University of Virginia vs. William & Mary
Drive a couple hours southeast from Charlottesville and UVA's brick Rotunda gives way to the Wren Building and the colonial streets of Williamsburg, and the two campuses pull you toward very different versions of four years. At UVA you join a large public research university spread out around Jefferson's Lawn. Recruiters work the career fairs, the social sciences and business run deep, and the engineering school William & Mary doesn't field on its own draws a serious crowd. The flip side: in lecture halls that big, nobody chases you down. William & Mary keeps you small. A fraction UVA's size, it puts the social sciences out front and runs on tight, talk-heavy seminars where the professor learns your name. Both are Virginia publics, both charge residents far less, both hold most of their seats for in-state students, and UVA turns away a much steeper share of applicants. If you want a discussion table over a lecture hall and a campus you can cross on foot, point yourself at Williamsburg.
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Acceptance Rate
Overall acceptance rate, plus the in-state and out-of-state admit rates the school reports separately.
Admit rate by residency
% admitted~1.8× higher admit rate for in-state applicants.
Early Decision
UVA offers binding Early Decision. Applying early can meaningfully change your odds — but ED commits you to enroll if admitted.
Admit rate by application plan
% admitted~1.8× higher admit rate applying early.
Standardized Tests
UVA is currently test-optional — you may apply without submitting scores.
SAT Accepted?
ACT Accepted?
Test Optional?
SAT Scores
ACT Scores
Class Rank
Where UVA's enrolled first-years placed in their high school graduating class.
Based on the 34% of enrolled students who reported a class rank. UVA does not publish an average GPA.
Admissions Factors
How UVA weighs each part of your application.
Rigor of High School Record
Academic GPA
Standardized Test Scores
Application Essay
Recommendations
Extracurricular Activities
Character / Personal Qualities
Talent / Ability
First Generation
Level of Applicant's Interest
Class Rank
Volunteer Work
Work Experience
Geographical Residence
State Residency
Alumni Relation
Racial / Ethnic Status
Religious Affiliation
Cost of Attendance
Estimated full-time annual cost from UVA's Common Data Set. Only tuition changes with residency.
Out-of-state students pay $38,381 more — entirely in tuition. Room, board, and other costs are identical regardless of residency.
Financial Aid
Need-based aid statistics for full-time first-year students.
Major Distribution
Bachelor's degrees awarded in the past year by academic major.
Student Diversity
Racial and ethnic breakdown of enrolled undergraduate students.
Student-Faculty Ratio
The number of students for every one faculty member, indicating the average level of access students have to instructional staff.
Campus Life
On-campus housing and Greek life participation rates.
Enrollment by Gender
Since some students did not report gender, totals may not fully reflect the student body.
Acceptance Rate
Overall acceptance rate, plus the in-state and out-of-state admit rates the school reports separately.
Admit rate by residency
% admittedEarly Decision
William & Mary offers binding Early Decision. Applying early can meaningfully change your odds — but ED commits you to enroll if admitted.
Admit rate by application plan
% admitted~1.4× higher admit rate applying early.
Standardized Tests
William & Mary is currently test-optional — you may apply without submitting scores.
SAT Accepted?
ACT Accepted?
Test Optional?
SAT Scores
ACT Scores
Class Rank
Where William & Mary's enrolled first-years placed in their high school graduating class.
Based on the 30% of enrolled students who reported a class rank. William & Mary does not publish an average GPA.
Admissions Factors
How William & Mary weighs each part of your application.
Rigor of High School Record
Academic GPA
Standardized Test Scores
Application Essay
Recommendations
Extracurricular Activities
Character / Personal Qualities
Talent / Ability
First Generation
Level of Applicant's Interest
Class Rank
Volunteer Work
Work Experience
Geographical Residence
State Residency
Alumni Relation
Racial / Ethnic Status
Religious Affiliation
Cost of Attendance
Estimated full-time annual cost from William & Mary's Common Data Set. Only tuition changes with residency.
Out-of-state students pay $26,443 more — entirely in tuition. Room, board, and other costs are identical regardless of residency.
Financial Aid
Need-based aid statistics for full-time first-year students.
Major Distribution
Bachelor's degrees awarded in the past year by academic major.
Student Diversity
Racial and ethnic breakdown of enrolled undergraduate students.
Student-Faculty Ratio
The number of students for every one faculty member, indicating the average level of access students have to instructional staff.
Campus Life
On-campus housing and Greek life participation rates.
Enrollment by Gender
Since some students did not report gender, totals may not fully reflect the student body.
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UVA vs. William & Mary: frequently asked questions
Is UVA or William & Mary harder to get into?＋
UVA is the tougher admit. It took about 16.8% of applicants last cycle (roughly 9,909 of 58,951), while William & Mary admitted about 37.0% (roughly 6,245 of 16,895). The enrolled academic profiles sit close together, with middle-50% SAT scores of 1410–1520 at UVA and 1390–1520 at W&M. UVA's larger, more competitive applicant pool accounts for most of the gap.
Is UVA or William & Mary cheaper for out-of-state students?＋
On out-of-state sticker price, William & Mary wins: tuition and required fees run about $53,678 against UVA's $60,787. Aid reorders things for students with need, though. UVA meets 100% of demonstrated need with an average package near $37,123, while W&M meets about 82% with an average near $29,030. A student who qualifies for substantial aid can watch UVA's full-need pledge erase or reverse that sticker advantage.
Is UVA or William & Mary cheaper for Virginia residents?＋
For Virginia residents, UVA posts the lower in-state sticker, roughly $22,406 in tuition and required fees versus about $27,235 at William & Mary. Both schools hold most seats for Virginians, with out-of-state students making up 31% of UVA's undergraduates and 39% of W&M's. Factor in aid (UVA meets 100% of demonstrated need, W&M about 82%) and a resident's real cost swings with their financial circumstances.
Which is bigger, UVA or William & Mary?＋
UVA dwarfs William & Mary in size, enrolling about 17,901 undergraduates to W&M's 6,951, roughly two and a half times as many. Both still keep classes intimate for their type, running student-faculty ratios of 14-to-1 at UVA and 13-to-1 at W&M, with nearly all first-years housed on campus at each. The size gap surfaces in breadth of offerings and social scale rather than in crowded classrooms.
Is UVA or William & Mary better for engineering or computer science?＋
Engineering students should head to UVA. It operates a full engineering school that confers about 10% of degrees, alongside a sizable computer and information sciences program at about 8%. William & Mary lists no standalone engineering major and instead concentrates its strength in the social sciences (about 20% of degrees), business, biology, and psychology. UVA fits the future engineer; W&M rewards a student drawn to liberal-arts and social-science depth.
What are the most popular majors at UVA versus William & Mary?＋
Breadth defines UVA's degree mix, which liberal arts and general studies lead at about 16%, trailed by the social sciences (13%), engineering (10%), and business (9%). William & Mary concentrates harder in the social sciences, its single largest field at about 20% of bachelor's degrees, with business, biological sciences, and psychology filling out the top tier. Both schools tilt toward arts and sciences, yet UVA layers on professional tracks that W&M largely cedes to other institutions.
Source: University of Virginia Common Data Set 2024-2025. Figures transcribed 2026-06-07. Esslo aggregates publicly reported data and is not affiliated with UVA. Banner photo by Phil Roeder, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0).
Source: William & Mary Common Data Set 2025-2026. Figures transcribed 2026-06-07. Student-Faculty Ratio, % Receiving Need-Based Aid, Avg. Aid Package, and Avg. % Need Met are from the 2024-2025 edition. Esslo aggregates publicly reported data and is not affiliated with William & Mary. Banner photo by Smash the Iron Cage, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).