I am going to walk through those numbers with you. Not to tell you whether William & Mary is “good” or “bad”—a spreadsheet cannot answer that question—but so that when you finish reading, you know exactly what is in front of you and what questions you still need to ask.
What Kind of School It Is and Where It Stands
William & Mary is a four-year public university, and the federal classification system—Carnegie—places it among institutions with high research activity and doctoral programs. It also classifies it as a medium-sized, highly residential school: that means that, according to the most recent data in that classification, at least half of its undergraduate students lived in housing owned by or affiliated with the university, and at least 80 out of every 100 attended full time. In its undergraduate admissions profile, Carnegie places it in the most selective group.
It is worth stating clearly what that label does not tell you. It does not tell you how many out of every hundred applicants get in—you will see that later, with its own number. And being “highly residential” does not mean living on campus is free: room and board are charged separately, as they are in any real college budget.
Geographically, the campus is in Williamsburg, Virginia, within the Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk metropolitan area, although that does not mean it is in that area's urban center. The census code places it in a suburb: within the urbanized area but outside the principal city. If your child were considering living at home and commuting to class, the only way to know whether that is realistic is to drive the route on a weekday at the time their classes would take place. The time shown on the map is almost never the actual travel time.
Institutionally, William & Mary is public, awards degrees from the bachelor's through the doctoral level, and reports the doctorate as its highest level. That is information about the institution as a whole, not a guarantee that the specific major your child is interested in extends through that level: each program's pathway must be verified separately. And because it is public, there is something basic but easy to overlook: always ask how much they charge a Virginia resident and how much they charge someone from out of state, and make sure you know which of those two figures they are quoting you before comparing prices with other schools.
One final piece of its identity: William & Mary has none of three specific designations tracked by the government—it is not a historically Black college or university, a tribal college or university, or a land-grant institution. Of the 3,012 universities in this national directory, 138 do have at least one of those three designations. William & Mary's lack of those designations says nothing about which students it serves, how many Latino students are on campus, or how your child will feel there. Ask directly which cultural centers and student organizations exist today, and confirm that by talking with someone who is already studying there.
How Many Students There Are and Who They Are
In the most recent official fall count, William & Mary had 9,762 students enrolled. It is neither a small nor an enormous school: it falls within the official band of between 5,000 and 9,999 students, and compared with 519 selective four-year public schools in this same census, its size is among the most common in the group. It is neither among the large schools nor among the small ones.
That total of 9,762 consists of 6,963 undergraduate students and 2,799 graduate students. A significant portion of the people there had already completed a degree before arriving. And if your child is about to enter as a first-year student, the number that matters to them is not the total: it is 6,963. The larger total includes graduate students, which can inflate the perceived size of the part of the institution your child will actually experience.
Among those undergraduates, 9 out of every 100 students are Hispanic or Latino. It is a small minority, and compared with the 519 selective public schools in this census that report the data, William & Mary ranks below the midpoint of the group, though not in the lowest quartile. Their small number does not remove the school from your child's list, but if your child will be part of that small group, it is worth asking during the visit what exists for Latino students: a student group, a cultural center, or someone in an office who speaks Spanish. These data cover the whole school; your child's particular experience within a specific major may look different.
Other features of the community: there are almost no students ages 25 to 64—just 1 out of every 100—so if you are considering this school for an adult returning to school, this is not a campus where that is common. There are more women than men: 59 out of every 100 undergraduate students are women. And among entering students, 60 out of every 100 reported a permanent address in Virginia when applying: most are from the state, but a meaningful portion come from out of state.
How the Academic Year Works and How Broadly the Offerings Are Distributed
The calendar uses semesters: two long terms of about 15 weeks each. Regarding credit upon entry, William & Mary reported that it accepts credit for AP examinations, but it did not check the box for credit based on life experience. It also reported accepting credit for military training. And in another question in the same report, it stated that it enrolls high school students in college courses for credit, but outside a formal dual-enrollment program; it treats those students as regular students in the course.
Here is the part that really matters for your budget and planning: saying that they accept AP does not tell you how many points they require, how many credits they award, or whether those credits count toward your child's specific major. Do not budget for savings in time or money until you have the transfer-credit evaluation in writing.
As for what people study: in one year, William & Mary awarded 1,597 bachelor's degrees across 17 fields of study. Social sciences produced the most degrees, accounting for 22 out of every 100 degrees that year—no other area exceeded it, but it did not account for a majority either. Compared with 514 similar schools, William & Mary falls in the quartile with the fewest fields of study represented in its bachelor's-degree details. Its offerings are distributed across fields, but they are not extremely broad. This figure counts degrees awarded, not unique people or the majors available in today's catalog.
As for how much academic staff is available: the official ratio is 13 full-time-equivalent students for every full-time-equivalent instructional staff member. It is a low ratio, and compared with 519 similar schools, it falls in the group's lowest quartile—its ratio is lower than that of three out of every four similar schools. But a low aggregate ratio does not, by itself, demonstrate that more staff are available to each student, and it says nothing about the actual size of first-year classes. It is an institutional average, not a picture of the classroom where your child will sit.
The Academic Pathways the Institution Reports Offering
William & Mary reports offering several structured pathways: study abroad, undergraduate research as a cocurricular activity, teacher-certification preparation below the postsecondary level, the ability to complete preparation in certain teacher-specialization areas there, and state approval of the program for initial teacher certification. These are opportunities the institution states that it makes available. This is not a description of how they work in practice or whether they are open to the specific major your child is interested in; that must be confirmed directly with the program.
Getting In: What the University Requires and How Difficult Admission Is
This is where most families have the most anxiety, so let us take it slowly and use the exact numbers.
William & Mary does not have open admission. It reviews specific components before saying yes. Of nine considerations tracked by this report—not counting standardized tests or legacy status, which are addressed separately—it marked five as required: the high school record, high school GPA, completion of the college-preparatory program required by the university, the personal essay, and letters of recommendation. Put simply: gathering documents is not enough here. The essay is required, so your child has to write one.
There are other components that are not required but that the university does consider if you submit them: your child's class rank, work experience, an English-proficiency examination when applicable, and whether a family member attended the university. Regarding that last item, if it does not apply to your family, do not spend energy worrying about it. Spend that energy on what is within your child's control. The published undergraduate application fee is $75.
Now for the numbers showing how selective it is in practice. In the most recently reported cycle, William & Mary received 17,548 first-time applications and offered admission to 5,741 applicants. That is 33 out of every 100 applicants admitted. Compared with 519 selective public schools in this census, William & Mary is among those that admit the smallest shares of applicants: nine out of every ten of those schools, or more, admitted a larger percentage of their applicants. On the other side of that calculation are 11,807 applicants who did not receive an offer—and these data do not distinguish among applicants who were rejected, placed on a waitlist, or withdrew their applications. It is fine for this school to be on your child's list. It should not be the only one. And this figure of 33 out of every 100 applies to the entire school: IPEDS does not report how many students are admitted to each major, so if your child is pursuing a specific program, you need to request those data directly from admissions.
After students are admitted, how many enroll? Of every 100 students admitted for the first year in 2023, 28 ultimately enrolled at William & Mary. The other 72 had the letter in hand and still chose another place. Compared with similar schools, this proportion is on the high side: at most of those schools, a smaller share of admitted students enroll. But this percentage does not measure how difficult it is to get in—that is the previous calculation; it only reflects what other families decided after receiving their letters. And it does not measure quality or satisfaction.
Regarding tests, William & Mary reported that the SAT and ACT are not required. If your child submits them, they are considered; if your child does not, the application remains valid. Among the entering students who enrolled, 45 out of every 100 submitted SAT scores—a high submission rate compared with 406 similar universities. Among those who submitted SAT scores, the middle half scored between 695 and 750 in reading and writing, and between 670 and 760 in mathematics. Be careful: those ranges apply to students who had already enrolled and chose to submit their scores, not to all applicants. That 695 is not a minimum for admission, and that 750 does not guarantee anything either.
And regarding transfers: of the bachelor's-degree-seeking cohort that entered in 2017, only 6 out of every 100 appear to have transferred to another school without completing a degree there. That is a low proportion compared with similar schools. Separately, in the most recent fall count, 167 undergraduate students arrived at William & Mary for the first time after attending another institution. This figure does not say how many courses were accepted for credit: request that information in writing, with the course list in hand, before your child moves from one school to another.
The Published Cost and What Each Family Actually Ends Up Paying
At William & Mary, among 47 first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid, paid the in-state or in-district rate, and whose EFC records showed family income below $30,000, the average net price was $6,616. Among 45 students in the same population with EFC family income from $48,001 to $75,000, it was $12,603; among 150 students with EFC family income above $110,000, it was $35,264. For dependent students, the band combines their parents' income with their own.
There is a difference of $28,648 between the average for the lowest-income band, which included 47 students, and the average for the highest-income band, which included 150 students. These are group averages, not a prediction of your family's price. Among first-year students who received any scholarship or grant, the average was $20,422.
Among the 519 schools of the same type and control included in this census that reported these data with the same time coverage, William & Mary falls in the least expensive quartile for the lowest-income families after scholarships and grants are subtracted. That does not mean it will be inexpensive for your family. It is a data point that carries weight when you build the list of schools to apply to.
Because the price changes so much from one income band to another, identifying your band correctly comes first. The income bands in this profile describe first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid; at public institutions, they use the in-state or in-district rate. The overall average after scholarships and grants, when shown, describes first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal, state, local, or institutional scholarships or grants. The financial-aid letter you receive is what matters.
Financial Aid and Loans: Who Receives What
Of the degree-seeking students at William & Mary, 50 out of every 100 received some form of aid that does not have to be repaid—a scholarship or grant. That is more than half, but not everyone. Compared with similar schools, that proportion falls in the quartile where scholarships and grants reach fewer students. Among those who did receive them, the annual average was $21,498.
That is real money, but it is not a price: what determines how much you will pay is the amount left after aid—the net price discussed above—not the size of the discount. A high average among those who received aid does not predict the size of the offer your child will receive. When the letter arrives, look for how much your family would have to pay out of pocket and compare that figure across schools.
Regarding Pell—the federal aid for undergraduate students with demonstrated financial need—it reached 12 out of every 100 degree- or certificate-seeking students at William & Mary. That is a low proportion.
And regarding federal loans: in the most recently reported academic year, only 23 out of every 100 William & Mary undergraduate students received a federal student loan. Most did not receive one that year. Among those who did borrow, each received an average of $6,125 during that academic year. Compared with similar schools, William & Mary is on the low side: seven out of every ten similar schools, or more, had a larger proportion of students with loans.
The fact that most students did not use a federal loan that year does not say how the others covered the remaining cost: it could have been through scholarships or grants, work, family savings, or another type of debt not recorded in this report. And that average of $6,125 covers only one year and only federal loans in the student's name: it does not include PLUS loans sometimes signed by parents, bank debt, or credit-card debt, and it is not the total debt someone carries upon graduation. Calculating that would require adding all years together, and that figure is not in this report.
Finally, William & Mary reports a formal mechanism for managing payment: an installment tuition payment plan.
Campus Life, Sports, Distance Education, and Support Services
William & Mary does offer institution-controlled housing, and it does not require all first-time, full-time students to live there—although that does not rule out the possibility that a specific program may require it. It also offers meal plans, with the number of meals per week varying according to the selected plan. The reported maximum capacity of institution-controlled housing is 4,455 students, on or off campus. The existence of housing does not guarantee a space: ask in writing for the current year's rate, the application deadline, and whether your child is guaranteed a space or placed on a waitlist.
Regarding ROTC, William & Mary reported that an opportunity is available, and the only branch specifically marked is the Army. The Navy and Air Force are not marked in this report. That does not mean participation is impossible, but if your child is interested in another branch, you need to ask directly because the report does not confirm it. It also does not clarify whether the program is conducted on this specific campus.
In sports, William & Mary competes at the intercollegiate level and is affiliated with the NCAA—not with other associations. The report confirms NCAA or NAIA membership in football, basketball, baseball, and cross-country or track and field, but it does not provide details about teams, current seasons, division by sport, or whether athletic scholarships are available. If sports are part of the plan, write directly to the coach for that sport and request the answer in writing.
Regarding distance education, William & Mary offers it at both the undergraduate and graduate levels and reported having at least one program in which all required courses can be completed at a distance. However, in the most recent fall count, 0 out of every 100 undergraduate students took their entire course load at a distance—one of the lowest proportions among similar schools. This does not mean that option does not exist today for your child's major; it means you need to confirm it directly, because what is offered and what people actually use may be two different things.
The library operates with paid staff, and its annual expenditures exceeded the $100,000 threshold recorded by the government. It has physical and digital materials and participates in interlibrary lending. Exceeding that threshold does not tell you whether specific databases exist for your child's major: ask about them by program name.
And regarding general support, William & Mary reports combined academic and career counseling, employment services for current students, placement services for graduates, on-campus child care, participation in the Yellow Ribbon Program, a dedicated point of contact for veterans and military families, a recognized student veterans' organization, and a published web address for disability services.
They Stay, Progress, and Finish: What Retention and Graduation Data Say
Here we reach the numbers that, for many families, matter more than any others: do people stay? Do they graduate on time?
Of the full-time, bachelor's-degree-seeking cohort that entered in the fall of 2022, 1,640 students formed the official cohort. Of those students, 1,552—95 out of every 100—met the retention criterion: they were still enrolled or had already completed their bachelor's degree one year later. Compared with 519 selective public schools, William & Mary is among those that retain the largest shares of their cohorts: nine out of every ten similar schools, or more, retained an equal or smaller proportion.
That is a high figure, and it is worth stating precisely what it measures: the criterion combines students who remain enrolled and students who have already graduated into one figure. It does not distinguish between the two, and it does not say what happened to the 88 students who were not included in that outcome.
Regarding graduation, among the full-time students who entered a bachelor's-degree program at William & Mary in 2017 without having previously attended another university, 91 out of every 100 graduated within six years. In concrete numbers: 1,387 out of 1,524. By four years, the figure had already reached 86 out of every 100, only 5 points below the final six-year outcome. Compared with 518 similar schools, William & Mary is among those graduating the largest shares of students: nine out of every ten schools in that group, or more, reported an equal or smaller proportion.
That is a notable figure. Even so, a high percentage is not a promise for your child in particular: it describes what happened to the cohort that entered that school in 2017. What is within your family's control is ensuring that your child's credits are in order upon entry and that, beginning with the first semester, your child knows who their academic advisor is and when to register for the courses they need.
Finally, consider a broader and slower view: the annual cohort that entered between July 2015 and June 2016—including both first-time students and students with prior postsecondary experience, attending full time or part time—comprised 1,765 people. As of August 2023, eight years later, 91 out of every 100 had earned a degree or certificate from William & Mary. The indicator for those still enrolled without a credential shows 7 out of every 100, although the definition of that figure contains a date inconsistency that prevents a precise statement about how many were still enrolled at that exact time. Among students with Pell Grants, the eight-year outcome was 90 out of every 100—only one point different from the outcome for those who did not receive Pell—although that does not mean the path was equally easy for both groups. Compared with similar schools, William & Mary is again among those graduating the largest shares of their students within that eight-year window.
Once again, the same underlying truth applies: a high percentage describes what happened to an entire cohort; it does not predict what will happen to your child. It is worth asking directly about the current support available in the program your child is interested in and about the outcomes of more recent cohorts.
What You Can Do With All of This
You have now seen William & Mary's numbers: a selective, medium-sized public university that admits 33 out of every 100 applicants, where the published price is high but the net price for lower-income families ranks among the lowest in its comparison group, and where, for those who enter, the likelihood of staying and graduating ranks among the highest at similar schools.
None of those numbers makes the decision for your family. What you can do is take care of your part: verify the actual net price before falling in love with the school or ruling it out because of the sticker price, confirm AP credit equivalencies in writing, ask directly about support for your child's specific major, and compare William & Mary's admission letter alongside the other letters your child receives rather than considering it in isolation.
Your child's role is to explore what they want to study, write their essay, build their record, and decide—with your support—whether this place feels right for them. Your role is to understand the family's finances, ask the uncomfortable questions before signing anything, and keep the conversation calm when the letters arrive.
Now you know one part of the map well. Combine it with what your child wants to study, what they have built so far, and what your family can and is willing to pay. The plan will emerge from that combination, not from any single number.
Source note: The information in this article comes from IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) and data reported by institutions to the United States Department of Education, corresponding primarily to the 2022-23 and 2023-24 cycles. Best College Aid does not represent William & Mary or the United States government; this article is an independent informational resource.