The Mason School of Business at William & Mary finished at No. 20 on our 2025 ranking of the Best Undergraduate Business Programs in the U.S.
In our three methodological categories, the Virginia-based business school scored highest in Admission Standards, finishing No. 16 out of 104 ranked programs. It also finished 33rd in Career Outcomes and 34th in Academic Experience, as measured by our alumni survey.
The acceptance rate for the latest incoming class fell from 24.70% to 17.6%, meaning the school is getting more selective. The class’ average SAT score was 1427, up from the previous class average of 1409. The school reports a 6-year graduation rate of 91%.
In career data, 87% of the last two graduating classes had a business-focused internship before graduation, a strong indicator for future employment. Some 91.2% of Class of 2024 job-seeking graduates found full-time positions within three months of graduation, up from 81.3% for Class of 2023 grads.
Average starting salaries for 2024 grads was $80,942 with 49% reporting receiving an average signing bonus of $8,552. Top employers in 2024 included J.P. Morgan, Accenture, Deloitte, PwC, Bank of America, EY, KPMG, Unison and RSM.
THE MASON CURRICULUM
The Mason experience is characterized best by its personalized curriculum design, a strong community of support, and plenty of opportunities for hands-on learning. Mason’s education is highly customizable and designed to cater to individual goals and interests.
The Individual Program of Study (IPS) allows students to either major or minor in business, double major or minor within the Arts & Sciences, or study two different business fields through a concentration. Available majors to Mason undergrads include Accounting, Business Analytics, Finance, Marketing, and Supply Chain Analytics.
All Mason undergrads take the Core Curriculum, which is structured by prerequisites, an Integrated Foundation Semester, and upper-level core courses.
The Boehly Center for Excellence in Finance enhances students’ financial expertise through firm-sponsored competitions, industry-led courses, networking opportunities, and alumni mentorship. Advisory boards across business disciplines – including general business, accounting, and business analytics – help shape the curriculum and career readiness initiatives.
True to William & Mary’s emphasis on a well-rounded education, students are encouraged to double major or minor outside the business school to broaden their perspectives. Global learning is also a hallmark of the experience: the university has been ranked the top public university in the nation for study-abroad participation 11 times in the last 16 years. With more than 45 faculty-led international programs and exchange opportunities in over 55 countries, students can easily incorporate a global perspective into their business education.
The Mason School is also evolving to meet the demands of the modern business world. Recent curriculum innovations include two summer minors: a Global Business Immersion Minor, held in partnership with University College Dublin’s Quinn School of Business, and a General Business Administration Minor designed to create pathways for Arts & Sciences students.
HANDS-ON LEARNING
One of the strengths of Mason education is its high-touch support for its students.
One key example is The Alan B. Miller Entrepreneurship Center, which offers education and support for students interested in entrepreneurship. Through the center, Mason students can attend events, get one-on-one entrepreneurship mentoring, seed funding for ideas, and even first dibs on internships.
“The William & Mary Entrepreneurship Center was a game-changer,” one alum told us in the alumni survey. “It provided broad guidance into entrepreneurial thinking and empowered me to have a head start in the working world compared to my peers. It also enabled me to find the job of my dreams at Oracle and provide the continuing support to co-found my own entrepreneurial venture. I am continually thankful I had the life-changing experience of W&M’s business education broadly and the entrepreneurship center specifically to set me on my current trajectory.”
ALUMNI SAY
“I felt that each class provided real-world cases and each professor was able to illustrate how a situation would take place in an actual job setting. Very hands on and group cultured, much like an MBA.”
“During the management consulting class, we got to work on a project for a real client. During that presentation, I ended up meeting an executive partner who would hire beyond their firm. The management consulting project that I was on ended up changing my life for the better!”
“My professors were all passionate, experienced, and devoted to student successes. In my job application process, my employer was thoroughly impressed by my William & Mary business education, and with the skills that I had before graduation.”
“The best part about William & Mary business degree was being able to pair it with a liberal arts education. Almost everyone I knew did a minor or a double major with a different department in liberal arts which was very enriching in addition to a business curriculum. I studies marketing at my major and got all the tactical and analytical skills of a business degree, and then sociology as my minor to understand society and its motivations.”
“I believe Mason at W&M was a perfect balance of excellence in learning fundamentals, preparation for practice, and a fun student life experience.”
