W&M by Numbers

Rankings

U. S. News and World Report

• W&M ranked sixth among all public universities (2010)
• W&M ranked 33rd overall among the nation's best universities (2010)
• W&M ranked as tied for 6th nationally among best colleges for undergraduate teaching (2010)
• W&M ranked 18th in graduation rates for national universities (2009)
• Undergraduate business program ranked 43rd in the nation and 22nd among public universities (2009)
• The Law School ranked as tied for 28th in the nation (2010)
• The School of Education ranked as tied for 48th in the nation (2010)
• The Mason School of Business ranked as tied for 55th in the nation (2010)
• The History Department’s doctoral program ranked 4th in the nation for U.S. Colonial History (2010)

Forbes Magazine (2009)

• W&M ranked as the fourth highest public university in the country in the inaugural guide, "America’s Best Colleges 2009"
• Top 50 business school

Princeton Review: Best 371 Colleges (2010)

• W&M scored a "green rating" of 90 (on a scale from 60-99)
• W&M ranked 7th in the category of "Best College Library"
• W&M ranked 8th in the category of "Professors Get High Marks"
• W&M ranked 14th in the category of "Happiest Students"
• An undergraduate said of his/her professors, "Professors are better than I could have imagined. They are the best teachers I have ever had. They are passionate about what they teach."

Princeton Review: Best Value Colleges (2009)

• W&M ranked third among top 50 public universities.

Princeton Review (2008)

• Mason School of Business faculty third in the U.S.

Kiplinger (2008-2009)

• W&M ranked fifth as a "Best Value" Among College and Universities in the Nation

International Educational Exchange (2009)

• W&M ranked 17th nationally among the top 40 doctorate institutions, with 46.3 percent of the College's undergraduates participating in study abroad programs, more than any other public institution offering doctoral degrees in the United States.

Business Week (2008)

• Undergraduate Business Program – top 30 in the country, top 10 among Publics
• Undergraduate Business Program – ranked 2nd in marketing

Financial Times (2008)

• W&M Mason School of Business ranked 41st among all U.S. schools, top 100 in the world

The Economist (2007)

• MBA Program -- Top 100 in the world

The Chronicle of Higher Education (2007)

• Top Research Universities Faculty Scholarly Productivity Index:
  • Educational Leadership and Administration Program - 7th nationally
  • American Studies Graduate Program - 10th nationally

Washington Monthly (2009)

• W&M ranked 8th nationally based on three main categories - community service, research and social mobility

Cool Facts

Founded in 1693, William & Mary is the second oldest educational institution in the U.S.

Three Presidents of the United States benefited from educational programs offered by the College: Thomas Jefferson, James Monroe and John Tyler.

Although William & Mary retains its traditional title of "College," it’s really a small university that offers advanced degrees in more than 15 fields.

The average SAT score of William & Mary's incoming first-year students is higher than that of any other public Virginia institution.

Phi Beta Kappa, the premier academic honor society in America, was founded by College of William & Mary students in 1776.

William & Mary was the first college in the nation to institute an honor code of conduct for students.

William & Mary is one of only eight U.S. institutions of higher education designated a "Public Ivy." A Public Ivy is a state-assisted institution that offers a superior education at a cost far below that of Ivy League schools.

William & Mary was the first in the country to teach law in a university setting. Thomas Jefferson had the idea. His mentor, George Wythe, was hired in 1779 as the College's first "professor of law and police," and the great Chief Justice John Marshall was among the first lawyers Wythe taught.

William & Mary's 11-to-1 student-faculty ratio is the lowest among the top public universities, a factor that helps strengthen the College's traditional commitment to teaching. Nearly 50 percent of William and Mary's classes have fewer than 20 students.

Founded in 1842, the William & Mary Alumni Association is the sixth oldest such group in the U.S.

Named for its presumed architect, the Sir Christopher Wren Building was completed in 1699 and provided classrooms, library, dining hall and a chapel for generations of William & Mary students. It is the oldest academic building in continuous use in the U.S., and classes are still taught within its walls.

A recent NCAA study shows that only William & Mary and Stanford University reported student-athlete SAT scores of at least 1,000 in eight categories based on gender and sport.

A succession of influential individuals—including President George Washington, President John Tyler, Chief Justice Warren Burger, former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and former Secretary of State Henry A. Kissinger have held the post of Chancellor of the College of William & Mary. In 2006, Sandra Day O'Connor, former Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, was installed as the College's 23rd Chancellor.

William & Mary is the fifth-highest producer of Peace Corps volunteers among medium-sized colleges and universities having one Peace Corps volunteer for every 126 students in the undergraduate body.