William & Mary (W&M) vs Stanford

William & Mary and Stanford University, two prestigious institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. William & Mary, a public research university in Williamsburg, Virginia, boasts a rich history dating back to 1693, while Stanford University, a private research university in Stanford, California, was founded in 1885. With acceptance rates of 34% and 4%, respectively, both universities are highly selective. William & Mary's popular majors include Public Policy, Economics, and History, while Stanford's popular majors include Computer Science, Engineering, and Economics. William & Mary's student body is 53% female and 47% male, while Stanford's student body is 51% female and 49% male. The graduation rate at William & Mary is 88%, while the graduation rate at Stanford is 95%. Explore the comparison table below to discover more key differences between these two esteemed universities and determine which one aligns
William & Mary logo

William & Mary

Stanford University logo

Stanford University

Overview

Location Williamsburg, Virginia Stanford, California
Campus setting Suburb: Small Suburb: Large
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Public Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system Semester Quarter
Degrees offered Undergraduate and Graduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 93.0% 98.0%
Common app member Yes No
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 36.5% 3.9%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $75

Graduate: $50
Undergraduate: $90

Graduate: $125
SAT range 1360 - 1520 1470 - 1570
ACT range 31 - 34 34 - 35
Students submitting SAT score 51.0% 15.0%
Students submitting ACT score 19.0% 11.0%
Total number of applicants 17,475 55,471
Total number of admissions given out 6,386 2,190
Admitted students who chose to enroll 1,684 1,757
Yield rate 26.4% 80.2%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Required Not required
Recommendation letters Required Required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Not required Not required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price
In state: $40,624

Out of state: $63,850
$78,898
Average net price $18,399 $14,402
Tuition
In state: $17,434

Out of state: $40,089
$55,473
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $8,490

Meal plan: $5,246
Room/dormitory: $11,166

Meal plan: $6,694
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

44.0%
Average amount $21,700
61.0%
Average amount $56,211
Students receiving federal student loan 22.0%
Average amount $5,132
5.0%
Average amount $5,151
Students taking out private loans 4.0%
Average amount $27,548
1.0%
Average amount $17,186

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 6,543
Men 41.6% Women 58.4%
7,645
Men 49.4% Women 50.6%
Graduate students 2,974
Men 42.7% Women 57.3%
10,035
Men 56.5% Women 43.5%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Low
Moderate
Out-of-state students 35.2% 58.5%
International students 6.2% 24.4%
Campus local/setting Suburb: Small Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity 4,755 14,621
First year students are required to live on campus? No Yes
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from Virginia New Jersey Maryland Pennsylvania New York California Texas Washington New York Illinois

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Business
  • Legal Profession
  • Education
  • Social Sciences
  • Multidisciplinary Studies
  • Engineering
  • Computer and Information Science
  • Business
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • Physical Science
Students to faculty ratio 12:1 5:1
Institutional accreditation Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission

Outcome

Graduation rate 91.0% 95.5%
Dropout rate 2.1% 1.7%
Transferred out 6.3% 0.6%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $71,208
  • Year 2: $71,202
  • Year 3: $87,886
Law (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $64,972
  • Year 2: $66,087
  • Year 3: $81,526
Educational Administration and Supervision (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $85,399
  • Year 2: $82,440
  • Year 3: $80,518
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $73,897
  • Year 2: $68,499
  • Year 3: $80,071
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $66,977
  • Year 2: $65,610
  • Year 3: $69,021
Economics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $54,979
  • Year 2: $53,108
  • Year 3: $57,485
Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $43,630
  • Year 2: $44,117
  • Year 3: $51,824
Public Policy Analysis (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $37,566
  • Year 2: $39,153
  • Year 3: $50,454
Area Studies (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $34,517
  • Year 2: $29,685
  • Year 3: $48,118
History (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $26,414
  • Year 2: $29,685
  • Year 3: $47,651
Law (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $151,574
  • Year 2: $170,457
  • Year 3: $210,837
Computer Science (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $159,729
  • Year 2: $168,942
  • Year 3: $203,193
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $164,734
  • Year 2: $163,337
  • Year 3: $187,054
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $137,457
  • Year 2: $150,874
  • Year 3: $173,548
Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $136,126
  • Year 2: $136,499
  • Year 3: $165,375
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $128,556
  • Year 2: $135,709
  • Year 3: $157,500
Engineering-Related Fields (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $123,354
  • Year 2: $106,421
  • Year 3: $139,234
Mechanical Engineering (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $105,326
  • Year 2: $111,435
  • Year 3: $126,185
Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $108,457
  • Year 2: $90,856
  • Year 3: $107,477
Economics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $60,475
  • Year 2: $85,391
  • Year 3: $104,592

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