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William & Mary Graduation Rate & Retention Rates

85% 4-Year Graduation Rate
92% 6-Year Graduation Rate
93% Retention Rate

William & Mary 2023 Graduation & Retention Report

How long does it take to earn a degree at William & Mary? Find out how many students return after their freshman year, how long it takes to graduate, and what happens to the students who don't.

William & Mary Retention Rate

93% Freshmen Retention Rate
Good Retention Rate

The percentage of first-time / full-time students who return for their second year is tracked as the freshmen retention rate.

With 93% students making it past their freshmen year, William & Mary has freshmen retention rates above the national average.

Nationwide, the average first to second year retention rate is 70.57%.

When looking at just colleges and universities in Virginia, the average is 69.66%.

William & Mary Retention  93 out of 100
0%
100%
Virginia Retention  70 out of 100
0%
100%
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Retention Rate
William & Mary93%
Nationwide70.57%
Virginia69.66%

William & Mary Graduation Rates

92% 6-Year Graduation Rate
5.77% Transfer Rate
1.85% Dropout Rate

Of the 1,631 students in the class of 2015, how many completed their degree on time?

Four years after beginning their degree, 85% of those students had graduated. By 2017, six years after starting their degree, 92% of the students had graduated and after eight years 92% of this class completed their degree.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, a student is considered to have graduated on time if they complete their degree within six years, making the official William & Mary graduation rate 92%.

How long does it take to get a bachelor's degree at William & Mary? The standard length of time for most students is 4.06 years.

Four Year Graduation Rate  86%
0%
100%
Six Year Graduation Rate  92%
0%
100%
Eight Year Graduation Rate  92%
0%
100%

William & Mary Graduation Rates vs. National Average

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Completion WithinUndergraduatesPercentage
Four Years1,52586%
Six Years1,63192%
Eight Years100%
Did Not Complete1398%
The non-completers rate is anyone who is not still enrolled at the institution after eight years. Both transfer students and drop-outs could be included in this group.
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William & Mary Drop Out Rate

Approximately 139 students or 8% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.

What happened to the 139 students who did not complete their degree?

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Non-CompletionsUndergraduatesPercentage
Still Enrolled32.2%
Transferred10374.1%
Dropped Out3323.7%

William & Mary Graduation Rates by Race/Ethnicity

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Race/EthnicityGraduation Rate
American Indian or Alaskan Native100%
Asian94%
Black / African-American86%
Hispanic92%
International84%
Multi-Ethnic86%
Unknown93%
White93%

Some Students Take More Time To Graduate

First-time, full-time students, under the age of 25 are known as traditional students. These students are more likely to graduate in four years than so called 'non-traditional' students that includes part-time students, transfer students, or adult learners. Some schools cater to non-traditional students and it may affect their overall graduation rates.

Traditional Students:

First-time, full-time students under the age of 25.

Non-Traditional Students:

Any student that is not first-time, full-time, and under the age of 25.

The majority of students at William & Mary are considered 'traditional students' who are first-time attending full-time.

How does this school do graduating the type of student you are most concerned bout?

First-Time / Full-Time William & Mary Graduation Rates

83% First-Time, Full-Time
92% 6-Year Grad Rate
Good Grad Rate

First-time / full-time students at William & Mary represent 83% of the students in the class of 2015, and 83.69% of William & Mary bachelor's degree graduations.

With a four-year graduation rate of 85%, first-time students in the William & Mary class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were more likely than average to graduate on time.

After six years, the William & Mary graduation rate was 92%, and by the eight year mark, 93% of the cohort had completed their degree.

Nationwide, the average graduation rate for first-time undergraduates attending classes full-time is 37.92% after four years, 46.43% after six years, and 47.82% after eight years.

Four Year Graduation Rate  85 out of 100
0%
100%
Six Year Graduation Rate  92 out of 100
0%
100%
Eight Year Graduation Rate  93 out of 100
0%
100%

William & Mary First-Time / Full-Time Graduation Rate vs. National Average

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First-Time / Full-Time CompletionsWilliam & MaryNationwide
Four Years85%37.92%
Six Years92%46.43%
Eight Years93%47.82%

First-Time / Full-Time William & Mary Drop Out Rates

107 first-time / full-time students or 7% did not complete their degree within eight years.

Of those who did not finish:

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First-Time / Full-Time Non-CompletionsUndergraduatesPercentage
Still Enrolled32.80%
Transferred7973.83%
Dropped Out2523.36%

First-Time / Part-Time Graduation Rates

Unfortunately, we don’t have access to data on William & Mary first-time, part-time students.

Non First-Time / Full-Time Students

16% Returning, Full-Time
89% 6-Year Grad Rate
Good Grad Rate

289 William & Mary students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 16.20% of the students in the class of 2015.

Non first-time students could include transfer students or adults who have returned to school after an absense.

With a six year graduation rate of 89%, returning students in the class of 2015 and attended classes full-time had a graduation rate higher than the national average for students in this category.

After eight years, the graduation rate was 89%.

Nationwide, the average graduation rate for non first-time undergraduates attending classes full-time is: 49.57% after four years, 53.83% after six years, and 55.07% after eight years.

Six Year Graduation Rate  89 out of 100
0%
100%
Eight Year Graduation Rate  89 out of 100
0%
100%

William & Mary Non First-Time / Full-Time Graduation Rate vs. National Average

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Returning / Full-Time CompletionsWilliam & MaryNationwide
Four Years0%49.57%
Six Years89%53.83%
Eight Years89%55.07%

Non First-Time / Full-Time William & Mary Drop Out Rates

31 non first-time / part-time students or 11% did not complete their degree within eight years.

Of those who did not finish:

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First-Time / Part-Time Non-CompletionsUndergraduatesPercentage
Still Enrolled00.00%
Transferred2374.19%
Dropped Out825.81%

Non First-Time / Part-Time Graduation Rates

1% Returning, Part-Time
89% 6-Year Grad Rate
Good Grad Rate

9 William & Mary students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 0.50% of the students in the class of 2015.

With a six year graduation rate of 89%, returning students in the class of 2015 and attended classes full-time had a graduation rate higher than the national average.

After eight years, the graduation rate was 89%.

Nationwide, the average graduation rate for non first-time undergraduates attending classes part-time is: 36.03% after six years, 36.03% after eight years.

Six Year Graduation Rate  89 out of 100
0%
100%
Eight Year Graduation Rate  89 out of 100
0%
100%

William & Mary Non First-Time / Part-Time Graduation Rate vs. National Average

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Returning / Part-Time CompletionsWilliam & MaryNationwide
Four Years0%30.46%
Six Years89%36.03%
Eight Years89%37.80%

Non First-Time / Part-Time William & Mary Drop Out Rates

1 non first-time / part-time students or 11% did not complete their degree within eight years.

Of those who did not finish:

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Returning / Part-Time Non-CompletionsUndergraduatesPercentage
Still Enrolled00.00%
Transferred1100.00%
Dropped Out00.00%

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