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Cost & financial aid brief

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# William & Mary Tuition, Costs & Financial Aid

Updated October 21, 2026

[Overview](/school/william-mary/)Cost & aid[Outcomes](/school/william-mary/outcomes/)[Admissions](/school/william-mary/admissions/)[Majors](/school/william-mary/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/william-mary/similar/)

**On this page**+

## How much does William & Mary cost after financial aid?

The published cost of attendance at William & Mary is $43,035. In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported in-state tuition of $19,734 and required fees of $7,501 for the 2026-27 academic year, with on-campus food and housing at $17,646.

Nonresidents face tuition of $46,177. For aid recipients, the average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/)—what students pay after grants and scholarships—is $19,096.

That is $5,028 above the $14,068 median at comparable institutions (same type and size). Aid covers about 56% of the published cost for the average aid recipient, an offset of $23,939.

Azimuth ranks the university #495 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university also reported that 12.6% of full-time undergraduates pay more than the base tuition and fees.

At William & Mary, the published cost of attendance is $43,035, but the average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/)—what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships—is $19,096. That is $5,028 above the median for comparable institutions (same type and size).

The net price varies sharply by income. Families earning under $30,000 average $3,106, while those earning over $110,000 average $34,370, a spread of $31,264 between the two ends.

Borrowers who finish carry a median of $18,500 in federal student loans, which is $2,729 below the peer median. Azimuth places the affordability pillar at the 65th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

[Net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/)s vary across income bands. The average net price is $3,106 for families earning under $30,000; $881 for the $30,001–$48,000 band; $5,916 for $48,001–$75,000; $16,803 for $75,001–$110,000; and $34,370 for families earning over $110,000.

The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $31,264. 12.4% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants.

Average net price by family income

**$0–30K**
$3,106

**$30–48K**
$881

**$48–75K**
$5,916

**$75–110K**
$16,803

**$110K+**
$34,370

Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary.

Overall average annual net price: **$19,096**. After grants and scholarships, including living costs. [Source and coverage](#cost-data-notes).

Grants and scholarships cut the sticker price by $23,939 for the average recipient, covering about 56% of the published cost. The lowest band averages $3,106, the middle $5,916, and the highest $34,370.

12.4% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants, so that band applies to a modest share. In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported for the 2024-25 academic year 550 first-year students were determined to have financial need and 169 had that need fully met.

Aided first-year students with need saw an average 82% of need met, with an average need-based grant of $22,933 and an average package of $33,452. The university awarded merit aid to 61 first-year students, averaging $7,696.

The published cost of attendance at William & Mary is $43,035. Azimuth ranks the university #495 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions.

After grants and scholarships, the average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) for aid recipients from families earning under $30,000 is $3,106, for those earning $48,001 to $75,000 it is $5,916, and for those earning over $110,000 it is $34,370. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $31,264.

Aid covers about 56% of the published cost for the average aid recipient. The average net price across all aid recipients is $19,096, which is $5,028 above the $14,068 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).

Borrowers who complete a degree carry a median of $18,500 in federal student loans. That is $2,729 below the median for comparable institutions, $21,229.

Parents who borrow hold a separate median of $30,326 in [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) loans. If repaid over ten years, the median federal student debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $210 a month. It estimates costs and payments under different scenarios.

## Student loans: what does repayment look like?

Among undergraduates at William & Mary, 83.1% of federal aid recipients take federal loans. For borrowers who complete, the median federal student debt is $18,500.

That median is $2,729 below the $21,229 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing, a separate population of parent borrowers, carries a median of $30,326.

In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported that 33% of graduates borrowed from any source, with an average cumulative amount of $28,934 per borrower. Federal loans were held by 32% of graduates, averaging $17,555. A smaller group, 7%, held private loans averaging $59,552.

Four years after completing a degree, federally aided graduates of William & Mary who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $80,445. That pay level sits at the 89th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

That median is $23,144 above the $57,301 level for comparable institutions (same type and size). Completers earn about $2,363 more than the model expects for similar students.

That outcome falls at the 64th percentile. Estimated from the program mix, earnings scenarios run from $53,550 on the downside to $110,782 on the upside, with a typical level of $80,445.

Borrowers who finish carry a median federal debt of $18,500, which is $2,729 below the $21,229 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $210 a month if repaid over ten years.

For the separate population of parent borrowers, median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing is $30,326. For student borrowers, the median federal debt of $18,500 corresponds to an estimated payment of $210 a month if repaid over ten years.

[Repayment figures](#combined-borrowing) are in the Financial GPS card below. [Borrowing populations and model assumptions](#cost-data-notes).

## Parent loans: what can the family afford?

[How Parent PLUS borrowing affects families](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/)

**Median Parent PLUS debt**
$30,326

**Estimated parent payment**
$385/mo

Modeled Parent PLUS pressure by income

| Household income | Share of income above basic expenses | Risk level |
| --- | --- | --- |
| $35,000 | No room | High pressure |
| $50,000 | No room | High pressure |
| $75,000 | 22.7% | High pressure |
| $100,000 | 10.2% | High pressure |
| $150,000 | 4.8% | Safe |
| $200,000 | 3.2% | Safe |

The 10-year payment on the median Parent PLUS balance, as a share of household income above basic expenses ($54,640 a year: 200% of the 2026 federal poverty guideline for a household of three). No room is High pressure. [Open the parent tool for your own numbers](/financial-gps/?tool=parent&school=william-mary#parent-tool). [Read the assumptions and limits](#cost-data-notes).

## Student and parent loans: the monthly payments

Financial GPS

### What does repayment look like?

**Institution median student debt**
$18,500

**Institution Parent PLUS debt**
$30,326

Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included.

**Estimated student payment · monthly**
$210/mo

**Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly**
$385/mo

**Modeled student + parent payments**
$595/mo

Payments use school-wide median balances, not a specific major’s.

#### Student payment as a share of available income

At median graduate earnings of $80,445, with a $23,940 annual allowance for basic expenses:

**4.5%** of income above the allowance · Excellent

1.  Excellent Under 8% · selected scenario
2.  Good 8–under 12%
3.  Concerning 12–20%
4.  High risk Over 20%

How this estimate works

These are modeled earnings scenarios, not observed earnings percentiles. Annual student payments ÷ (earnings − basic-expense allowance). The starting allowance, $23,940, uses the published framework’s 2026 baseline; it is not a current local living-cost estimate. Change it for your budget, including taxes and other obligations. This combines school-level figures for illustration, not a typical individual’s budget or an official school rating. Parent PLUS is separate.

[Read the framework and its limits](/analysis/financial-gps-framework/).

Payment assumptions

Payments are 10-year standard payments on the median balance, before loan fees, used as a yardstick. Rates for newly issued loans may differ, and loans made after July 1, 2026 can repay over a longer term; existing loans keep their original fixed rates.

[Explore your own numbers in Financial GPS](/financial-gps/?tool=student&school=william-mary#student-tool)

## Data & methodology

Sources and reporting periods: [methodology](/methodology/).

Analysis and methodology by [Daniel Rogers](/about/#founder), founder of College Azimuth.

Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source.

Figure notes link to sources and limitations. [About College Azimuth](/about/).

**Net price and borrowing.** The 2023–24 income-band averages include living costs and cover eligible first-time, full-time aid recipients; public-school figures reflect in-state tuition. They are not individual aid offers. Peer matching supplies overall net prices, not matched income-band averages. [College Scorecard data and documentation](https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/data/).

A personal student-risk assessment also needs your major and borrowing plan; these school-level illustrations do not assign you a personal risk zone.

Payments are 10-year standard payments on the median balance, before loan fees, used as a yardstick. Rates for newly issued loans may differ, and loans made after July 1, 2026 can repay over a longer term; existing loans keep their original fixed rates. Private-loan figures from the Common Data Set are separate from these federal repayment illustrations.