Quad

Head-to-head

United States Air Force Academy
William & Mary

Key differences

The biggest gaps between these schools, largest first.

  1. 1

    United States Air Force Academy's yield is 52 pts higher than William & Mary's

    Yield rate
  2. 2

    United States Air Force Academy is 2.6× more selective than William & Mary

    Acceptance rate
  3. 3

    William & Mary's SAT midpoint is 120 points higher than United States Air Force Academy's

    SAT midpoint
  4. 4

    William & Mary has 1.7× as many undergrads as United States Air Force Academy

    Undergrads
  5. 5

    United States Air Force Academy graduates 1 pts more of its students than William & Mary (92% vs. 91%)

    Graduation rate
  6. 6

    William & Mary is more diverse (index 0.57 vs. 0.57)

    Diversity index

The shape of each school

Each axis is a national rank among 4-year colleges; further out = more of it.

SelectivityTest scoresSizePell shareFirst-genDiversity

Hollow dots at the center mean that measure isn't reported.

Who's hardest to get into

United States Air Force Academy admits 14%, William & Mary 37%; United States Air Force Academy's yield is higher, at 78%.

Acceptance rate
United States Air Force Academy14%
William & Mary37%
Quad's selectivity
  • United States Air Force AcademyHighly selective
  • William & MaryVery selective
SAT middle 50%Axis 1100–1600
United States Air Force Academy
1230–1440
William & Mary
1390–1520
How they read a recordfirst-years at 3.75+
  • United States Air Force AcademyRigor, GPA, rank, and tests very important85%
  • William & MaryRigor, GPA, and rank very importantweighted GPAs

Who's on each campus

William & Mary has 1.7× as many undergrads as United States Air Force Academy; only William & Mary reports a Pell share (12%).

Undergrads
United States Air Force Academy4.1K
William & Mary6.9K
Pell Grant share
United States Air Force AcademyNot reported
William & Mary12%

Majors and faculty

Business Administration and Management leads at both; United States Air Force Academy has 7 students per faculty member to William & Mary's 12.

Students per faculty member
United States Air Force Academy7 to 1
William & Mary12 to 1
Most popular majorshare of graduates
  • United States Air Force AcademyBusiness Administration and Management, General14%
  • William & MaryBusiness Administration and Management, General13%

What each costs

Only William & Mary reports an average cost ($42.5K).

Average cost, all students
United States Air Force AcademyNot reported
William & Mary$42.5K
Aid generosity
United States Air Force AcademyNot reported
William & Mary19%

What each pays off

William & Mary's former students earn a median $73.5K ten years after enrolling; both graduate more than 90% within six years.

Median earnings, 10 years
United States Air Force AcademyNot reported
William & Mary$73.5K
Graduation rate
United States Air Force Academy92%
William & Mary91%

How each has changed

Applications grew at both; selectivity held steady at both.

Applications, 10-year change
  • United States Air Force AcademyGrowing+13%
  • William & MaryGrowing+22%
All the numbersEvery figure for these colleges in one table, with differences highlighted.
Sources for this comparisonEvery dataset and year behind the numbers in this comparison; tap any ⓘ for one number's source

Sources:IPEDS Admissions survey, Fall 2024;College Scorecard, Fall 2024;College Scorecard, most recent release;IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey, 2023–24;IPEDS Student Financial Aid survey, 2023–24;United States Air Force Academy Common Data Set 2020–21, Fall 2020;College Scorecard, Entered fall 2023;IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part D), Fall 2024;IPEDS Completions survey (degrees awarded by field), 2024–25 graduates;College Scorecard, 2023–24;IPEDS Graduation Rates survey (Pell Grant and subsidized loan recipients), Entered fall 2018;William & Mary Common Data Set 2025–26, Fall 2025;William & Mary Common Data Set 2025–26, Fall 2027 applicants;William & Mary Common Data Set 2025–26, Entered fall 2024;William & Mary Common Data Set 2025–26, Entered fall 2019About the data(retrieved 2026-10-12)

Figures are the newest each college has published; years can differ between colleges. Each value's ⓘ shows its source and year. Why