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College of William & Mary
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College of William & Mary - Diversity - Diversity - College ProwlerCollege Prowler3.85

Diversity

B+
Where does this grade come from?View all Diversity rankingsReview this school to add your opinion

Comparable Schools' Diversity Grades:

Quick Stats

African American 7%
Asian American 8%
Hispanic 6%
International 3%
Native American 1%
White 59%
Unknown 16%
Historically Black College/University? No
Tribal College? No
Out-of-State Students 38%
Common States of Residence
  • Foreign countries
  • Maryland
  • Massachusetts
  • New Jersey
  • Pennsylvania
Student Age Breakdown Under 18: 1%
18-19: 36%
20-21: 36%
22-24: 15%
25+: 13%
Female Faculty 39%
Male Faculty 61%
Faculty Diversity African American: 4%
Asian American: 5%
Hispanic: 1%
International: 6%
Native American: 0%
White: 82%
Unknown: 1%

Student Author OverviewWhat's This?

Students have been concerned with a lack of diversity at W&M for years now. This worry and desire for change has instigated a new initiative to attract students from diverse backgrounds to campus. There has been a slight shift, though it is still obvious that, regarding admission, in-state students (and thusly, a group more lacking in diversity) are given preference over out-of-state students. It's not surprising that when asked about their hometown at a party, almost everyone responds with the shortened slang terminology, "NoVA" (for Northern Virginia). Still, regardless of the stunted diversity, this campus has been known for its extreme tolerance to unique ethnic backgrounds (there are endless cultural groups on campus) as well as sexual orientations. In fact, there are various LGBT-friendly groups and organizations on campus and, subsequently, there's a fair amount of visible diversity regarding sexual orientation. What's more, students feel unthreatened and unafraid to express who they are or what they believe in, partly because of the welcoming and open-mindedness of most individuals. It is a very peaceful campus where despite differing opinions, students feel free to be who they are and practice their own set beliefs. 

Though visible diversity is still something the College needs to work on, the students, professors, and staff at W&M are tolerant of any ethnic or religious background and sexual orientation.

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William & Mary Student ReviewsWhat's This?

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Diversity at College of William & Mary

katielecornu

Accounting '16

3.8
B+

For the Most Part, Very Diverse

Since William and Mary has such a great student exchange program and is internationally recognized, the ethnic diversity is higher than at most other schools. Also, the economic backgrounds of the students are quite diverse. William and Mary is a state school, so the in-state tuition is reasonable for those from a lower economic background. The financial aid office is very good at working with each student's individual situation. But there are definitely a good amount of wealthy students. The one exception to the diversity at William and Mary is religion. Almost all of the student body is Christian.

May 28, 2012

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Diversity at College of William & Mary

thompsonaw

Pre-Medicine Studies '08

3.8
B+

Somewhat Diverse

Diversity on campus strong, but leans towards liberal upperclass whites. The presence of various religious on-campus groups is small and varied.

Mar 29, 2012

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Diversity at College of William & Mary

xWendy95x

English '15

1.9
C-

Diverse if you've never been around a minority in your life!

People who say this school is diverse probably came from places where there was only ever 1 minority student (if that). Although everyone is relatively accepting of those from different backgrounds, the majority of students are upper class and white. This is probably because most students come from Northern Virginia (or Nova?) where this demographic is prevalent. Don't be discouraged to come here if you are a minority though. There are many organizations for every minority. However, do not let the other comments trick you. This school is mainly white.

Mar 29, 2012

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Page 1 of 11
User rating for College of William & Mary - Diversity is 3.5 out of 5 based on 32 user reviews.

Student Survey Poll ResultsWhat's This?

How diverse is the student body in the following areas?

How diverse is your personal circle of friends in the following areas?

How accepting is the campus community as a whole toward someone who falls into the minority (ethnic, sexual, or religious)?

How would you best describe your personal political beliefs?

How would you best describe the political beliefs of campus as a whole?

Facts

Gay Pride

There is a large gay community on campus, and they are mostly accepted by other students without conflict. The gay and lesbian group Lambda Alliance is very active and meets often. There is also an anonymous, faculty-led gay support group that meets weekly.

Political Activity

The Young Democrats and College Republicans are the two main political groups on campus. In addition, there are political activist groups such as a chapter of Amnesty International and the Feminist Majority Leadership Alliance. A few heated sociopolitical debates have been known to take place regarding sensitivity to the appropriateness of the cross at Wren or the promotion of the "Sex Worker's Art Show" and the "Century Project" (wherein the artist photographed women from birth to the age of 100 in the nude). Though these occurrences have led students to believe that this campus is not as liberal as other college campuses, nearly half of students describes themselves as liberal. Authority figures might be prone toward more conservative standings, but all in all, the campus itself is pretty divided concerning political affiliation.

Economic Status

Though there is some diversity in this area, most students seem to be middle or upper-middle class. However, the “Gateway Program” scholarship and other financial aid programs have recently expanded William & Mary’s socioeconomic reach, allowing Virginian students whose families make less than $40,000 a year to attend the College for free.

Most Common Religions

There are several active Christian organizations on campus, as well as a Jewish organization (and fraternity), a Muslim organization, and a Unitarian organization, among others.

Minority Clubs on Campus

Cultural organizations have a significant presence on the William & Mary campus. They hold performances and events in addition to the usual club meetings, and everyone is encouraged to join and participate in the organizations. Many minority groups are represented, from the Black Student Organization to the Chinese Student Organization to the Middle Eastern Cultural Association.

Did You Know? There are more than 400 groups and organizations on campus, but there is room for more! Anyone can start a group as long as they get it approved by the school and have enough interested students (you can advertise weekly in the "Student Happenings" email newsletter).

Become a Contributing Author Learn more »

Most Recent Student Author View all

Name
Gabriela Rivera-Morales
Hometown
Vienna, VA
Major
English
Grad Year
2012

College Prowler is seeking talented student authors to assist with writing and updating the College Prowler guides to their schools. This is a great opportunity for a student to gain experience and tremendous exposure, utilize new media techniques, and share advice with high school students about what life is really like at your college.

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How do we get our information? Find out here or report an error here. The statistics on our site are from the National Center for Education Statistics IPEDS database.
We update this information twice annually, most recently in May 2012, but it may not be the most recent information available for a particular school.
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