Academics

Majors and faculty

The most popular major is Business Administration and Management, General (13% of graduates). 12 students for every faculty member, fewer than at 59% of colleges. 79% of faculty are full-time. Spends $18,167 a year on instruction per student.

Most popular majors

1,899 bachelor's degrees, 2024–25 graduates

The top 5 programs account for 44% of graduates; 37 programs in 17 fields awarded at least one.

Business Administration and Management, General 52.020113% 243
Graduates in this field earn $111,366 4 years out
Psychology, General 42.01019.2% 174
Graduates in this field earn $59,226 4 years out
Biology/Biological Sciences, General 26.01017.7% 146
Graduates in this field earn $49,644 4 years out
Computer Science 11.07017.4% 141
Graduates in this field earn $127,851 4 years out
Political Science and Government, General 45.10016.6% 126
Graduates in this field earn $72,173 4 years out

Fastest-growing field: Computer science, 2.6% → 7.4% of graduates since 2014–15 (141 graduates in 2024–25).

Source:IPEDS Completions survey (degrees awarded by field), 2014–15 to 2024–25About the data(built 2026-10-12; CPI retrieved 2026-10-12)

Bachelor's degrees awarded July through June, by federal program name (), which can differ from what the college calls a major. A double major counts once, under the ; its other field is a . Earnings are College Scorecard's median for graduates of the program's broader field (), 4 years after completion; see Top-earning majors below.

Top-earning majors here

By earnings 4 years after completion

Computer Science$127,851 4 yrs out
1 year after completion: $84,956
4 years after completion$127,851
National median: $107,009Above typical
4 years out, Pell: Too few graduates to report · Non-Pell: $105,600(an older graduating class than the figure above — see the (i) for why)
Median federal debt: $19,794 · 188 graduates, two most recent years combined
Business Administration, Management and Operations$111,366 4 yrs out
1 year after completion: $75,038
4 years after completion$111,366
National median: $68,257Above typical
4 years out, Pell: $84,328 · Non-Pell: $86,020(an older graduating class than the figure above — see the (i) for why)
Median federal debt: $19,500 · 439 graduates, two most recent years combined
Economics$105,467 4 yrs out
1 year after completion: $65,603
4 years after completion$105,467
National median: $82,686Above typical
4 years out, Pell: $76,006 · Non-Pell: $70,783(an older graduating class than the figure above — see the (i) for why)
Median federal debt: $19,500 · 241 graduates, two most recent years combined
International Relations and National Security Studies$91,065 4 yrs out
1 year after completion: $47,270
4 years after completion$91,065
National median: $66,596Above typical
4 years out, Pell: Too few graduates to report · Non-Pell: $68,090(an older graduating class than the figure above — see the (i) for why)
Median federal debt: $20,500 · 171 graduates, two most recent years combined
Sociology$87,655 4 yrs out
1 year after completion: Too few graduates to report
4 years after completion$87,655
National median: $52,657Above typical
Median federal debt: $14,000 · 71 graduates, two most recent years combined

Bachelor's programs only, among graduates who received federal financial aid and were working (not enrolled in school) in the measurement year.

Students per faculty member vs. every college12 to 1

12 to 1

← Fewer students per facultyfewer students per faculty member than 59% of 1,892More students per faculty →

The college also reports 11 to 1 in its Common Data Set (8,297 students, 751 faculty).

Not the average class size: faculty also teach graduate students and do research, and large lectures can sit alongside small seminars.

Class sizes

48%

of classes have fewer than 20 students; 9% have 50 or more

Under 20 students 20 or moreStudents per class section

Undergraduate class sections by number of students
Students	sections	Share
2–9	171	15%
10–19	389	33%
20–29	265	23%
30–39	189	16%
40–49	58	5%
50–99	75	6%
100+	29	2%

This counts class sections, not students: a lecture of 300 is one section, so a student is more likely to sit in a large class than the share of sections suggests. Labs and discussion sections are counted separately and left out here.

Programs & curriculum

Accelerated program
Cross-registration
Distance learning
Double major
Dual enrollment
Honors program
Independent study
Internships
Student-designed major
Teacher certification
Study abroad
Undergraduate research

Requires coursework in arts, computer literacy, English composition, a foreign language, humanities, math, a natural science, and social science.

Full-time faculty79%

National median: 67%Above typical

Average faculty salary

$116,984

9-month equated, all ranks combined. Pay tracks local cost of living as much as a college's generosity.

Spending and endowment

Fiscal 2023–24. Compared only against other public colleges: public and private colleges report finances on different accounting forms that aren't comparable. Many public universities' endowments sit mostly in a separate foundation this survey doesn't count, so this likely understates what's actually available.

Instruction spending per student$18,167

$18,167

← Lessmore than 86% of 557More →

Endowment per student$154,167

$154,167

← Lessmore than 98% of 537More →

Sources:IPEDS Completions survey (degrees awarded by field), 2024–25 graduates;College Scorecard Field of Study data, most recent release;IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part D), Fall 2024;IPEDS Salaries survey (SAL, instructional staff, all ranks), Fall 2024;College Scorecard, Fall 2024;IPEDS Finance survey, derived per-student figures, 2023–24;William & Mary Common Data Set 2025–26, Fall 2025;William & Mary Common Data Set 2025–26, 2025–26;IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey (athletics, programs, services, religious affiliation), 2025–26About the data(retrieved 2026-10-12)