10-YEAR PAYOFF CURVECumulative economic payoff after graduation
+$6,346at year 10Net gainInvestment not yet recovered
NET GAIN$0UNRECOVERED
Public · COLLEGE PAYOFF
William & Mary
Williamsburg, VA · 30 field-and-degree records
Earnings reported for 29 · Federal debt reported for 21
Based onObserved earnings + college priceEstimate10-year payoff
Estimated 10-year payoff
Positive payoff
+$6,346 over 10 years
Modeled from observed year-5 institution earnings and the institution-wide average net price over four years.
9.8 yrsTime to earn back the modeled cost
+2%Estimated return after 10 years
$71,273Observed earnings · year 5
$20,683Highest annual price before payoff reaches $0
The price benchmark is $1,587 per year below this threshold.
Start with your question
What do you want to understand?
ECONOMIC INVESTMENT → PAYBACK
Estimated payoff over ten years.
The scenario counts direct price and earnings forgone upfront, then applies the reported annual earnings premium.
FEDERAL COST DATA
Four ways to read college price.
Annual college-wide figures from the current College Scorecard release. Average net price covers full-time, first-time undergraduates receiving federal aid; public-college figures use in-state students. Program tuition and individual aid offers may differ.
PUBLISHED STUDENT BUDGET · 2024–25
What makes up the annual price?
Sticker-price components reported to IPEDS. Grants and scholarships are not subtracted here.
Living off campus: $16,182 housing and food allowance plus $2,460 in other expenses.
Do not confuse this with net price. Net price subtracts average grants and scholarships. DegreeVerdict continues to use the separately labeled average net price in its standard college ROI scenario.
PRICE SENSITIVITY
The price can change the verdict.
Hold observed earnings constant and see how the modeled ten-year payoff changes as annual price rises.
← Negative payoff$0Positive payoff →
$0Annual price+$82,730
$8,000Annual price+$50,730
$16,000Annual price+$18,730
$19,000Current college-wide context+$6,730
$24,000Annual price−$13,270
$32,000Annual price−$45,270
$40,000Annual price−$77,270
HOW STUDENTS ATTEND · 2023-24
Most students study without distance-education courses.
IPEDS enrollment counts show course delivery across the whole institution. They do not indicate whether a specific degree can be completed online.
Institution-level attendance context from IPEDS. Program delivery is reported separately on degree pages and in the program directory. These figures do not enter ROI.
College identity and local contextAccreditation, institution type, dual enrollment and state prices
COLLEGE AT A GLANCE
Institution details
Current federal characteristics describing the college, not the outcomes of a specific program.
- Accreditor
- Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
- Main award level
- Bachelor’s degrees
- Campus setting
- Suburban
- Admissions
- Selective admission
- Delivery
- Campus or mixed delivery
- Federal designation
- No special designation reported
DUAL-ENROLLMENT CONTEXT · 2024
2 high-school students took college courses.
IPEDS counts students enrolled in college credit while still in high school. A large dual-enrollment population can shape headline enrollment figures, especially at community colleges.
This is participation, not a college completion rate. It does not indicate how many students later enrolled after high school, earned a credential or entered the workforce.
STATE PRICE CONTEXT · 2024
Prices in Virginia run 1% above the U.S. level.
BEA Regional Price Parities compare price levels across states. A value of 100 equals the national average.
What it costs and what graduates earn
$19,096Average net price / year
$43,035Cost of attendance
$18,500Median federal student debt · completer borrowers
$196/moPublished 10-year payment estimate
$71,273Median earnings · year 5 after completion
89.4%Completion rate
34.1%Admission rate
1,473Average SAT score
33ACT midpoint
7,055Student size
Debt covers federal student-loan borrowers who completed. It does not include Parent PLUS or private loans. We show admissions scores only when a valid federal value is available.
What the numbers say about William & Mary
What does William & Mary cost?
William & Mary reports an average annual net price of $19,096 after grants and scholarships. This is an institution-wide average, not an individual aid offer.
What do William & Mary graduates earn?
The observed median earnings figure is $71,273 5 years after completion. It describes a federal cohort, not a guaranteed starting salary.
How much federal debt do William & Mary graduates have?
Completer borrowers report median cumulative federal student debt of $18,500. Parent PLUS and private loans are not included.
Is every degree at William & Mary worth the same?
No. The current release contains 30 field-and-degree records for William & Mary; 29 report year-4 earnings and 21 report federal debt. Outcomes can differ substantially by field and degree level.
DEBT AFTER COLLEGE
Are borrowers making progress?
Repayment progress, default and debt at exit describe different federal borrower cohorts. They are shown separately and do not change the ROI estimate.
Source: College Scorecard. Repayment progress is the share of borrowers who reduced principal by at least $1 at the stated measurement point. Debt covers federal student loans; Parent PLUS and private loans are excluded. Cohorts and reporting periods differ across measures.
Who studied here during the year
10,879Students enrolled at any point
7,516Undergraduate students
3,363Graduate students
Unduplicated students enrolled at any point from July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025. This full-year measure is different from a fall headcount and does not enter ROI.
More student and earnings detailPrice by family income, retention, equity and common industries
WHO PAYS, WHO FINISHES, WHO EARNS
Outcomes are not the same for every family.
These federal cohorts add context that a single college average can hide. Missing figures remain unreported rather than estimated.
Complete within 150% of the expected time
88% received a Pell Grant within eight yearsMedian Parent PLUS debt
278 parent borrowers in the reported cohortMedian federal student debt
79% making progress in repayment after three yearsStudent family incomeMedian earnings after 10 yearsObserved federal cohorts
Lower income$67,508Earnings are not a guarantee
Middle income$68,902Earnings are not a guarantee
Higher income$78,921Earnings are not a guarantee
Three-year repayment progress
Lower income80%
Middle income84%
Higher income84%
Undergraduate student composition
White62%
Black5%
Hispanic9%
Asian11%
Source: College Scorecard, June 2026 release. Parent PLUS debt belongs to parents; student-debt measures exclude Parent PLUS and private loans. Cohort definitions differ by measure.
INDEPENDENT CENSUS EARNINGS VIEW
How earnings develop by field
Privacy-protected Census employment records follow graduate cohorts one, five and ten years after completion. This source is kept separate from College Scorecard because its population and methodology differ.
Field and credentialYear 1Year 5Year 10
Accounting and Related Services.Master’s degree · Broad federal field 52
$90,590Year 1
$122,429Year 5
$172,975Year 10
Computer Programming.Bachelor’s degree · Broad federal field 11
$90,638Year 1
$147,946Year 5
$165,855Year 10
Accounting and Related Services.Bachelor’s degree · Broad federal field 52
$76,661Year 1
$119,950Year 5
$161,210Year 10
Law.Doctoral, professional practice · Broad federal field 22
$84,049Year 1
$120,252Year 5
$155,425Year 10
Computer Programming.Master’s degree · Broad federal field 11
$93,187Year 1
$131,137Year 5
$150,504Year 10
Astronomy and Astrophysics.Doctoral, research/scholarship · Broad federal field 40
$101,595Year 1
Not availableYear 5
$132,649Year 10
Community Organization and Advocacy.Master’s degree · Broad federal field 44
$69,917Year 1
$90,406Year 5
$127,070Year 10
Applied Mathematics.Bachelor’s degree · Broad federal field 27
$66,619Year 1
$118,148Year 5
$120,903Year 10
Median annual earnings in 2023 dollars. Each time point may use a different pooled graduation cohort. Coverage is limited to institutions participating in the Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes program.
NATIONAL CONTEXT
How this college compares
Percentiles compare this institution with currently operating colleges that report the same federal measure.
WHAT STANDS OUT
A faster read on this college
These summaries use every reportable field-and-credential record at this institution. They do not fill privacy-suppressed outcomes.
EARNINGS OVER TIME
What graduates earned in later years
$49,873Year 1
$80,445Year 4
$71,273Year 5
Each year can represent a different federal cohort, so the points do not track the same people over time.
Your choice of degree can change the payoff.
Graduate earnings differ by field and credential, even within the same college.
1Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods · Master's Degree$133,9942Computer Science · Bachelor's Degree$127,8513Business Administration, Management and Operations · Master's Degree$125,3534Law · First Professional Degree$115,6635Business Administration, Management and Operations · Bachelor's Degree$111,3666Educational Administration and Supervision · Doctoral Degree$110,1167Economics · Bachelor's Degree$105,4678International Relations and National Security Studies · Bachelor's Degree$91,065Observed year-4 earnings · compare the same field and credential across colleges
Programs that stand out against the same-degree benchmark
This view rewards performance relative to the same field and credential, not simply majors that pay more everywhere.
1SociologyBachelor's Degree · $87,655 reported+66%vs same-degree national median$14,000federal debt2Business Administration, Management and OperationsBachelor's Degree · $111,366 reported+63%vs same-degree national median$19,812federal debt3PhilosophyBachelor's Degree · $75,423 reported+39%vs same-degree national median$16,750federal debt4International Relations and National Security StudiesBachelor's Degree · $91,065 reported+37%vs same-degree national median$21,000federal debt5EconomicsBachelor's Degree · $105,467 reported+28%vs same-degree national median$19,678federal debt6Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, OtherBachelor's Degree · $70,523 reported+27%vs same-degree national median$18,929federal debt
Comparable colleges in VA
Currently operating public institutions with the closest combination of annual net price and observed year-5 earnings. Similarity is descriptive, not a quality ranking.
Fairfax, VA
George Mason University
- Annual net price
- $17,915
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $75,373
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- +21%
James Madison University
- Annual net price
- $23,322
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $69,066
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -12%
Virginia Military Institute
- Annual net price
- $17,113
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $79,378
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- +38%
Virginia Commonwealth University
- Annual net price
- $23,433
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $61,414
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -40%
Compare fields and degree levels
Showing all 30 field-and-degree records in the current release.
| Major or field | Degree level | Earnings, year 4 | Federal debt | 2024–25 graduates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods | Master's Degree | $133,994 | Not available | Not reported |
| Computer Science | Bachelor's Degree | $127,851 | $19,794 | Not reported |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Master's Degree | $125,353 | Not available | Not reported |
| Law | First Professional Degree | $115,663 | Not available | Not reported |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Bachelor's Degree | $111,366 | $19,812 | Not reported |
| Educational Administration and Supervision | Doctoral Degree | $110,116 | Not available | 31 |
| Economics | Bachelor's Degree | $105,467 | $19,678 | Not reported |
| International Relations and National Security Studies | Bachelor's Degree | $91,065 | $21,000 | Not reported |
| Sociology | Bachelor's Degree | $87,655 | $14,000 | Not reported |
| Mathematics | Bachelor's Degree | $87,170 | $20,750 | Not reported |
| Public Policy Analysis | Master's Degree | $80,402 | Not available | Not reported |
| Chemistry | Bachelor's Degree | $78,270 | $19,500 | Not reported |
| Physics | Bachelor's Degree | $77,863 | $20,000 | Not reported |
| Philosophy | Bachelor's Degree | $75,423 | $16,750 | Not reported |
| Political Science and Government | Bachelor's Degree | $72,173 | $19,500 | Not reported |
| Educational Administration and Supervision | Master's Degree | $71,981 | Not available | Not reported |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | Bachelor's Degree | $70,523 | $18,929 | Not reported |
| Public Policy Analysis | Bachelor's Degree | $69,118 | $22,000 | Not reported |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | Bachelor's Degree | $68,992 | $21,413 | Not reported |
| Area Studies | Bachelor's Degree | $68,909 | $15,250 | Not reported |
| Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology | Master's Degree | $64,666 | Not available | 11 |
| History | Bachelor's Degree | $63,632 | $17,750 | Not reported |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | Bachelor's Degree | $60,177 | $20,500 | Not reported |
| Psychology, General | Bachelor's Degree | $59,226 | $19,379 | Not reported |
| Curriculum and Instruction | Master's Degree | $58,100 | Not available | Not reported |
| English Language and Literature, General | Bachelor's Degree | $57,616 | $19,500 | Not reported |
| Student Counseling and Personnel Services | Master's Degree | $56,870 | Not available | Not reported |
| Neurobiology and Neurosciences | Bachelor's Degree | $52,161 | $16,378 | Not reported |
| Biology, General | Bachelor's Degree | $49,644 | $16,681 | Not reported |
| Anthropology | Bachelor's Degree | Not available | $19,067 | Not reported |
Graduate counts come from IPEDS and group related majors into the same federal field. Missing earnings or debt values remain labeled as unavailable.
Earnings, price, completion and enrollment are observed federal measures. ROI, payoff and break-even are modeled scenarios built from those measures and fixed assumptions. College payoff is not the payoff of every degree at this school; use the program table for a more precise comparison.