William & Mary is a public research university in Williamsburg, Virginia, and the second-oldest university in the United States, founded by royal charter in 1693. The William & Mary ranking sits at #1001-1200 in the QS World University Rankings 2027, with its strongest subject placement at #251-300 in the THE Law Subject Rankings 2026.

  • QS World University Rankings 2027: #1001-1200 globally
  • Collegedunia Study Abroad 2026: #407 globally, #189 in USA
  • THE World University Rankings 2026: #801-1000 globally
  • US News Best Global Universities 2026-2027: #1556 globally

Note for Indian applicants: William & Mary’s global research-driven ranks sit far below its US-only reputation, where it is a top-50 national university and a top-20 public school. Compared with IIT Bombay at #1001-1200 in QS World 2027. For an Indian student choosing a US degree based on employer brand and small-class teaching rather than research output, the William & Mary ranking signal still reads as strong.

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William & Mary Overall Rankings 2026

Across four global ranking bodies that have published a William & Mary rank in the last 12 months, the spread between the strongest and weakest placement is roughly 800 positions, with Collegedunia Study Abroad giving the most generous read and US News Best Global the harshest. The consolidated view below pulls every verified overall figure into one place.

Ranking Body and Edition William & Mary Rank
Collegedunia Study Abroad 2026 (Global) #407 of 824
Collegedunia Study Abroad 2026 (USA) #189 of 357
QS World University Rankings 2027 #1001-1200
THE World University Rankings 2026 #801-1000
US News Best Global Universities 2026-2027 #1556

William & Mary QS World University Rankings 2027

W&M’s QS ranking sits at #1001-1200 in QS World University Rankings 2027, the third consecutive year inside this band after two years in the #801-1000 band. QS, which scores universities on academic reputation, employer reputation, citations per faculty, faculty-student ratio and international metrics, has moved W&M one band lower since the 2025 edition.

Year William & Mary QS World Rank
2027 #1001-1200
2026 #1001-1200
2025 #1001-1200
2024 #801-1000
2023 #801-1000

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Collegedunia Study Abroad Rankings of William & Mary

The Collegedunia Study Abroad ranking of William & Mary places it in two pools sized for Indian applicants, comparing realistic options. Both figures correspond to the 2026 edition, the latest live cycle on Collegedunia.

Category Collegedunia Rank
Global Universities 2026 #407 of 824
USA Universities 2026 #189 of 357

William & Mary Times Higher Education (THE) Rankings 2026

The William & Mary THE ranking has slipped more sharply than its QS counterpart, falling five bands across five editions. THE, which scores universities on teaching environment, research quality, citations and industry income, has moved W&M from the #301-350 band in 2022 to the #801-1000 band in 2026, a slide of roughly 500 positions.

Year William & Mary THE World Rank
2026 #801-1000
2025 #601-800
2024 #601-800
2023 #401-500
2022 #301-350

William & Mary THE Rankings: Reading the Five-Year Slide:

  • Five-year drop: Roughly 500 positions slipped between THE 2022 and THE 2026, the steepest decline among the four major global tables.
  • Subject buffer: THE Law at #251-300 still sits 550+ positions above the overall THE rank, so degree-by-degree value is preserved.
  • Indian applicant signal: The THE movement reflects methodology fit, not teaching quality, so undergraduates choosing W&M for small classes are not affected.

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William & Mary US News Best Global Universities Ranking

The William & Mary US News world ranking sits at #1556 in US News Best Global Universities 2026-2027. US News Best Global scores 2,250 universities mainly on research output and academic reputation, two areas where W&M’s small-college research footprint pulls it below larger US public universities.

William & Mary Subject Rankings

The William & Mary subject rankings cover nine officially ranked disciplines on THE, two on QS and one on ARWU. Law is the standout subject across every body that ranks it, while Computer Science is the strongest STEM placement.

William & Mary THE Subject Rankings 2026

THE’s subject framework re-weights teaching and research relevance per discipline, which lifts Law, Computer Science and Education sharply above the W&M overall placement.

Subject THE 2026 Rank
Law #251-300
Computer Science #301-400
Education Studies #401-500
Psychology #501-600
Social Sciences #501-600
Arts and Humanities #601-800
Life Sciences #601-800
Physical Sciences #601-800
Business and Economics #801-1000

William & Mary QS Subject Rankings 2027

QS Subject reads W&M’s Physics and Computer Science programmes differently from THE: Computer Science is read closer to the overall band.

Subject QS 2027 Rank
Physics and Astronomy #551-600
Computer Science and Information Systems #751

William & Mary ARWU Subject Rankings 2025

ARWU, which weights highly cited researchers and top-journal publications, places W&M’s Virginia Institute of Marine Science programme in the global top 75 for Oceanography.

Subject ARWU 2025 Rank
Oceanography #51-75

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For an Indian applicant, the right read is to anchor the decision on the subject rank and the US-only national placement of #51, not on the QS headline number that has slipped roughly 200 positions over five editions.

William & Mary Ranking FAQs

Ques. What is the QS ranking of William & Mary in 2027?

Ans. William & Mary is ranked #1001-1200 in QS World University Rankings 2027. This is the third consecutive year W&M sits in this QS band, after spending the 2023 and 2024 editions in the higher #801-1000 band.

Ques. What is William & Mary’s best subject ranking?

Ans. William & Mary’s best subject placement on a global table is #51-75 in ARWU Oceanography 2025, driven by the Virginia Institute of Marine Science. Among broader programmes, the standouts are #251-300 in THE Law 2026.

Ques. How does the William & Mary THE ranking compare to its QS ranking?

Ans. The William & Mary THE ranking is #801-1000 in 2026, while the QS ranking is #1001-1200 in 2027, so the two bodies place W&M within roughly one band of each other. THE has slipped more sharply across five years, dropping from #301-350 in 2022, while QS has slid by one band over the same window.

Ques. How does William & Mary rank compared to IIT Bombay for Indian students?

Ans. For the headline global figure, IIT Bombay sits far ahead at #134 in QS World 2027 against William & Mary at #1001-1200, an 870+ position gap. W&M’s edge is on US-soil placement, US News National rank #51, and the Mason MBA in the FT global top 100, which an IIT degree does not directly compete on for graduates targeting US employers.