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How to Get Into William & Mary

Williamsburg, VA · Public · 2025-2026 cycle · Verified data

William & Mary Admissions Statistics

34%
Acceptance Rate
710-760
SAT Reading (mid 50%)
690-770
SAT Math (mid 50%)
32-34
ACT (mid 50%)
7,055
Undergrads
89%
Graduation Rate

How to Actually Get Into William & Mary

Understand what 34% really means

At William & Mary's admit rate, your position against the published ranges genuinely matters. Land above the middle 50% and this behaves like a target; inside it, a true toss-up worth real effort on essays and fit signals; below it, treat it as a reach. Place it on your list accordingly instead of trusting the headline rate.

Position your scores against the real bands

The middle 50% of enrolled students sits around 1400-1530 combined SAT or 32-34 ACT. Above the 75th percentile, scores work for you and this can behave like a target. Below the 25th percentile, the rest of your application has to carry the file, treat it as a reach. Since scores are not required (test-optional) here, submit only if you're inside or above the band; a below-band score is information you don't have to volunteer.

Use the Early Decision round deliberately

William & Mary offers Early Decision, which is binding. The early bump is real but overstated (hooked applicants cluster early and inflate it). Spend ED once, on the school where it actually moves you a tier, and only if the money works without comparing aid offers. If that school is William & Mary, the deadline table below is your calendar.

The bigger picture: no single school decides your outcome, the shape of your whole list does. Read how top counselors build a college list before you finalize where William & Mary fits.

William & Mary Application Deadlines (2025-2026)

Round Deadline
Early Decision (ED) November 1, 2025
Early Decision II (ED II) January 5, 2026
Regular Decision (RD) January 5, 2026

Deadlines verified from official sources for the 2025-2026 cycle. Rounds change year to year, always confirm on the school's site before submitting.

Application Requirements & Costs

Application platform Common App
Application fee $75
Test scores Not required (test-optional)
Writing supplement Not required
Counselor recommendation Required

William & Mary Cost & Financial Aid

Total cost of attendance (sticker, per year) $43,035
Tuition & fees (in-state / out-of-state) $25,914 / $51,038
Room & board (on campus) $16,182
Average net price (aid-receiving families) $19,096

What You'd Actually Pay, by Family Income

Average net price per year (after grants and scholarships) for aid-receiving families, from federal College Scorecard data:

Family income Average net price / year
$0-30k $3,106
$30-48k $881
$48-75k $5,916
$75-110k $16,803
$110k+ $34,370
12.4%
Students receiving Pell Grants
22%
Students taking federal loans
95%
Freshman retention rate
12:1
Student-faculty ratio

These are averages, not your number. Get your family's actual price in about 10 minutes:

Use William & Mary's Official Net Price Calculator →

More William & Mary Data, Coming Soon

We're building the deepest per-school database in admissions. Rolling out for William & Mary:

Programs & Majors Soon Every degree program at William & Mary, with outcomes
Transfer Pathways Soon How to transfer into William & Mary, and where transfers come from
Institutional Aid Soon William & Mary's own grants and how they're awarded
Private Scholarships Soon Outside scholarships William & Mary students actually win

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