William & Mary

Admission to the College of William and Mary is competitive compared to other public institutions. In the 2027 U.S. News ranking of national universities, the college placed 52nd, having moved down from 32nd place in 2018. The school admits roughly one-third of applicants, recording an undergraduate acceptance rate of 34.1% in 2025. This rate was higher than only 23% of peer schools in its comparison group of 30 similarly ranked public national universities, where the median acceptance rate was 47.1%. When it comes to drawing admitted students, William and Mary demonstrates solid appeal, posting an enrollment yield rate of 26.6% in 2025. That yield was higher than 67% of institutions in its peer group. For prospective students, these metrics show that while getting accepted requires a strong application, the university successfully convinces a larger share of admitted students to enroll than most of its public peers.

Applicants targeting the College of William and Mary face demanding academic expectations. In 2025, the school reported an SAT midpoint of 1470, which was higher than 96% of peer schools in its comparison group of similarly ranked public universities. Standardized test results place most enrolled students near the top of national distributions, with middle ACT composite scores extending well into the thirties. For international candidates, applicant cases collected by Forward Pathway, which are unofficial data rather than official school statistics, provide helpful context on admission benchmarks. In these unofficial applicant records, admitted students had a median unweighted GPA of 3.86 alongside a median SAT score of 1420, whereas denied candidates recorded lower scores and marks. To build a compelling application, students should target test performances near or above these institutional midpoints and maintain strong high school coursework consistent with that academic level.

Undergraduate degrees at the College of William and Mary show moderate distribution across the liberal arts and professional subjects rather than heavy concentration in a single discipline. In 2025, the top three undergraduate majors accounted for 29.6% of all bachelor degree recipients, led by Business Administration and Management, General with 243 graduates, followed by general psychology and general biology. While the university's largest undergraduate fields do not correspond directly to its highest-ranked specialty programs, its graduate divisions boast nationally recognized departments. For example, in the 2026 U.S. News graduate rankings, the student counseling program ranked 13th and constitutional law ranked 17th. On the employment front, high enrollment in quantitative and pre-professional tracks aligns with strong starting pay. According to 2023 earnings data measured one year after graduation, computer science graduates earned a median of $84,873, closely matched by business administration graduates at $84,722. These outcomes indicate that while liberal arts degrees remain popular, professional disciplines provide clear compensation advantages.

The student body at the College of William and Mary is primarily undergraduate, with white students representing the majority across all levels. Asian students constitute a notable portion of the campus community, including 617 continuing undergraduates, who account for 11.7% of that group, alongside smaller shares among freshmen and graduate students. International students make up a limited presence in undergraduate lecture halls, but they have a more visible footprint in advanced degree programs. In 2025, the university enrolled 289 graduate international students, comprising 10.5% of the graduate student body. Other domestic minority groups, including Hispanic and Black students, are also represented across undergraduate classes and professional schools. Overall, the campus is characterized by domestic undergraduate students, with international representation concentrated predominantly at the master and doctoral levels.

The age distribution at the College of William and Mary highlights a traditional undergraduate population alongside an early-career graduate cohort. In 2025, undergraduates were heavily clustered in early adulthood, with students aged 20 to 21 making up 47.6% of enrollment and those aged 18 to 19 accounting for 44.1%. Very few undergraduates were over age 22, creating a college environment focused around traditional college-age peers. In contrast, the graduate division serves slightly older students pursuing professional and master degrees. The largest graduate group was aged 25 to 29 at 29.1%, followed by students aged 22 to 24 at 26.7%. This structure separates the undergraduate experience, centered on standard college years, from graduate life, which brings early-career professionals to advanced study.

International student enrollment at the College of William and Mary has declined over the past decade, resulting in a modest presence across campus. In 2025, international students made up 3.4% of the undergraduate student body, a share that was higher than only 23% of peer schools in its comparison group of 30 similarly ranked public national universities. Graduate programs enroll international students at a higher rate, with international scholars accounting for 10.5% of all graduate students in 2025. Among degree recipients, international students are more concentrated at the advanced level than among bachelor recipients. While international undergraduates represent single-digit percentages in popular majors such as computer science and business administration, master programs see greater concentration in analytical disciplines. For instance, international students accounted for 14.5% of master graduates in management science in 2025, alongside notable participation in general business administration and financial mathematics.

Prospective students exploring the College of William and Mary can consider several other notable universities located within driving distance in Virginia. Located 45.2 kilometers away in Richmond, Virginia Commonwealth University is a public national university ranked 156th in the 2027 U.S. News rankings. Also in Richmond, about 50.3 kilometers from William and Mary, is the University of Richmond, a private institution ranked 21st among national liberal arts colleges. Further northwest in Charlottesville, roughly 111.6 kilometers away, lies the University of Virginia-Main Campus, another prominent public institution holding the 26th rank among national universities. Slightly farther away at 112.8 kilometers in northern Virginia is George Mason University, a public national university ranked 121st. These institutions offer varied campus environments within the broader region.

Campus safety indicators at the College of William and Mary show that reported offenses are heavily concentrated in alcohol and substance infractions rather than violent crime. In 2025, the college recorded a crime rate per 1,000 students of 5.8, continuing a general decline from previous years. When examining safety records from 2023 to 2025, institutional disciplinary referrals constituted the vast majority of all reported incidents. Disciplinary referrals for liquor law violations were the most common occurrence, totaling 369 incidents across that three-year period, followed by 63 disciplinary referrals for drug law violations. Law enforcement arrests for liquor violations totaled 40 incidents over the same span, while reported violent or interpersonal offenses, including stalking and sexual assault, occurred at much lower frequencies. Families evaluating campus environment should understand that enforcement of campus alcohol and substance policies accounts for the bulk of safety reports at the university.