Published on September 23, 2025
Published on June 9, 2026
Ranked tied #54 among National Universities by US News, #23 among Public Universities, America’s second-oldest university (founded in 1693, behind only Harvard in 1636), one of the original Public Ivies, Top 10 nationally in Government, Top 25 nationally for Pre-law, Top 50 Raymond A. Mason School of Business, birthplace of Phi Beta Kappa, a colonial-era campus in Williamsburg, Virginia, and an undergraduate population of ~6,500 — William & Mary is America’s “most private liberal arts college-like Public Ivy”, grouped with UVA, Michigan, UNC, UC Berkeley, and UCLA among the original five Public Ivies.
William & Mary in one sentence: “America’s second-oldest university + original Public Ivy + birthplace of Phi Beta Kappa + Government Top 10 + 6,500-student small public university with an LAC feel + colonial Williamsburg campus + alma mater of five U.S. presidents.” W&M is not a large Public Ivy like UVA, and it is not any other school called William and Mary (there is only this one in the United States) — it is “a university chartered in 1693 by King William III and Queen Mary II + a school that educated America’s Founding Fathers + the birthplace of Phi Beta Kappa in 1776 + a 6,500-student small public LAC.” To understand W&M, first understand this: it is one of the very few American universities with “the scale of an LAC, the tuition structure of a public university, and the prestige of an Ivy-level institution” — 6,500 undergraduates + public-university tuition (OOS USD $50K vs. Williams USD $90K) + birthplace of Phi Beta Kappa + alumni ties to five U.S. presidents (Thomas Jefferson, James Monroe, John Tyler, and others) — a combination unmatched among American public universities.
Item | Details |
|---|---|
Founded | 1693 (America’s second-oldest university, behind only Harvard 1636) — chartered by King William III and Queen Mary II |
Location | Williamsburg, Virginia (Colonial Williamsburg, a historic colonial town) |
Campus | About 1,200 acres |
Undergraduates | ~6,500 |
Graduate Students | ~2,500 |
Student-Faculty Ratio | 1:11 |
Motto | Hark Upon the Gale (Listen to the Wind) |
Ranking | Placement |
|---|---|
US News National Universities 2025 | #54 |
QS World 2025 | #N/A (small public university not listed) |
THE World 2025 | #251-300 |
US News Public Universities | #23 |
Government / Political Science | Top 10 |
International Relations | Top 25 |
History |
W&M is nationally elite in Government, International Relations, History, English, Pre-law, and Mason Business. Government is Top 10 nationally and is W&M’s signature field — a historical tradition built on five U.S. presidential alumni and its role in educating America’s Founding Fathers. Pre-law is Top 25 nationally by law school placement rate — W&M Pre-law students enter top law schools such as Harvard, Yale, Stanford, UVA, and Georgetown at high rates. Mason School of Business is Top 50 and includes Finance, Accounting, Marketing, and Management.
Metric | Value |
|---|---|
Applicants | ~17,000 |
Admitted Students | ~5,600 |
Overall Acceptance Rate | About 33% |
In-State (VA) Acceptance Rate | About 40% |
OOS / International Acceptance Rate | About 25% |
ED Acceptance Rate | ~55% |
Yield Rate |
W&M is a lower-acceptance-rate, higher-quality small LAC-feel public university — its 33% overall acceptance rate is more forgiving than UVA’s (~16%) but more selective than typical public universities. The OOS / international acceptance rate is ~25% because W&M is legally required to reserve 65% of seats for in-state students (the same state-law constraint as UVA) — OOS competition is extremely intense.
W&M uses a three-round ED + EA + RD structure — the ED acceptance rate is ~55%, making it the biggest strategic option for W&M applicants.
Test | 25th percentile | Median | 75th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
SAT | 1380 | 1450 | 1510 |
ACT | 31 | 33 | 35 |
W&M is Test-Optional — students may choose not to submit scores. However, OOS / international applicants, Honors applicants, and Mason Business applicants are advised to submit scores.
Item | Amount |
|---|---|
In-State Tuition | USD $25,400 |
OOS Tuition | USD $50,400 |
International Student Tuition | USD $50,400 |
Housing | USD $9,400 |
Food | USD $6,800 |
Personal + Misc | USD $4,500 |
In-State Total | USD $46,100+ |
W&M’s total OOS / international cost of USD $71K is a moderate-value option among Public Ivies — slightly lower than UVA OOS, USD $15K+/year cheaper than UMich OOS, and USD $20K/year cheaper than LACs such as Williams and Amherst at USD $90K+.
W&M’s 1693 Scholars Program, with full tuition + housing + an overseas summer experience, is a rare “full-ride honors” opportunity at a public university — equivalent in level to Williams and Amherst — and international students may apply. For Taiwanese families, the clearest strategic target is the 1693 Scholars Program — once admitted with the scholarship, a student can effectively attend W&M for four years for free.
W&M uses the COLL Curriculum: a four-year sequenced general education structure — COLL 100 (First-Year) → COLL 150 (Liberal Education) → COLL 200 → COLL 300 (Junior Cross-Cultural) → COLL 400 (Senior Capstone) — deeper and more cross-cultural than typical general education requirements — emphasizing a coherent four-year liberal arts education.
W&M’s personality can be summed up in one sentence: “Public Ivy academic elite + colonial historical character + small, friendly LAC scale + Pre-law / Government / State Department pipeline + Phi Beta Kappa intellectual culture.” W&M students (who call themselves the “Tribe”) are known for being “intellectual + Pre-law anxious + historically rooted + small-school friendly” — the campus culture leans moderate, with a relatively high white student share (~60%), Asian students (~10%), and many students from Virginia, DC, and East Coast prep-school backgrounds.
W&M’s academic atmosphere is “hardworking and intellectually deep” — less intense than UVA or Michigan but more small-class-oriented, and more serious than Wake Forest or Vanderbilt. This is a paradise for students who want Public Ivy academics + a small LAC feel + a strong Pre-law / Government pipeline + a reasonable budget. Princeton Review has repeatedly recognized W&M for “Best Quality of Life,” “Most Engaged in Community Service,” “Best Career Services,” and “Best Schools for History Majors.”
W&M is located in Williamsburg — a colonial historic town in central Virginia (population 15,000, with Greater Williamsburg around 80,000). Williamsburg is a “living museum of American colonial history” — Colonial Williamsburg was restored in the 1920s with funding from the Rockefeller family to recreate the appearance of 18th-century colonial America — Williamsburg served as the capital of Virginia from 1699 to 1780 — Founding Fathers such as Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry, and George Washington all spent time in Williamsburg.
Distances:
Williamsburg is “an American colonial historic town + W&M campus” — it revolves almost entirely around W&M and Colonial Williamsburg — it does not offer big-city convenience — students usually spend weekends on campus, in Richmond, or in DC (2.5 hours by car). The W&M campus partially overlaps with Colonial Williamsburg — The Wren Building (1700) is the oldest academic building in continuous use in the United States.
W&M is world-class in marine science (VIMS), colonial history, Government / Political Science, Pre-law, and English and American literature. VIMS is a Top U.S. marine science graduate school — W&M marine science students benefit from the dual advantage of a public university and nationally leading marine research. Colonial Williamsburg collaborative research gives W&M history / archaeology students unique resources. NASA Langley and Jefferson Lab are both within 30 minutes of campus — Aerospace and Physics students have many internship opportunities.
W&M’s alumni network has deep influence across U.S. presidents and Founding Fathers, the CIA / FBI / State Department, the Supreme Court, Hollywood entertainment (Glenn Close + Jon Stewart), and NFL coaching. Its density of five U.S. presidential alumni ranks in the national top tier alongside Harvard, Yale, and Princeton — this is W&M’s greatest contribution to the history of American democracy. Glenn Close + Jon Stewart are W&M’s greatest honors in entertainment.
Among Public Ivies, W&M is one of the schools that cares most about “intellectual depth + fit with colonial historical character + writing ability.” Pure bragging essays will be filtered out — W&M wants to see why this student would thrive in a 6,500-student small public university, a four-year deep liberal arts COLL Curriculum, and the colonial tradition of Charter Day.
✓ Good fit for students who:
✗ Not necessarily a good fit for students who:
William & Mary is the Virginia public university within the Public Ivy group that best represents “a small public university most like a private LAC + America’s second-oldest university + a famous Pre-law / Government pipeline.” It is not a large Public Ivy like UVA, nor is it a purely private LAC like Williams — but it offers Government Top 10, Pre-law Top 25 law school placement, History Top 25, English Top 25, Mason Business Top 50, and Marshall-Wythe Law Top 35, while also holding five U.S. presidential alumni ties (Jefferson, Monroe, Tyler, Washington as founding-era Chancellor) + the 1776 founding of Phi Beta Kappa on campus + The Wren Building from 1700 as America’s oldest academic building + the 1693 Scholars full scholarship + the St Andrews dual-country degree + the romantic legend of Crim Dell Bridge + 332 years of Charter Day campus ritual + entertainment alumni Glenn Close and Jon Stewart + national security alumni Robert Gates and Christopher Wray — these details create “the most historically deep LAC-feel school among American public universities.”
If you are a student who wants to study Government, Pre-law, International Relations, History, or English, W&M is one of the few choices on earth that can offer “Public Ivy academics + small LAC scale + the history of America’s second-oldest university” at the same time. Its Government students intern at the State Department, CIA, White House, and Capitol Hill (DC is 2.5 hours by car), its Pre-law students enter Harvard, Yale, UVA, and Stanford Law at high rates, and its History students collaborate with Colonial Williamsburg on 18th-century colonial history research. The intellectual tradition of Phi Beta Kappa’s birthplace + the density of five U.S. presidential alumni ties gives W&M students an academic identity rarely found at a public university.
The most concrete advice for Taiwanese families: W&M is one of the best choices for Taiwanese families who “want Government / Pre-law / humanities + want a Public Ivy + want an LAC feel + want the 1693 Scholars full scholarship.” The 1693 Scholars Program’s full tuition + housing + overseas summer experience is one of the highest honors among Public Ivies — equivalent in level to Williams and Amherst + open to international students — and the clearest strategic target for Taiwanese families is the 1693 Scholars Program. OOS / international tuition of USD $71K/year is USD $20K/year cheaper than Williams or Amherst at USD $90K+. The St Andrews dual-country degree is practical for Taiwanese students who want “a UK experience + an American public university.”
But the harshest reality for Taiwanese families: W&M’s “colonial historic small-town Williamsburg” character is a real test — Williamsburg is a colonial historic town in central Virginia (population 15,000), 2.5 hours from DC, far from major cities, and limited in cultural options — students who long for “urban convenience” will be disappointed. W&M has no Engineering school — students who want Engineering / Pure CS should not choose W&M — Computer Science is only Top 60. W&M’s “intellectual + Pre-law anxious” character — four years of substantial pressure, deep academics, and relatively traditional social life — is not suitable for students who are just here to study casually and watch football. W&M is less famous in Taiwan — “William & Mary” is unfamiliar to most Taiwanese parents (many Chinese-speaking families may mistakenly think it is a Mary school or a women’s college) — friends may not be amazed when they hear “my daughter attends William & Mary,” because its name recognition is weaker than UVA, UNC, or Georgetown. OOS tuition of USD $71K/year is not cheap either — without 1693 Scholars, the total cost is not far below many private universities. If you care about brand aura, want Engineering, want a coastal city, or want a STEM-first powerhouse, W&M is not the right fit. But if you want “Public Ivy academics + small LAC scale + America’s second-oldest university + Government Top 10 + Pre-law elite pipeline + the 1693 Scholars full scholarship,” W&M has few rivals anywhere on earth. That is the most concrete judgment W&M offers Taiwanese families.
Top 25
English | Top 25 |
Mason School of Business | Top 50 |
Pre-law (law school placement rate) | Top 25 nationally |
Marshall-Wythe School of Law (graduate school) | Top 35 |
Public Affairs | Top 50 |
Computer Science | Top 60 |
Economics | Top 30 |
Sociology | Top 30 |
Anthropology | Top 25 |
~37%
OOS / International Total
USD $71,100+ |
