William & Mary has long been considered a “Public Ivy” because of the remarkable quality of its educational offerings, value and impact on the public good.

That status was affirmed recently by Forbes, which featured the Alma Mater of the Nation on its 2025 list of “The New Ivies.” 

The list includes 10 public and 10 private universities “that are attracting the best and the brightest and graduating students that are outpacing most Ivy Leaguers in the eyes of employers,” according to a Forbes article. The lists were determined based on size, selectivity and test scores plus results from a survey sent to subscribers of Forbes’ C-suite newsletters. William & Mary was one of only two Virginia institutions included.

“For students who are looking for an historic college with centuries-old brick buildings and a bucolic campus, William & Mary, founded in 1693, fits the bill,” says the Forbes article. “Of the 10 public schools on our list, the Williamsburg, Virginia, college is the most Ivy-like.”

William & Mary brings together the global opportunities of a larger research institution with the personal experience of a liberal arts and sciences college, featuring: 

• A 13:1 student-faculty ratio
• 99% of classes taught by faculty
• R1 research opportunities
• Funded internship or applied-learning opportunities

Careers is one of the cornerstone initiatives of William & Mary’s Vision 2026 strategic plan, along with Water, Data and Democracy. According to Forbes, more business executives are likely to hire public university graduates now than they were five years ago.

“The gap between graduates from Ivies and other public/private universities is shrinking,” said one vice president in the Forbes article. “Public university students seem to exhibit more empathy than others, and passion to innovate and take up steep learning curves to master skills required in current situations is more important.”

The long view for success

While rankings often alter methodologies and increasingly focus on short-term, transitional metrics, William & Mary takes the long view when it comes to its educational mission, guided by its core values and strategic goals. 

• W&M undergraduate alumni in Virginia earn the highest median income 15 years post-graduation of all public universities in the state, according to the State Council of Higher Education in Virginia.
• 94% of W&M graduates are employed or pursuing further education within six months of graduation. 
• According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers, W&M undergraduate alumni earn nearly 21% more than the national full-time mean starting salary as reported by the Class of 2023. In addition, 100% work in jobs that align well with their career interests. 
• According to Washington Monthly, W&M has the highest percentage of undergraduate alumni who go on to earn Ph.D.s of any public university.

In addition to 115 robust undergraduate majors, minors and pre-professional programs, William & Mary includes 44 graduate degree and certificate programs – all of which receive their own fair share of accolades. The Forbes ranking is one of many to recently highlight William & Mary.

In the latest U.S. News & World Report graduate school rankings released today, several Arts & Sciences and School of Computing, Data Sciences & Physics programs are listed, including history which ranked at 25th tied.

In the same rankings, the School of Education is tied at 49th, up nearly 10 spots from last year. Earlier this year, U.S. News ranked the school 33rd among the best online master’s in education programs for veterans. And Niche ranked the school second among the best colleges in Virginia for education.

W&M Law School also improved in this year’s U.S. News rankings of graduate schools, landing at 31st tied for its full-time law program, up five spots from last year. In addition, the school ranked 12th for first-time bar passage, 18th tied for most graduates in federal clerkships, 19th tied for best Constitutional law programs, 21st tied for best criminal law programs, 27th tied for best legal writing programs, 27th for ultimate bar passage rate, 29th tied for best international law programs and 33rd tied for most graduates at big law firms. 

Additionally, W&M Law School’s reputational rank is 22nd among lawyers and judges and 30th among law school peers, and its library resources rank is 21st.

The Raymond A. Mason School of Business at William & Mary has also been highlighted in recent rankings. Poets&Quants recently ranked the school’s undergraduate business program 20th in the nation. This marks a significant movement from 48th in 2024 and 68th in 2023, highlighting the school’s swift rise in the competitive world of business education.

Earlier this year, U.S. News & World Report ranked William & Mary 24th among best online graduate business programs and 20th for best online graduate business programs for veterans. In addition, the online MBA program was ranked 34th overall and 47th for veterans. The school’s work with the military and veteran community was also lauded by G.I. Jobs, which ranked it second among military-friendly business schools. 

In the latest U.S. News rankings of graduate schools, the full-time MBA program was tied for 61st and the part-time program was tied at 88th.