University of Mary Washington
University of Mary Washington 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
University of Mary Washington Featured Rankings
- #7 Best Online MBAs Virginia
- #7 Virginia's Best Online Colleges 2026
- #9 Best Small Colleges in Virginia
- #9 Most Affordable Colleges in Virginia 2026
- #10 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Virginia 2026
- #11 Virginia's Best Online Master's Degrees
- #11 Best Public Colleges in Virginia
- #17 Best Colleges in Virginia 2026
About University of Mary Washington
According to Wikipedia, The University of Mary Washington is a public liberal arts university in Fredericksburg, Virginia. Founded in 1908 as the Fredericksburg Teachers College, the institution was named Mary Washington College in 1938 after Mary Ball Washington, mother of the first president of the United States, George Washington. The General Assembly of Virginia changed the college's name to the University of Mary Washington in 2004 to reflect the addition of graduate and professional programs to the central undergraduate curriculum, as well as the establishment of more than one campus.
University of Mary Washington's Online Degrees
BSN in Nursing: RN to BSN
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: 1 year
- Format: Fully online
University of Mary Washington Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information
| Annual Applications | Acceptance | Retention Rate | Graduation Rate | Median SAT Score | Median ACT Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4,606 | 80% | 84% | 65% | 1270 | 29 |
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 University of Mary Washington Cost To Attend?
| Tuition and fees (in-state) |
|---|
| $15,304 |
| Income | Average Net Cost |
|---|---|
| 0 - 30K | $20,834 |
| 30K - 48K | $20,592 |
| 48K - 75K | $22,840 |
| 75K - 110K | $25,888 |
| 110K+ | $25,836 |
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 University of Mary Washington Graduates Make?
Ten years after starting college, former University of Mary Washington students who received federal financial aid earn a median of $66,028 a year, and 92% 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.
University of Mary Washington's Demographics
Students enrolled at any time during the 2023–24 school year, including part-time and online students.
| Student Body | Under-Grads | Graduates |
|---|---|---|
| 4,307 | 4,063 | 244 |
Source: National Center for Education Statistics; 12-month enrollment for 2023–24.
Where is University of Mary Washington?
University of Mary Washington is located at 1301 College Ave, Fredericksburg, VA 22401-5300.
How Safe is University of Mary Washington?
University of Mary Washington reported 0.8 violent and property offenses on campus per 1,000 students in 2024, fewer than most midsize 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, University of Mary Washington has a violent crime rate of 0.05% and a property crime rate of 0.03%. Fredericksburg has a violent crime rate of 0.61% and a property (including theft) crime rate of 3.09%. 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 University of Mary Washington Known For?
University of Mary Washington is known for its academic work in the following disciplines:
- Literature
- Philosophy
- Education
- Nursing
- Anthropology
- Physics
- Political Science
- Communications
- History
- Sociology
- Economics
- Mathematics
- Computer Science
- Chemistry
- Biology
- Medical
- Psychology
University of Mary Washington's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered
Each rank compares how much University of Mary Washington'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
University of Mary Washington ranks #358 in the U.S. and #1080 worldwide for influence in Literature.
literature DegreesUniversity of Mary Washington ranks #416 in the U.S. and #1375 worldwide for influence in Philosophy.
philosophy DegreesUniversity of Mary Washington ranks #419 in the U.S. and #1785 worldwide for influence in Education.
education DegreesUniversity of Mary Washington ranks #467 in the U.S. and #1244 worldwide for influence in Nursing.
nursing DegreesUniversity of Mary Washington ranks #468 in the U.S. and #1437 worldwide for influence in Anthropology.
anthropology DegreesUniversity of Mary Washington ranks #488 in the U.S. and #2200 worldwide for influence in Physics.
physics DegreesUniversity of Mary Washington ranks #584 in the U.S. and #2460 worldwide for influence in Political Science.
political-science DegreesUniversity of Mary Washington ranks #589 in the U.S. and #2169 worldwide for influence in Communications.
communications DegreesUniversity of Mary Washington ranks #612 in the U.S. and #1816 worldwide for influence in History.
history DegreesUniversity of Mary Washington ranks #618 in the U.S. and #2116 worldwide for influence in Sociology.
sociology DegreesUniversity of Mary Washington ranks #639 in the U.S. and #3797 worldwide for influence in Economics.
economics DegreesUniversity of Mary Washington ranks #702 in the U.S. and #2857 worldwide for influence in Mathematics.
math DegreesUniversity of Mary Washington ranks #919 in the U.S. and #4124 worldwide for influence in Computer Science.
computer-science DegreesUniversity of Mary Washington ranks #1064 in the U.S. and #4425 worldwide for influence in Chemistry.
chemistry DegreesUniversity of Mary Washington ranks #1196 in the U.S. and #4966 worldwide for influence in Biology.
biology DegreesUniversity of Mary Washington ranks #1569 in the U.S. and #5406 worldwide for influence in Medical.
medicine DegreesUniversity of Mary Washington ranks #1603 in the U.S. and #4214 worldwide for influence in Psychology.
psychology DegreesWho Are University of Mary Washington's Most Influential Alumni?
University of Mary Washington's most influential alumni include professors and professionals in the fields of Literature, Nursing, and Philosophy. Here are some of University of Mary Washington's most famous alumni:
- Elizabeth Edwards
- A Deceased wife of John Edwards.
- Kelly Cherry
- An American writer.
- Karen Olsen Beck
- A Minister and first lady of Costa Rica.
- Judy Muller
- An American journalist.
- Judge Reinhold
- An American actor.
- Eloise E. Clark
- An American biologist.
- Andrea Frome
- An American computer scientist.
- Shirlee Emmons
- An American soprano and voice teacher.