William & Mary (W&M) vs Boston College

William & Mary and Boston College, two esteemed 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. Boston College, located in the vibrant city of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, offers a more diverse student body and 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 Boston College is renowned for its business and nursing programs. Explore our comprehensive comparison table to delve into further details and discover which university aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.
Boston College logo

Boston College

William & Mary logo

William & Mary

Overview

Location Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts Williamsburg, Virginia
Campus setting City: Small Suburb: Small
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Private (Non Profit) Public
Calendar system Semester Semester
Degrees offered Undergraduate and Graduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 95.0% 93.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation Catholic

Admission

Acceptance rate 19.0% 36.5%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $80

Graduate: $75
Undergraduate: $75

Graduate: $50
SAT range 1420 - 1530 1360 - 1520
ACT range 33 - 34 31 - 34
Students submitting SAT score 30.0% 51.0%
Students submitting ACT score 20.0% 19.0%
Total number of applicants 39,846 17,475
Total number of admissions given out 7,587 6,386
Admitted students who chose to enroll 2,516 1,684
Yield rate 33.2% 26.4%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Required Required
Recommendation letters Required Required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Required Not required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $76,606
In state: $40,624

Out of state: $63,850
Average net price $30,159 $18,399
Tuition $60,530
In state: $17,434

Out of state: $40,089
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $9,780

Meal plan: $5,822
Room/dormitory: $8,490

Meal plan: $5,246
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

39.0%
Average amount $48,693
44.0%
Average amount $21,700
Students receiving federal student loan 33.0%
Average amount $3,579
22.0%
Average amount $5,132
Students taking out private loans 0.0%
Average amount $2,200
4.0%
Average amount $27,548

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 9,955
Men 47.1% Women 52.9%
6,543
Men 41.6% Women 58.4%
Graduate students 5,622
Men 42.2% Women 57.8%
2,974
Men 42.7% Women 57.3%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Low
Low
Out-of-state students N/A 35.2%
International students 12.4% 6.2%
Campus local/setting City: Small Suburb: Small
Dormitory capacity 7,602 4,755
First year students are required to live on campus? No No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from N/A Virginia New Jersey Maryland Pennsylvania New York

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Business
  • Health Professions
  • Education
  • Public Administration and Social Service
  • Legal Profession
  • Business
  • Legal Profession
  • Education
  • Social Sciences
  • Multidisciplinary Studies
Students to faculty ratio 14:1 12:1
Institutional accreditation New England Commission on Higher Education Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome

Graduation rate 90.8% 91.0%
Dropout rate 2.5% 2.1%
Transferred out 6.4% 6.3%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Finance and Financial Management Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $90,012
  • Year 2: $117,572
  • Year 3: $142,311
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $99,514
  • Year 2: $115,060
  • Year 3: $137,599
Educational Administration and Supervision (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $114,055
  • Year 2: $111,435
  • Year 3: $126,491
Law (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $89,485
  • Year 2: $93,588
  • Year 3: $114,789
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $92,426
  • Year 2: $100,439
  • Year 3: $112,343
Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $89,714
  • Year 2: $84,100
  • Year 3: $105,872
Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $74,320
  • Year 2: $75,518
  • Year 3: $94,626
Information Science/Studies (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $69,748
  • Year 2: $76,460
  • Year 3: $90,750
Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $69,899
  • Year 2: $69,937
  • Year 3: $82,416
Economics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $64,785
  • Year 2: $69,069
  • Year 3: $77,978
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

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