Public · Williamsburg, Virginia

William & Mary

William & Mary is a public institution in Williamsburg, Virginia. as a public institution, published Scorecard outcomes are the federal Title-IV cohort view of former students — not every graduate and not a guarantee for any one enrollee.

$19,096
Avg net price / yr
$73,490
10-yr median earnings
90.2%
150%-time completion
34.1%
Acceptance rate

The verdict

William & Mary pairs top-10% former-student earnings with a selective admit.

According to the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.

Top 6%
former-student earnings, US
34.1%
acceptance rate
90.2%
150%-time completion
+17%
earnings, 6→10 yrs
Suburb: Small Carnegie: R2
View my saved schools

Institution data retrieved July 2026; field-of-study data retrieved March 2026.

How to read this William & Mary profile

Figures above come from IPEDS institution records published through the College Scorecard (retrieved July 2026 for institution fields; March 2026 for field-of-study). Peer groups and cost cohorts follow IPEDS ownership sector, Carnegie class ("Doctoral Universities: High Research Activity"), and locale, not an editorial shortlist.

Average net price subtracts grant and scholarship aid from cost of attendance for full-time, first-time undergraduate Title IV recipients. It is a defined cohort average, not a personalized price; income-band fields add context but do not replace the school's current net-price calculator.

Earnings use Treasury-linked records for federally aided former students who were working and not enrolled in the measurement year (completers and noncompleters). IPEDS completion and retention use separate first-time, full-time cohorts, so those denominators are not the earnings cohort. Read cost, completion, and earnings as distinct historical measures, not a causal verdict or individual forecast.

College Value Score

B+
College Value Score
76/100
William & Mary

A 6-metric composite of earnings, cost, and completion outcomes benchmarked against every reporting US college, not a ranking of teaching quality, campus life, or fit for any individual student. See the full methodology.

Earnings A+
$73,490
10-year median former-student earnings
Net Price D
$19,096
Average annual cost after grants and aid
Completion Rate A+
90.2%
Completion within 150% of normal time
Debt F
$18,500
Median federal debt at graduation
Loan Repayment A+
86.7%
Borrowers repaying loans within 3 years
Retention A+
94.6%
First-year students returning for year two
William & Mary vs. the national benchmark
EarningsNet PriceCompletionDebtRepaymentRetention

Each axis is the percentile score shown in the breakdown at left; the shape shows this school's overall profile at a glance.

10-yr median earnings

$73,490

Federal aid recipients only

Avg net price

$19,096

After grants and scholarships

150%-time completion

90.2%

Full-time, first-time cohort

150%-time completion vs portal median (57.1%) 90.2%

Four-year-institution cohort

College ROI Quadrant - William & Mary vs peers

William & Mary positioned by earnings vs cost Two-by-two quadrant chart: x-axis median earnings 10 years after enrollment, y-axis average net price after financial aid. Each dot is a college, colored by completion within 150% of normal time (garnet ≥65%, amber 45-64%, red <45%). Net price increases upward, earnings increase rightward, so: bottom-right = best value (low cost, high earnings); top-right = premium (high cost, high earnings); bottom-left = community college tier (low cost, modest earnings); top-left = cost challenge (high cost, low earnings). Currently plotting 8 colleges. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard joined to Carnegie Classification. William & Mary positioned by earnings vs cost Carnegie Classification: R2 R2 COST CHALLENGE PREMIUM COMMUNITY BEST VALUE $22K $77K Median Earnings 10 Years After Enrollment ($) $4K $26K Avg Net Price ($) William & Mary (you are here): $73K earn · $19K net · 90% grad You are here - William & Mary Radford University: $54K earn · $15K net · 49% grad Radford University Brightpoint Community College: $41K earn · $5K net · 39% grad Brightpoint Commun… J Sargeant Reynolds Community College: $40K earn · $5K net · 31% grad J Sargeant Reynold… Germanna Community College: $40K earn · $6K net · 42% grad Germanna Community… Norfolk State University: $45K earn · $15K net · 36% grad Norfolk State Univ… Virginia State University: $46K earn · $16K net · 40% grad Centura College-Newport News: $26K earn · $25K net · 72% grad Grad rate (4yr) ≥65% 45-64% <45%
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education

Each dot is a college plotted by 10-year median earnings (x-axis) vs average net price (y-axis), colored by completion within 150% of normal time. Bottom-right = high earnings/lower price; top-left = lower earnings/higher price.

How William & Mary ranks nationally

Where this school's former-student earnings fall within the full national distribution of every US college that reports to the College Scorecard, not just its peer set.

William & Mary: former-student earnings vs. every US college

10-year median earnings, College Scorecard

$73,490 Top 6% higher than 94% of 5,103 US colleges

$0–$20,000: 169 US colleges (3%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 2,245 US colleges (44%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 1,897 US colleges (37%). Below this entry. $60,000–$80,000: 606 US colleges (12%). This entry sits in this band. $80,000–$100,000: 134 US colleges (3%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 39 US colleges (1%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 11 US colleges (0%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 2 US colleges (0%). Above this entry. This college $0 $160,000 every US college, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US colleges. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard · Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals

Metric William & Mary National rank Percentile
10-yr median earnings $73,490 #299 of 5103 94th
Average net price $19,096 #2912 of 5020 42nd (lower is better)
150%-time completion 90.2% #211 of 4858 96th
Undergraduate enrollment 7,055 #537 of 5462 90th

National ranks count every operating US college reporting each metric to the College Scorecard, separate from the earnings histogram above.

Quick Facts

7,055
Undergraduate enrollment
34.1%
Acceptance rate
1,473
SAT average
90.2%
150%-time completion
$73,490
10-yr median earnings
94.6%
First-year retention

How William & Mary ranks in Virginia

State rank among 125 reporting Virginia colleges with College Scorecard data, a separate lens from the national distribution above.

Metric William & Mary State rank Percentile
10-yr median earnings $73,490 #10 of 125 92nd
Average net price $19,096 #55 of 107 49th (lower is better)
150%-time completion 90.2% #5 of 102 95th
Undergraduate enrollment 7,055 #11 of 126 91st

Highest former-student earnings in Virginia

#School10-yr earningsNet price
1Washington and Lee University$94,810$23,781
2Chamberlain University-Virginia$92,405$33,199
3University of Virginia-Main Campus$86,863$21,565
4Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University$81,698$24,953
5Sentara College of Health Sciences$77,821-
6Virginia Military Institute$77,369$17,113
7Bon Secours Memorial College of Nursing$77,014-
8George Mason University$76,343$17,915
9University of Richmond$76,178$31,309
10William & MaryThis school$73,490$19,096
11Southside College of Health Sciences$71,380-
12James Madison University$69,954$23,322

Admissions

Admission Rate 34.1%
SAT Average 1,473
SAT Math (25th-75th) 690 – 770
SAT Reading (25th-75th) 710 – 760
ACT Average 33
ACT (25th-75th) 32 – 34
0%100%34.1%
Share of applicants admitted

Costs & Financial Aid

Net price by family income at William & Mary

Average annual net price after grants; Title IV recipient cohort by income bracket

net price / yr

What this shows Need-based aid pulls net price down at lower brackets at William & Mary - compare the bar for your income band, not the overall average alone.

Source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard As of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals

Tuition & Net Price

In-State Tuition $25,914
Out-of-State Tuition $51,038
Average Net Price $19,096
12.4%
Pell Grant Rate
21.7%
Federal Loan Rate
$18,500
Median Debt
$196/mo
Monthly Payment

What students pay at William & Mary rose +33.2% since 2013

Average net price for the reported Title IV-recipient cohort went from $16,909 in 2013 to $22,529 in 2023, a rise of $5,620 in nominal dollars. Across the 4,315 colleges measured over the same 2013–2023 span, the median change was +14.6%.

Average net price, 2013–2023

11 reported years. Nominal dollars, not adjusted for inflation.

2013: $16,9092014: $17,1942015: $18,3002016: $19,0892017: $19,7202018: $16,3832019: $19,8002020: $19,5932021: $18,6502022: $19,4422023: $22,529
2013 · $16,9092023 · $22,529

Over the same years, enrollment went +11.5% (6,235 → 6,949 students).

Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, per-year fields (2013–2023). Net price is the average cost after grant and scholarship aid for federally-aided undergraduates.

Student Demographics

Race & ethnicity

Student body at a glance

60.7%
Female
13.2%
First Generation

Outcomes

94.6%
Retention Rate
$62,959
Median Earnings (6yr)
76.4%
Earning Over $25K
86.7%
Loan Repayment, Completers (3yr)

Outcomes & debt snapshot

Measure Cohort / horizon Value
Completion within 150% of normal time First-time, full-time 90.2%
First-year retention First-time, full-time freshmen 94.6%
Median earnings 6 years after entry $62,959
Median earnings 10 years after entry $73,490
Share earning over $25,000 Working, not enrolled 76.4%
Loan repayment rate Completers, 3 years after leaving 86.7%
Median federal student debt At completion $18,500
Estimated monthly payment Standard 10-year plan $196/mo

Programs & Earnings

Field-of-study summary by credential

Credential Programs Award count Avg earnings Top earnings Avg debt
Bachelor's 25 1,909 $76,715 $127,851 $18,461
Master's 7 641 $84,481 $133,994 $35,805
First Professional 1 226 $115,663 $115,663 $105,023
Doctoral 1 30 $110,116 $110,116 $46,388

Top programs at William & Mary by completer earnings

Median earnings of program completers, College Scorecard field-of-study file

median earnings

What this shows The highest-earning programs at a school are not necessarily its most popular ones - a small specialized program can post strong median earnings without reflecting the outcome most students here actually see.

Source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard As of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals

Program Credential Completers Median Earnings Median Debt
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods Master's 142 $133,994 $42,500
Computer Science Bachelor's 93 $127,851 $19,794
Business Administration, Management and Operations Master's 296 $125,353 $52,625
Law First Professional 226 $115,663 $105,023
Business Administration, Management and Operations Bachelor's 239 $111,366 $19,500
Educational Administration and Supervision Doctoral 30 $110,116 $46,388
Economics Bachelor's 119 $105,467 $19,500
International Relations and National Security Studies Bachelor's 76 $91,065 $20,500
Sociology Bachelor's 34 $87,655 $14,000
Mathematics Bachelor's 81 $87,170 $20,000
Public Policy Analysis Master's 1 $80,402 -
Chemistry Bachelor's 52 $78,270 $18,033
Physics Bachelor's 38 $77,863 $21,000
Philosophy Bachelor's 35 $75,423 $18,312
Political Science and Government Bachelor's 142 $72,173 $19,500

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the acceptance rate at William & Mary?
William & Mary is a public institution in Williamsburg, Virginia. The acceptance rate is 34.1%. The average SAT score is 1,473. Undergraduate enrollment is 7,055 students.
How much do William & Mary former students earn?
Federally aided former students at William & Mary who were working and not enrolled had median earnings of $73,490 ten years after entry; the cohort is not limited to graduates. Six years after entry, the corresponding median is $62,959.
How much does William & Mary cost?
The average net price at William & Mary is $19,096. In-state tuition is $25,914 and out-of-state tuition is $51,038. Median student debt at graduation is $18,500.
What is the graduation rate at William & Mary?
William & Mary has a 90.2% completion rate within 150% of normal time at a four-year institution (typically six years for a bachelor’s program). The first-year retention rate is 94.6%.
Is William & Mary worth the student debt?
The median student debt at William & Mary is $18,500, while former students earn a median of $73,490 ten years after enrollment. That debt represents about 25% of those annual earnings. Among borrowers who completed their program, 86.7% are repaying their loans within 3 years. Estimated monthly loan payment is $196.

Sources & methodology

Public-college profiles lean on IPEDS enrollment and Scorecard Title-IV outcomes. State appropriations are outside this page; the figures below are the federal cohort measures only.

Every number is read live from the Mar–Jul 2026 Scorecard/IPEDS retrievals. Public institutions often enroll large Title-IV cohorts, so medians can be stable — still cohort averages, never a personal forecast. Read the full methodology for how the data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Where to go next from William & Mary

Public-college Scorecard figures are historical Title-IV cohort averages — confirm current tuition, aid, and admissions rules with the institution before deciding.

Every figure on PlainCollege is rendered directly from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard data, no number is typed in by an editor. Public-institution profiles compile Scorecard Title-IV earnings, IPEDS enrollment/admissions, and Treasury linkage fields — no editor-typed figures. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error on this page. Review the public data changelog. Data current as of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals.