USAFA vs. William & Mary

Deciding between United States Air Force Academy and William & Mary? The table below shows tuition, aid, admissions, and outcomes side by side. Data comes from public sources across more than 3,000 U.S. colleges and universities. No account is required.

United States Air Force Academy
William & Mary

Frequently compared to these colleges. Click a college to add to the comparison. 

  • Overview

  • Location
  • USAFA USAF Academy, Colorado
  • William & Mary Williamsburg, VA
  • Setting
  • USAFA Large City
  • William & Mary Large Suburban
  • Total enrollment
  • USAFA 4,114
  • William & Mary 9,818
  • Type
  • USAFA Public 4 Year
  • William & Mary Public 4 Year
  • National Ranking
  • USAFA
  • William & Mary #63
  • Religious Affiliation
  • USAFA -
  • William & Mary -
  • Status
  • USAFA Non-profit
  • William & Mary Non-profit
  • Team Colors
  • USAFA
  • William & Mary

  • Cost

  • Tuition (In State)
  • USAFA $0
  • William & Mary $25,914
  • Tuition (Out of State)
  • USAFA $0
  • William & Mary $51,038
  • Room & Board
  • USAFA $0
  • William & Mary $16,182
  • Average Net Price
  • USAFA -
  • William & Mary $19,686
  • Average Grant Aid
  • USAFA $0
  • William & Mary $23,144
  • % Receiving Grant Aid
  • USAFA 0%
  • William & Mary 43%

  • Admissions

  • Applied
  • USAFA 10,187
  • William & Mary 17,798
  • Admitted
  • USAFA 1,435
  • William & Mary 6,064
  • Acceptance Rate
  • USAFA 14.1%
  • William & Mary 34.1%
  • Enrolled
  • USAFA 78.5%
  • William & Mary 26.6%
  • Typical SAT score
  • USAFA 1340
  • William & Mary 1470
  • Typical ACT score
  • USAFA 29
  • William & Mary 33
  • Average High School GPA
  • USAFA 3.81
  • William & Mary 3.85
  • Typical High School Grades
  • USAFA A-
  • William & Mary A
  • Admissions Standards
  • USAFA Very High
  • William & Mary Exceptional
  • Applicant Competition
  • USAFA Very High
  • William & Mary High
  • ACT Range
  • USAFA 26/33
  • William & Mary 32/34
  • SAT Range
  • USAFA 1230/1440
  • William & Mary 1400/1530
  • Submit Test Scores
  • USAFA Required
  • William & Mary Test optional
  • Application Deadline
  • USAFA Dec 31, 2026
  • William & Mary Jan 2, 2027

  • Academics

  • Student to Faculty Ratio
  • USAFA 7:1
  • William & Mary 12:1
  • Popular Majors
  • USAFA
    • Engineering (35%)
    • Social Sciences (18%)
    • General Studies (14%)
    • Business (12%)
    • Biology (6%)
  • William & Mary
    • Social Sciences (24%)
    • Business (11%)
    • General Studies (10%)
    • English and Literature (8%)
    • History (7%)

  • Outcomes

  • Graduation Rate
  • USAFA -
  • William & Mary 91%
  • Median Earnings (After 10 years)
  • USAFA N/A
  • William & Mary $68,700
  • Making Student Loan Payments
  • USAFA -
  • William & Mary 85%
  • Median Student Loan Debt
  • USAFA N/A
  • William & Mary $19,500
  • Median Loan Payment
  • USAFA N/A
  • William & Mary $201

  • Diversity

  • % Men
  • USAFA 70%
  • William & Mary 41%
  • % Women
  • USAFA 30%
  • William & Mary 59%
  • Racial Diversity
  • USAFA -
  • William & Mary High
  • HBCU
  • USAFA No
  • William & Mary No
  • % White
  • USAFA 0%
  • William & Mary 59%
  • % Asian
  • USAFA 0%
  • William & Mary 8%
  • % Black
  • USAFA 0%
  • William & Mary 7%
  • % Hispanic
  • USAFA 0%
  • William & Mary 9%
  • % Native American
  • USAFA 0%
  • William & Mary 0%
  • % Pacific Islander
  • USAFA 0%
  • William & Mary 0%
  • % Two or More Races
  • USAFA 0%
  • William & Mary 4%
  • % International
  • USAFA 0%
  • William & Mary 6%
  • % Unknown Race
  • USAFA 0%
  • William & Mary 6%

  • Students

  • % In-State
  • USAFA 6%
  • William & Mary 59%
  • % Out-of-State
  • USAFA 91%
  • William & Mary 37%

  • Campus

  • Campus Housing
  • USAFA Yes
  • William & Mary Yes
  • Freshman Dorm Required
  • USAFA Yes
  • William & Mary No
  • Meal Plan
  • USAFA Yes
  • William & Mary Yes
  • Weekend/Evening Classes
  • USAFA No
  • William & Mary No
  • Daycare Facility
  • USAFA No
  • William & Mary Yes

Comparable Facts

Compare United States Air Force Academy in USAF Academy, Colorado with William & Mary in Williamsburg, VA on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

William & Mary is larger than USAFA based on total student enrollment (9,818 students vs. 4,114 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

  • United States Air Force Academy is located in USAF Academy, Colorado (Large City setting); William & Mary is in Williamsburg, VA (Large Suburban setting).
  • United States Air Force Academy is a public, non-profit 4-year institution. William & Mary is a public, non-profit 4-year institution.
  • Student-to-faculty ratio: United States Air Force Academy 7:1; William & Mary 12:1.

USAFA vs. William & Mary Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, USAFA or William & Mary? Published tuition is the sticker price; many students pay less after aid (see average net price below).

  • In-state tuition differs between William & Mary and USAFA ($25,914.00 vs. $0.00).
  • Out-of-state tuition differs between William & Mary and United States Air Force Academy ($51,038.00 vs. $0.00).
  • A larger share of students receive grant aid at William & Mary than at United States Air Force Academy (43% vs. 0%).

USAFA vs. William & Mary Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, USAFA or William & Mary? Typical SAT and ACT scores (same estimates as in the table above), middle 50% test ranges where reported, test score submission policy, deadlines, and acceptance rates summarize admission difficulty between William & Mary and USAFA.

  • The typical SAT score (median estimate) at William & Mary (1470) is 130 points higher than at USAFA (1340).
  • Incoming William & Mary students have a 4 point higher typical ACT composite (median estimate) (33 vs. 29 at USAFA).
  • Reported middle 50% SAT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: United States Air Force Academy 1230/1440; William & Mary 1400/1530.
  • Reported middle 50% ACT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: United States Air Force Academy 26/33; William & Mary 32/34.
  • Submitting SAT or ACT scores: USAFA - Required; William & Mary - Test optional.
  • Typical fall application deadline: USAFA Dec 31, 2026; William & Mary Jan 2, 2027.
  • Accepted freshman William & Mary students have a 0.04 point higher average high school GPA (3.85) than students at USAFA (3.81).
  • William & Mary has a higher acceptance rate (34.1%) than USAFA (14.1%).
  • The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 78.5% at USAFA vs. 26.6% at William & Mary.

USAFA vs. William & Mary Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for USAFA and William & Mary? Graduation rate, earnings, and student loan debt are common indicators. The bullets below summarize the same federal outcomes fields as the comparison table (College Scorecard / IPEDS where applicable).

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/. Values reflect the most recent year available in our dataset.