William and Mary | College of William and Mary | Best College

Quick Stats

PO Box 8795
Williamsburg, VA 23187-8795: [map]

Phone: (757) 221-4000

2011-2012 Tuition

$13,132: in-state

$35,409: out-of-state

Students

5,898: enrolled

45%: male /

55%: female

Admissions

Jan. 1: application deadline

31.7%: accepted

More Information

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U.S. News Rankings

Ranking score and category

U.S. News rank	Category Name
#33	National Universities

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Summary

College of William and Mary is a public institution that was founded in 1693. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 5,898, its setting is suburban, and the campus size is 1,200 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. College of William and Mary's ranking in the 2012 edition of Best Colleges is National Universities, 33. Its in-state tuition and fees are $13,132 (2011-12); out-of-state tuition and fees are $35,409 (2011-12).

The College of William and Mary is second oldest college in the country. It was founded by King William III and Queen Mary II of England. The school’s NCAA Division I varsity sports teams, known as the "Tribe," participate in the Colonial Athletic Association. Students are involved with the Phi Beta Kappa fraternity, the nation’s first academic Greek society, as well as other fraternities and sororities on campus. All freshmen are required to live on campus and the majority of upperclassmen live on campus as well. The school is located in historic downtown Williamsburg, Va. In contrast to its old-timey feel, the college is among Intel’s "50 Most Unwired College Campuses" for its campuswide wireless network.

The school has more than 30 undergraduate programs and 10 graduate programs and professional degree programs. Its highly-ranked graduate schools include the Marshall-Wythe School of Law, the School of Education, and the Mason School of Business. William and Mary was the first school to create a student honor code, and its Marshall-Wythe School of Law is nation’s first law school. The school is also steeped in traditions, including the ringing of the Wren bell by graduating seniors in the Sir Christopher Wren Building, the oldest college building in the nation. Notable alumni include three U.S. presidents—Thomas Jefferson, James Monroe, and John Tyler, as well as Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, actress Glenn Close, and comedians Jon Stewart and Patton Oswalt.

School mission and unique qualities (as provided by the school):

Founded in 1693 and one of the nation's premier state-assisted liberal arts universities, the College of William & Mary believes that excellence in teaching is the key to unlocking intellectual and personal possibilities for students. Dedicated to this philosophy and committed to small classes and student-faculty collaboration, the College provides high-quality undergraduate, graduate and professional education that prepares students to make significant contributions to the Commonwealth of Virginia and the nation. In recognition, the media have included William & Mary among the nation's prestigious "Public Ivys," and ranked it first among state institutions in terms of commitment to teaching.

General Information

School type	public, coed college
Year founded	1693
Religious affiliation	N/A
Academic calendar	semester
Setting	suburban
2010 Endowment	$539,546,560

Applying

When applying to College of William and Mary, it's important to note the application deadline is January 1, and the early decision deadline is November 1. Scores for either the ACT or SAT test are due January 24. The application fee at College of William and Mary is $60. It is most selective, with an acceptance rate of 31.7 percent.

For more information about the tests, essays, interviews, and admissions process, visit the Applying to College knowledge center.

Selectivity	most selective
Fall 2010 acceptance rate	32%
Application deadline	January 1
SAT/ACT scores must be received by	January 24

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Academic Life

The student-faculty ratio at College of William and Mary is 12:1, and the school has 46.7 percent of its classes with fewer than 20 students. The most popular majors at College of William and Mary include: Social Sciences, General; Business Administration and Management, General; Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other; English Language and Literature, General; and Psychology, General. The average freshman retention rate, an indicator of student satisfaction, is 95.2 percent.

Class sizes

Student-faculty ratio

12:1

4-year graduation rate

82% - High

Five most popular majors for 2010 graduates

Social Sciences, General	23%
Business Administration and Management, General	12%
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other	12%
English Language and Literature, General	8%
Psychology, General	8%

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Student Life

College of William and Mary has a total undergraduate enrollment of 5,898, with a gender distribution of 45.3 percent male students and 54.7 percent female students. 74.0 percent of the students live in college-owned, -operated, or -affiliated housing and 26.0 percent of students live off campus. College of William and Mary is part of the NCAA I athletic conference.

See what students are saying about life at College of William and Mary.

Total enrollment	8,000
Student gender distribution

Undergraduate men who are members of a fraternity

Undergraduate women who are members of a sorority

Collegiate athletic association	NCAA I

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Campus Info & Services

College of William and Mary offers a number of student services including nonremedial tutoring, placement service, day care, health service, and health insurance. College of William and Mary also offers campus safety and security services like 24-hour foot and vehicle patrols, late night transport/escort service, 24-hour emergency telephones, lighted pathways/sidewalks, student patrols, and controlled dormitory access (key, security card, etc). Of the students at College of William and Mary, 55 percent have cars on campus. Alcohol is permitted for students of legal age at College of William and Mary.

Students who have cars on campus	55% - Medium
Health insurance offered	Yes
Students required to own/lease a computer	Yes

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Paying for School

At College of William and Mary, 34.3 percent of full-time undergraduates receive some kind of need-based financial aid and the average need-based scholarship or grant award is $12,038.

Paying for college doesn't have to be difficult or devastating. Go to the Paying for College knowledge center to get advice on raising cash and reducing costs.

In-state tuition and fees	$13,132 (2011-12)
Out-of-state tuition and fees	$35,409 (2011-12)
Room and board	$8,892 (2011-12) - Medium
Financial aid statistics

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Student Reviews Ratings data provided by Unigo

I think one of the best things about the campus is that people are not afraid, and are in fact encouraged, to state their opinions. With the recent drama surrounding President Nichol and the Sex Workers' Art Show, you can see it more than ever. Beyond that, there's always opinion columns in The Flat Hat written by students and professors. When I tell people I go to William and Mary they usually say "good job" or they look excited and tell me they know someone, cousin, friend, whoever, who went there who I should talk to. Honestly, with my schedule this semester, I spend a lot of time in class. And when it's cold, its rare to see people outside in huge numbers. I usually hang out at the rec center, in my dorm, or sometimes in Swem. But when the weather's nice I like to hang out on Sunken Gardens or in this one tree behind Wren. Before the tourists come its also nice to cruise around Colonial Williamsburg. In terms of having a college town William and Mary is somewhat lacking. We do have New Town and the outlets and CW before the tourists come, but nothing that exciting. There are some good restaurants though. I always hear good things about Nawab and Mongo's is really good for all you can eat Asian food.

Alyssa Freshman

William and Mary is a small public school, mostly for undergraduates, which is remarkable by itself. Most students like the small-school atmosphere, especially when it comes to class size. The college shares the town of Williamsburg with a thriving tourist industry- there's almost no "college town" to speak of. There are many tourist establishments that cater to students as well, but the main attractions for students within walking distance consist of three (3) bars, one gas-station style 24 hour convenience store, and a myriad of overpriced restaurants. Many students also feel that the police in Williamsburg are very anti-student.

Ian Junior

The best thing about William and Mary is the opportunities you get here that are so unique. It's magical, actually; even the most timid person, as long as they have an interest in something, has a chance to pursue that interest in truly exciting ways. I came here because when I visited on Admitted Students' Day, there was this extremely quiet girl who got up to speak at a session on research opportunities. We could hardly hear her, and she didn't seem like an obvious choice as a speaker who was supposed to be convincing us to attend William and Mary. Then she told this story about emailing a professor about trying to get into a class that was full, and in response getting an offer to spend the summer doing research with him. This was amazing. She was clearly not the most aggressive or cutthroat of people, but here, she didn't have to be in order to have an absolutely amazing experience, and one that fit her interests perfectly. She ended up getting published with this professor-- all because of one tentative, and unrelated, email. So I decided to come here because I wanted to be able to tell a story like this. And this summer, I will be going to Kenya for six weeks to go on an archaeological dig. For free. I am able to do this because a professor I had in the fall suggested some names of people to contact. One email later, I was offered a ticket to Nairobi. I didn't have to beat out tons of my also well-qualified classmates, or brag endlessly and uncomfortably about myself, and this is the kind of thing I've only heard about happening at William and Mary.

Allison Freshman

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* Overview details based on 2010 data

College of William and Mary

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Summary

General Information

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