William & Mary (W&M) vs Vanderbilt

William & Mary and Vanderbilt University, two prestigious institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. William & Mary, nestled in historic Williamsburg, Virginia, boasts a lower acceptance rate and a smaller student body, fostering a close-knit community. Vanderbilt, located in vibrant Nashville, Tennessee, attracts a more diverse student population and offers a wider range of academic programs. Both universities excel in liberal arts and sciences, but William & Mary is known for its strong government and public policy programs, while Vanderbilt is renowned for its engineering and music schools. Explore our comprehensive comparison table to discover more about these exceptional universities and make an informed decision that aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.
William & Mary logo

William & Mary

Vanderbilt University logo

Vanderbilt University

Overview

Location Williamsburg, Virginia Nashville, Tennessee
Campus setting Suburb: Small City: Large
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Public Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system Semester Semester
Degrees offered Undergraduate and Graduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 93.0% 97.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 36.5% 7.1%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $75

Graduate: $50
Undergraduate: $50

Graduate: $95
SAT range 1360 - 1520 1480 - 1570
ACT range 31 - 34 34 - 35
Students submitting SAT score 51.0% 25.0%
Students submitting ACT score 19.0% 32.0%
Total number of applicants 17,475 47,152
Total number of admissions given out 6,386 3,368
Admitted students who chose to enroll 1,684 1,626
Yield rate 26.4% 48.3%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Required Required
Recommendation letters Required Not required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Not required Required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price
In state: $40,624

Out of state: $63,850
$79,538
Average net price $18,399 $27,553
Tuition
In state: $17,434

Out of state: $40,089
$54,840
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $8,490

Meal plan: $5,246
Room/dormitory: $12,000

Meal plan: $6,376
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

44.0%
Average amount $21,700
64.0%
Average amount $49,730
Students receiving federal student loan 22.0%
Average amount $5,132
10.0%
Average amount $4,979
Students taking out private loans 4.0%
Average amount $27,548
2.0%
Average amount $27,798

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 6,543
Men 41.6% Women 58.4%
7,111
Men 48.9% Women 51.1%
Graduate students 2,974
Men 42.7% Women 57.3%
6,685
Men 39.5% Women 60.5%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Low
Moderate
Out-of-state students 35.2% 89.5%
International students 6.2% 11.7%
Campus local/setting Suburb: Small City: Large
Dormitory capacity 4,755 5,598
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 Tennessee California New York Florida Texas

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Business
  • Legal Profession
  • Education
  • Social Sciences
  • Multidisciplinary Studies
  • Health Professions
  • Education
  • Engineering
  • Business
  • Legal Profession
Students to faculty ratio 12:1 8:1
Institutional accreditation Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome

Graduation rate 91.0% 93.4%
Dropout rate 2.1% 6.4%
Transferred out 6.3% N/A
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
Medical Clinical Sciences/Graduate Medical Studies (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $101,041
  • Year 2: $122,038
  • Year 3: $169,145
Health and Medical Administrative Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $129,825
  • Year 2: $130,517
  • Year 3: $144,008
Finance and Financial Management Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $131,102
  • Year 2: $117,572
  • Year 3: $133,025
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $128,494
  • Year 2: $127,087
  • Year 3: $132,454
Law (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $132,293
  • Year 2: $114,324
  • Year 3: $130,516
Marketing (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $108,764
  • Year 2: $111,620
  • Year 3: $121,754
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $126,876
  • Year 2: $119,805
  • Year 3: $112,193
Educational Administration and Supervision (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $91,224
  • Year 2: $104,192
  • Year 3: $108,525
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $99,979
  • Year 2: $93,249
  • Year 3: $101,010
Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $76,609
  • Year 2: $80,309
  • Year 3: $95,754

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