What is William & Mary Known For?

What’s Covered:

• Overview of William & Mary Admissions
• Unique Aspects of William & Mary
• What Are Your Chances of Acceptance at William & Mary?

Four former U.S. presidents—George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Monroe, and John Tyler—along with entertainers like Jon Stewart and Glenn Close, and athletic figures such as former Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin—are among the many famous William & Mary alumni.

Founded in 1693, the public research university located in Williamsburg, Virginia, is the second-oldest institution of higher learning in the U.S. after Harvard University. Today, William & Mary is considered a top institution and was named one of the original “Public Ivies” in Richard Moll’s book of the same name, published in 1985.

Overview of William & Mary Admissions

Location: Williamsburg, VA

Undergrad Enrollment: 951

Acceptance Rate: 37%

Middle 50% SAT: 1390-1520

Middle 50% ACT: 32-34

William & Mary uses the Common Application, with a Regular Decision deadline of January 5. The school has both Early Decision I and Early Decision II plans, with application deadlines of November 1 and January 5.  

In the 2025-2026 admissions cycle, W&M’s acceptance rate was the same for in-state and out-of-state students—37%. Out of 1,477 students who applied Early Decision, 727 were admitted.

Learn more about William & Mary and see your chances of acceptance.

Unique Aspects of William & Mary

Academics

William & Mary’s undergraduate academic programs are spread across a multitude of schools:

• College of Arts & Science
• Raymond A. Mason School of Business
• School of Education
• School of Computing, Data Science, and Physics

Students can choose from over 115 programs, including majors such as Africana Studies, Business, Data Science, Medieval & Renaissance Studies, and Theatre. 

They can also undertake an interdisciplinary major, such as Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies, Environmental and Sustainability, or Film and Media Studies, or create their own. They may elect to pursue a minor as well. There are several pre-professional tracks through which students are assigned advisors:

• Engineering
• Pre-Law
• Pre-Med
• Pre-Nursing
• Pre-Occupational Therapy
• Pre-Physical Therapy
• Pre-Physician Assistant
• Pre-Vet, Pre-Dentist, Pre-Pharmacy

The core College Curriculum intersects disciplines and broadens the academic experience. Students read, discuss, and examine different paradigms for examining knowledge, and grapple with ideas that shape our world through sets of courses throughout their college careers. 

One unique program is the St Andrews William & Mary Joint Degree Programme, an international degree partnership between the U.S. and Scotland institutions. Students divide their time between W&M and the University of St Andrews, completing two years at each school and ultimately earning a single BA with International Honours. Students may choose among six majors within the program: 

• Classical Studies
• Economics
• English
• Film Studies
• History
• International Relations 

Separately, W&M offers Sponsored Semester Programs during which participating students may study abroad for a semester through the following institutions:

• La Plata, Argentina: Universidad Nacional de La Plata
• Oxford, England: Hertford College, University of Oxford
• Sevilla, Spain: Universidad Pablo de Olavide

The school also has exchange agreements with 15 additional international universities.

Extracurriculars

The William & Mary Tribe competes in the NCAA Division I. The Tribe holds national championships in several sports, including men’s tennis. Aside from athletics, W&M has more than 475 student-run organizations and clubs, such as 7th Grade Sketch Comedy, 1683 Minecraft, Active Minds, Film Society, and many others. There are more than 30 multicultural and 35 religious student organizations. Approximately 70% of students participate in community service each year. 

Greek life plays a big role in campus life, too. A little over a quarter of undergraduates join fraternities or sororities. In fact, W&M is known as the “Birthplace of the American College Fraternity”—five students at the college founded Phi Beta Kappa, the first so-called fraternity, now an honor society, in 1776.

Traditions

William & Mary’s Honor Code, dating back to 1736, is one of its most fundamental traditions. This system upholds the concept of individual responsibility and entrusts students with maintaining its principles. Students administer the Honor Pledge to every incoming student, who is expected to follow it throughout their time at W&M.

The college has a number of other traditions, including the Raft Debate, a theatrical debate among faculty members representing different departments. There’s also Yule Log, a holiday-themed festival featuring multiple seasonal traditions, hot cider, sugar cookies, music, singing, and the reading of poems and stories. 

On Charter Day, students and faculty honor William & Mary’s Royal Charter from King William III and Queen Mary II in 1693 with festivities including awards, honorary degrees, and a concert.

Resources

Students and faculty enjoy many on- and off-campus resources. For example, they can visit the Muscarelle Museum of Art, which is affiliated with W&M and offers free admission to students. They also receive Colonial Williamsburg’s Official William & Mary Collegiate Pass, which entitles them to free or heavily discounted events, tickets, entertainment, and programs in Colonial Williamsburg. 

What Are Your Chances of Acceptance at William & Mary?

William & Mary is a selective school. Hoping to attend? Then you’ll need to find out how you stack up. Using CollegeVine’s free chancing engine, you’ll be able to learn your real chances of admission to W&M and hundreds of other schools, based on your unique qualifications.

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