Public
Accredited · Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
Williamsburg, Virginia
32.7% Acceptance Rate
William & Mary — Admission Snapshot 2026
A complete at-a-glance picture of every metric that matters for your 2026 application
32.7%Acceptance Rate
3.85Avg GPA
1458Avg SAT
33Avg ACT
$41,118Annual Cost
$73,490Grad Salary
12.1%Pell Grant
Acceptance Rate
32.7%
Avg GPA
3.85
Avg SAT
1458
Avg ACT
33
Selectivity
Selective
Institution Type
Public
Campus
Main Campus
Accredited By
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
SAT Middle 50%
1365–1510
ACT Middle 50%
32–34
Avg Net Price
$22,529
Need-Based Aid
12.1% receive Pell
William & Mary, founded in 1693, is the second-oldest university in America and a premier 'Public Ivy' known for its historic roots and cutting-edge research. The university's 1,200-acre campus in Williamsburg, Virginia, blends colonial landmarks like the Sir Christopher Wren Building (the oldest academic structure in continuous U.S. use) with modern facilities such as the $75 million Integrated Science Center. W&M excels in law (Marshall-Wythe School of Law is the nation's oldest), computational sciences (home to the powerful SciClone supercomputer), and marine biology (through its Virginia Institute of Marine Science). With a student-faculty ratio of 12:1, 45% of undergraduates conduct funded research, contributing to W&M's $100+ million annual research expenditures.
The university's 'Civic Virtue' tradition thrives through programs like the Whole of Government Center of Excellence (training national security leaders) and the Studio for Teaching & Learning Innovation. W&M's 'For the Bold' campaign raised $1.04 billion, funding initiatives like the 2023 opening of the $68 million Fine Arts Complex. Notable alumni include three U.S. presidents (Jefferson, Monroe, Tyler) and 16 Rhodes Scholars. With 94% career outcomes within six months of graduation and the highest Peace Corps volunteer rate among mid-sized universities W&M lives its mission to create 'change-makers' through its distinctive blend of tradition and innovation.
William & Mary Acceptance Rate
William & Mary is selective but reasonable. About 32.7% of applicants (33 per 100) are admitted each cycle.
What William & Mary Admissions Looks For
- Holistic Read: Recommendations and community involvement carry real weight here.
- Test Scores Help: Where submitted, scores near or above the middle 50% strengthen an application.
Selectivity at a Glance
Selective
Selectivity scale: Selective — 32.7% acceptance rate
Most Selective (0%)Open Enrollment (100%)
Slightly below-average GPA? A strong test score or clear leadership track record can still keep you competitive.
Recommended Academic Profile
Candidate GPA Range
Admission Category
Strategic Requirement
3.85 – 4.00
Target Match
Maintain Rigor & High Testing
3.65 – 3.84
Competitive Reach
Focus on Score Compensation
Below 3.40
Secondary Reach
Requires Contextual Support
Source: IPEDS & College Scorecard (Nov 2025).
William & Mary Application Deadlines & Admission Dates 2026
The application deadline for William & Mary is November 1 for Early Decision I applicants, with additional plans listed below. Admission decisions are typically released by December 1.
Key Admission Dates
⏳ 84 days left — Early Decision I
Early Decision I
November 1
Decision by: December 1
Early Decision II
January 2
Decision by: February 15
Regular Decision
January 5
Decision by: April 1
💡 The scholarship deadline (December 1, 2026) often falls before the regular admission deadline. Submit your application and FAFSA early to be considered for maximum aid.
Deadlines are verified from official institutional sources but may change each cycle. Always confirm final dates on the official website.
William & Mary GPA Requirement
The average GPA of admitted students at William & Mary is 3.85. That makes admissions here extremely selective. Most admitted students carry straight A's, with very little room for a B.
If your GPA sits between 3.55 and 3.85, a high SAT or ACT score is the most reliable way to compensate.
Most schools report GPA on a weighted or unweighted 4.0 scale differently. For an unweighted profile like this, students with AP/IB coursework typically carry a weighted GPA of 4.05–4.25.William & Mary GPA & Admission Outlook
Assessment: Highly selective; GPA is within the typical admitted range.
Recommended Strategy: Standardized Test Scores (SAT/ACT) in the top 5th percentile.
Where your GPA falls in this range shapes what the rest of your application needs to do:
Candidate GPA Range
Admission Category
Strategic Requirement
3.85 – 4.00
Competitive Reach
Maintain Rigor & High Testing
3.65 – 3.84
Competitive Match
Focus on SAT/ACT Compensation
3.45 – 3.64
Secondary Reach
Personal Statement & Impact
Below 3.44
Institutional Reach
Requires Significant Contextual Factors
Evaluation Metrics That Matter Here
- William & Mary's overall acceptance rate has trended downward in recent cycles, from around 36.5% for the Class of 2026 to roughly 32% for the Class of 2028, reflecting nearly 20% application growth since 2020.
- Virginia residents from families earning under $80,000 receive free tuition after aid through the W&M Promise, with reduced costs for families earning up to $120,000, while out-of-state students receive need-based grants meeting 100% of need without loans.
- W&M is home to Phi Beta Kappa, the nation's oldest academic honor society, founded at the college in 1776 - a detail worth referencing for applicants with strong academic or intellectual-tradition interests.
- Rigor Over Raw Number: A slightly lower GPA (say 3.8) paired with multiple AP or IB courses often outweighs a flat 4.0 from a standard curriculum.
- Trajectory Matters: A lower start in 9th or 10th grade, followed by a clear upward trend senior year, reads as academic resilience rather than a weakness.
Data verified via IPEDS, College Scorecard (Nov 2025) and the Common Data Set (CDS). Expert Review led by Sohaib Khan and Dr. Waseem.
Check Your Admission Chances at William & Mary
Admission Chance Predictor
Real-Time Sensitive Analysis — based on William & Mary's verified institutional data
--%
Calculating Profile...
Adjust the sliders to see how every decimal point affects your outcome.
Your SAT Score 1200
Your Unweighted GPA 3.00
✅ Verified Data: Institutional records for 2026.
Calculated via College Portal's Human-Intelligence (HI) Methodology & Editorial Standards. Verified by Sohaib Ahmad Khan.
William & Mary Test Requirements
Standardized scores still matter here: aim for the middle 50% range of the 2026 admitted class below, and if William & Mary is test-optional, a high score submitted voluntarily still helps with merit scholarships.
Can I Get Into William & Mary Without SAT or ACT?
William & Mary considers scores when submitted, without requiring them. Prepare well and submit your best attempt. Most applicants test 2–3 times.
William & Mary Average SAT Score: 1458
The average SAT score of admitted students at William & Mary is 1458 on the 1600-point scale.
SAT Competitiveness
SAT 1458 — Very Competitive
A 1458 average puts William & Mary well above the national mean SAT score.
Key Insight: Aim for the 75th percentile (1510 SAT or 34 ACT) to stand out. Below average? William & Mary allows Score Choice for the SAT, so a retake only helps — a low sitting never has to be sent.
If your score is below 1365, retaking the SAT is strongly recommended to improve your chances at William & Mary. Retaking multiple times is completely normal. Most competitive applicants sit for it two or three times. There's no official limit on attempts.
SAT Scores Breakdown by Sections
| Section | Average | 25th Percentile | 75th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| SAT Math | 715 | 670 | 760 |
| SAT Reading | 723 | 695 | 750 |
| SAT Composite | 1458 | 1365 | 1510 |
Below 1365, you're behind most admitted students; at 1510 or above, you're ahead of 75% of them. (25th/75th percentile = the score below which that share of admitted students fall.)
View list of all colleges with average SAT score of 1450
Can I get into William & Mary with a 1500 SAT?
A 1500 SAT puts you ahead of most of William & Mary's admitted class, but admissions still weighs GPA, course rigor, and essays alongside it. A strong score opens the door; the rest of your profile decides what happens next.
William & Mary ACT Requirements
The average ACT score at William & Mary is 33.
ACT Competitiveness
ACT 33 — Very Competitive
An average of 33 is well above the national ACT mean.
ACT Scores Breakdown by Sections
| Section | Average | 25th Percentile | 75th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| ACT Math | 31 | 28 | 33 |
| ACT English | 34 | 33 | 35 |
| ACT Composite | 33 | 32 | 34 |
Can I get into William & Mary with a 34 ACT?
A 34 ACT puts you ahead of 75% of William & Mary's admitted students. That's a strong position, though the ACT is only one benchmark among several that admissions weighs.
Unlike the SAT, the ACT scores four separate sections: English, Math, Reading, and Science, each on a 1–36 scale. A noticeably weak section, especially Science at STEM-focused schools, stands out to reviewers, so it's worth checking your section breakdown for outliers before applying.
Your ACT score clears the first filter, but GPA, course rigor, extracurricular depth, recommendations, and essays are what carry an application the rest of the way at William & Mary.
Your 2026 Admissions Roadmap for William & Mary
Selective Strategy: Competitive Positioning
At William & Mary, admissions looks for reliable, high-achieving students. The goal is to land as a top-tier applicant. That's what triggers both admission and the best merit aid.
Engage Seriously With Demonstrated Interest - W&M Explicitly Tracks It
Unlike UVA or Bowdoin, William & Mary does consider demonstrated interest, meaning campus visits, contact with admissions officers, virtual session attendance, and even social media engagement with the school can factor into your evaluation. Take advantage of low-cost touchpoints like virtual info sessions if an in-person visit isn't feasible, since this genuinely differs from peer public flagships that explicitly disregard interest signals.
Choose Your Optional Essay Prompts to Reveal Genuinely Different Facets of Yourself
W&M's current optional-but-highly-recommended prompts span community belonging, academic/career interest, family/culture/background, challenge and adversity, and an open-ended "show us your town" prompt. Since these are optional, select prompts that let you cover ground your Common App essay doesn't already address, rather than duplicating the same theme or story.
Reference the Honor Code and Specific Academic Centers, Not Generic Colonial-Campus Appeal
W&M's distinctive culture blends intellectual exploration with a long-standing Honor Code and Colonial-era history; essays referencing the Honor Code specifically, or naming resources like the Roy R. Charles Center for Academic Excellence (which funds undergraduate research across all disciplines) or the Reves Center for International Studies, signal research beyond surface-level campus aesthetics.
If Applying to the St. Andrews Joint Degree Program, Treat the Required Supplement as a Genuinely Separate Essay
Unlike W&M's general optional essays, applicants to the St. Andrews Joint Degree Program (a dual-degree partnership with the University of St Andrews in Scotland) must submit a required supplemental essay. Budget real, separate drafting time for this distinct requirement rather than treating it as an extension of your general W&M application materials.
Expert Insight: Do not submit William & Mary's optional supplemental essays half-heartedly because they're technically not required - essays are rated "very important" in W&M's overall evaluation, and skipping or rushing the optional supplement removes a meaningful opportunity to demonstrate character and community fit in a process that explicitly weighs both essays and demonstrated interest heavily.
William & Mary Profile
Full Name
William & Mary
City
Williamsburg
State
Virginia
ZIP Code
23187-8795
Type
Public
Campus
Main Campus
Official Website
Accredited By
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCC)
Is a William & Mary Degree Worth It?
Whether William & Mary is worth it depends less on its reputation and more on your program choice, financial aid package, and career goals. Here's the data to weigh it against.
The average household income among admitted students is $83,500, with a graduate unemployment rate of 2.61%.
How much does a degree from William & Mary Cost?
The sticker price is $41,118/year, but the average net price students actually pay, after Pell and federal grants, is closer to $22,529.
12.1% of students receive a Pell Grant and 23.4% take federal loans at William & Mary. File your FAFSA early and list William & Mary as a choice to be considered for both.
How much does a William & Mary Graduate earn?
Median earnings 10 years after enrollment (roughly 4–6 years post-graduation) are $73,490. That's about 81% above the U.S. median graduate income.
Compare Similar Colleges
Less Competitive Schools
These schools have lower average SAT or ACT scores than William & Mary. If your SAT or ACT score is slightly lower, you'll be competitive for these schools.
| School | Location | SAT | ACT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Clara University | Santa Clara, CA | 1417 | 32 |
| Colorado College | Colorado Springs, CO | 1445 | 33 |
| Connecticut College | New London, CT | 1412 | 32 |
| George Washington University | Washington, DC | 1433 | 33 |
| University of Miami | Coral Gables, FL | 1416 | 32 |
| Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus | Atlanta, GA | 1447 | 31 |
| University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | Champaign, IL | 1418 | 32 |
| Simpson College | Indianola, IA | 1410 | 32 |
| Tulane University of Louisiana | New Orleans, LA | 1443 | 32 |
| Bates College | Lewiston, ME | 1446 | 32 |
Equally Competitive Schools
These schools have the same range of average SAT or ACT scores as William & Mary. If your SAT or ACT score is competitive, you'll be competitive for these schools also.
| School | Location | SAT | ACT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Occidental College | Los Angeles, CA | 1461 | 33 |
| University of Maryland-College Park | College Park, MD | 1463 | 34 |
| Davidson College | Davidson, NC | 1448 | 33 |
| University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | Chapel Hill, NC | 1454 | 32 |
| Villanova University | Villanova, PA | 1466 | 33 |
More Competitive Schools
These schools have higher average SAT or ACT scores than William & Mary. If you improve your SAT or ACT score, you'll be competitive for these schools.
| School | Location | SAT | ACT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Claremont McKenna College | Claremont, CA | 1514 | 34 |
| Harvey Mudd College | Claremont, CA | 1537 | 35 |
| Pomona College | Claremont, CA | 1520 | 34 |
| University of Southern California | Los Angeles, CA | 1501 | 34 |
| Wesleyan University | Middletown, CT | 1513 | 34 |
Degree Programs at William & Mary
Bachelor Degree Programs
Frequently Asked Questions About William & Mary Admissions
Median graduate earnings at William & Mary run about $73,490 a year.
William & Mary costs roughly $41,118 a year, and most students combine this with scholarships or aid.
William & Mary's Pell Grant rate of 12.1% sits below the national average. Merit-based aid is worth checking regardless of income.
At 32.7%, William & Mary's acceptance rate is on the more attainable end compared to top-tier selective schools.
Admitted students at William & Mary average a 3.85 GPA.
William & Mary doesn't publish a hard GPA floor, but landing at or above 3.55 keeps you in the typical applicant range; below it, lean on essays and recommendations.
Below 3.45, William & Mary becomes a harder reach, though a strong test score, meaningful activities, and AP/IB coursework can still make a real case.
A strong SAT score matters at William & Mary — aim above 1458, ideally within the 1365–1510 range admitted students typically fall in.
The application deadline for William & Mary is November 1 for Early Decision I applicants. Admission decisions are released by December 1.
The application fee is 75. Fee waivers may be available. Check with admissions.
The scholarship/financial aid priority deadline is December 1, 2026. Submit FAFSA before then for maximum consideration.
Yes, transfers are common. Have transcripts, recommendation letters, and a solid personal statement ready to make your case.
Strong academics, a focused extracurricular profile, and standout essays move the needle most, along with a competitive SAT/ACT score where relevant.
Explore Other Options
Acceptance Rate of all Virginia Colleges
Average SAT Score of Virginia Colleges
Average ACT Score
Admissions deadlines of Colleges in Virginia
Bachelor Programs in Virginia
Test Optional Colleges in Virginia
SAT Score Wise Best Colleges
ACT Score Wise Best Colleges
Rolling Admissions Colleges in Virginia