W&M ranks among the nation's best

September 12, 2017
by Sue Hanna Gerdelman '76, Chair, For the Bold Campaign

U.S. News & World Report (USNWR) just released the 2017-18 undergraduate rankings and it is no surprise that William & Mary continues to stand proudly among the top universities in the nation. Many considerations are factored into the national rankings and one in particular has played a major role in our overall score — increased alumni giving and participation.

Here are some of the USNWR highlights for William & Mary:

  • Alumni giving ranking is 18th — up from 34th in 2012 and 20th last year
  • Overall national ranking among best public universities is 6th
  • Overall national ranking is 32nd
  • Best undergraduate teaching ranking is 7th — up from 12th last year
  • Faculty resources rank is 44th — up from 61st in 2013
  • Best colleges for veterans ranking is 12th — up from 28th two years ago

William & Mary's alumni participation ranking has grown more over the last five years — during our For the Bold campaign — than any other nationally ranked institution, private or public. The alumni giving ranking has seen an improvement of 16 places — from 34th in 2012, when we began our campaign, to 18th today. Driving this big jump is the fact that the university last year set a record in alumni participation and solidified its status as the No. 1 nationally ranked public university in the U.S. for undergraduate alumni participation.

This is a point of pride that we can all boast in our personal and professional lives. William & Mary couldn’t have achieved this degree of success without the deep support of our alumni, particularly our young alumni who continue to answer the call and lead the charge with very high class participation rates.

All of this underscores the fact that, in large part, a William & Mary degree appreciates in value as the university rises in the rankings. Our continued success in this area hinges greatly on whether or not alumni invest in their alma mater. There aren’t a lot of certainties in life, but one thing that we can be certain of is that as long as alumni remain engaged and give back to William & Mary, their degree will continue to be a valuable asset and a symbol of pride.

We are a family and there is nothing better than seeing our Tribe family succeed. Thank you!