Sir Christopher Wren Building

The nation's second oldest university, William and Mary, is also recognized as one of the nation's most distinguished. Devotion to students and commitment to teaching have created an institution ranked by U.S. News as the best small public university in the country.

Approximately 7,600 undergraduate, graduate and professional students are enrolled in programs in the arts and sciences, business, education, law and marine science.

William and Mary attracts superior students. The average SAT scores of entering freshmen are well above 1300, and nearly 80 percent graduate in the top tenth of their high school classes.

Founded in 1693 by Royal Charter from King William III and Queen Mary II of Great Britain, the College is rooted in tradition. William & Mary retains the historic post of Chancellor-currently held by Nobel Peace Prize winner Henry A. Kissinger, who in 2000 succeeded Margaret, The Lady Thatcher, former Prime Minister of Great Britain. The College has educated three United States Presidents-Thomas Jefferson, James Monroe and John Tyler-and has renewed its heritage of national leadership by graduating four winners of Rhodes Scholarships and numerous recipients of other national and international awards within the past decade.

Crim Dell and Lake Matoaka

Although traditions are strong on the historic campus, William and Mary also is an educational pioneer. The College was the first American university to offer instruction in law, and it was the birthplace of Phi Beta Kappa and the student honor code. Today, William and Mary extends its tradition of innovation by using the Internet to enable students to take courses with their counterparts in Japan and China and to conduct innovative research on every continent, including Antarctica.

A nationally known research university, William and Mary last year received more than $48-million in research funding from federal, state and local agencies and from private industry. Whether it's identifying marine pathobiological agents, creating ways to map the human genome, studying 18th century slave culture or developing methods to employ technology in the schools and courtrooms of the future, research at William and Mary is advancing the frontiers of knowledge.

The College's devotion to its students promotes the success of its graduates, who gain admission to law, medical and graduate schools at nearly twice the national average. More William & Mary graduates go on to earn doctorates than alumni from any other university in Virginia.

THE COLLEGE OF WILLIAM AND MARY
P.O. Box 8795
Williamsburg, Virginia 23187-8795
General Information (757) 221-4000
TDD (757) 221-1787
http://www.wm.edu