William & Mary

William & Mary is highly selective, admitting about 37% of applicants in the most recent cycle from a pool of roughly 16,900, with around 1,640 first-years enrolling. Admitted students are academically strong — average high school GPA near 4.34, with 79% ranked in the top tenth of their class — and the rigor of your course load is weighed as a very important factor.

Unusually for a Virginia public university, William & Mary admits Virginia residents and out-of-state applicants at essentially the same rate — both groups were admitted at about 37.0% in the most recent entering class. Where residency does matter is cost: out-of-state students pay $53,678 in tuition and fees versus $27,235 for Virginians. Non-residents make up about 39% of enrolled undergraduates.

Admitted first-years at William & Mary report an average high school GPA of about 4.34 on a weighted scale. There's no fixed cutoff, but academic GPA and the rigor of your coursework are both weighed as very important factors — among the 30% who reported a class rank, 79% placed in the top tenth and 95% in the top quarter of their graduating class.

A 1490 is competitive: it falls within the middle 50% of enrolled first-years, who scored between 1390 and 1520 on the SAT (32–34 on the ACT). William & Mary is test-optional, so scores are weighed as 'considered' rather than required — a 1490 helps but won't carry an application on its own.

Yes. William & Mary is test-optional, so you can apply without SAT or ACT scores, and standardized tests are weighed as a 'considered' factor rather than a very important one. If you do submit, the middle 50% of enrolled first-years scored 1390–1520 on the SAT and 32–34 on the ACT.

Yes — William & Mary offers two binding Early Decision rounds (ED I and ED II) and no Early Action. In the early round it admitted about 727 of 1,477 ED applicants, a higher admit rate than the roughly 37% overall, reflecting the boost a binding commitment can give a strong application.

Annual tuition and required fees are about $27,235 for Virginia residents and $53,678 for out-of-state students. Around 33% of first-years receive need-based grant aid, with an average need-based package near $29,030, and William & Mary meets roughly 82% of demonstrated need on average.

Yes — William & Mary rates the application essay as a very important factor in its holistic review, alongside GPA, course rigor, recommendations, and character. With admission at about 37% and so many academically strong applicants, a specific, well-revised essay is one of the clearest ways to stand out.

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