment for fall 2023; retention for students who started in fall 2023; graduation rate within six years for students who started in 2019.
How Much Does William & Mary Cost To Attend?
| Tuition and fees (in-state) |
|---|
| $26,456 |
| Income | Average Net Cost |
|---|---|
| 0 - 30K | $3,292 |
| 30K - 48K | $4,385 |
| 48K - 75K | $6,345 |
| 75K - 110K | $14,265 |
| 110K+ | $37,032 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); tuition and fees for 2025–26; net price for 2024–25, for first-time, full-time students receiving financial aid.
How Much Do William & Mary Graduates Make?
Ten years after starting college, former William & Mary students who received federal financial aid earn a median of $83,488 a year, and 94% of those not still in school are working.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard; students who started college in 2011–12 or 2012–13, measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars.
William & Mary's Demographics
Students enrolled at any time during the 2023–24 school year, including part-time and online students.
| Student Body | Under-Grads | Graduates |
|---|---|---|
| 10,868 | 7,465 | 3,403 |
Source: National Center for Education Statistics; 12-month enrollment for 2023–24.
Where is William & Mary?
William & Mary is located at 200 Richmond Road, Williamsburg, VA 23187-8795.
How Safe is William & Mary?
William & Mary reported 0.9 violent and property offenses on campus per 1,000 students in 2024, fewer than most large residential campuses. Its figures can also be looked up in the U.S. Department of Education’s Campus Safety and Security database.
Relative to its enrollment, William & Mary has a violent crime rate of 0.05% and a property crime rate of 0.04%. Williamsburg has a violent crime rate of 0.19% and a property (including theft) crime rate of 1.23%. Sources: campus: U.S. Department of Education Campus Safety and Security data, on-campus offenses in 2024 (violent: murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault; property: burglary, motor vehicle theft and arson, which excludes ordinary theft); city: FBI Crime Data Explorer, offenses reported to the city police in 2024.
What Is William & Mary Known For?
William & Mary is known for its academic work in the following disciplines:
- Law
- History
- Political Science
- Philosophy
- Education
- Literature
- Earth Sciences
- Economics
- Physics
- Anthropology
- Biology
- Religious Studies
- Business
- Mathematics
- Chemistry
- Computer Science
- Sociology
- Psychology
William & Mary's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered
Each rank compares how much William & Mary's faculty and alumni have shaped a field with other schools, using Wikipedia, Wikidata and scholarly citation databases such as Crossref and Semantic Scholar. World and U.S. ranks reflect modern influence; the historical rank counts influence across all time. How we rank influence
William & Mary ranks #66 in the U.S. and #196 worldwide for influence in Law.
William & Mary ranks #89 in the U.S. and #222 worldwide for influence in History.
history DegreesWilliam & Mary ranks #95 in the U.S. and #319 worldwide for influence in Political Science.
political-science DegreesWilliam & Mary ranks #114 in the U.S. and #357 worldwide for influence in Philosophy.
philosophy DegreesWilliam & Mary ranks #116 in the U.S. and #409 worldwide for influence in Education.
education DegreesWilliam & Mary ranks #120 in the U.S. and #327 worldwide for influence in Literature.
literature DegreesWilliam & Mary ranks #127 in the U.S. and #495 worldwide for influence in Earth Sciences.
earth-science DegreesWilliam & Mary ranks #132 in the U.S. and #565 worldwide for influence in Economics.
economics DegreesWilliam & Mary ranks #151 in the U.S. and #591 worldwide for influence in Physics.
physics DegreesWilliam & Mary ranks #165 in the U.S. and #508 worldwide for influence in Anthropology.
anthropology DegreesWilliam & Mary ranks #166 in the U.S. and #582 worldwide for influence in Biology.
biology DegreesWilliam & Mary ranks #178 in the U.S. and #789 worldwide for influence in Religious Studies.
religious-studies-hub DegreesWilliam & Mary ranks #188 in the U.S. and #582 worldwide for influence in Business.
business DegreesWilliam & Mary ranks #195 in the U.S. and #788 worldwide for influence in Mathematics.
math DegreesWilliam & Mary ranks #211 in the U.S. and #1014 worldwide for influence in Chemistry.
chemistry DegreesWilliam & Mary ranks #226 in the U.S. and #884 worldwide for influence in Computer Science.
computer-science DegreesWilliam & Mary ranks #230 in the U.S. and #839 worldwide for influence in Sociology.
sociology DegreesWilliam & Mary ranks #344 in the U.S. and #863 worldwide for influence in Psychology.
psychology DegreesWho Are William & Mary's Most Influential Alumni?
William & Mary's most influential alumni include professors and professionals in the fields of Law, History, and Communications. Here are some of William & Mary's most famous alumni:
- Winfield Scott
- A United States Army general .
- Henry Clay
- An American politician from Kentucky .
- James Comey
- An American lawyer and the seventh director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation .
- John Marshall
- A Chief justice of the United States from 1801 to 1835, .
- George Wythe
- A First American law professor, a noted classics scholar, a Founding Father of the United States and a Virginia judge.
- Jerry Coyne
- An American biologist, (1949 - ).
- Edmund Randolph
- An American attorney .
- Steven M. Wise
- An American legal scholar.
- Thomas Jefferson
- A President of the United States from 1801 to 1809.
- Christina Romer
- An Economist.
- Jen Psaki
- A Former White House Press Secretary.
- Donald Judd
- An American minimalist artist .
Who Are William & Mary's Most Influential Faculty?
William & Mary's most influential faculty include professors in the fields of Law, History, and Communications. Here are some of William & Mary's most famous faculty:
- Benjamin Bolger
- An American academic.
- Mary Lewis
- A British archaeologist.
- W. Taylor Reveley IV
- A Virginia educator and lawyer.
- Timothy Eglinton
- A Welsh professor of biogeoscience at the Geological Institute, ETH Zürich.
- Nathan Oman
- A Law professor.
- Ann Pearson
- A Murray and Martha Ross Professor of Environmental Sciences at Harvard University.
