Hi! I was recently accepted to both William and Mary and UVA and now I have a difficult decision. I am planning to major in history and am particularly interested in US history. Can anyone give any insight as to which history program is stronger? Thanks
It’s not easy to find reliable rankings for undergraduate programs. If you search up “WM History dept. ranking” you’ll probably get the graduate program, which is ranked around 25th.
For undergrad no such ranking exists.
With that aside, I’m confident that the William and Mary history department is stronger than UVA’s. The study of history is one of the foundations of this school, having been taught at WM since 1803.
WM also has a reputation for having stellar history courses because of its own lengthy history, and the fact that it is more of a liberal arts oriented school than UVA.
I encourage you to go on the websites of both schools’ history departments, and see for yourself what they offer.
I’m biased because I’m going to be majoring in history at WM next fall, but people who know more about academics than I do seem to agree with me 
If you are not in engineering or something really specialized or pre-professional, I would not recommend making your decision based on perceived department strength. Many students change intended majors once in college, and even if you continue to major in History, you will take many classes outside of your major. As the previous poster indicated, the rankings you will see will be for graduate programs, not undergraduate, and there is a significant difference because much more attention is given to graduate students at most research universities. If I were you I’d focus on the overall academic, social, and financial fit.
Regarding attention paid to undergraduates, this is a big plus of William and Mary. The college has much more of an undergrad focus than most universities. There are very few grad students. That’s why there is much more of a LAC feel. Classes aren’t taught by graduate students, which happens shockingly often at some of the most famous schools.
Look through the course catalogue to see if there are plenty of classes that interest you. (Do this for all the schools you are considering.) Look at requirements for majors. Look at study abroad programs too. (W&M excels here.) See if history students from the school ever get scholarships such as Fulbright. Read about the research interests of the faculty.
You can correspond with students in majors at W&M if that helps. There may be the same for UVA, but I could not find it specifically on Admission page.
https://www.wm.edu/admission/undergraduateadmission/contactus/ask_a_student/index.php
Wow those two schools provide very different experiences. Which experience would you rather have? Go to that one.
^ Yes very different indeed. Both great on their own but likely not a great fit for one another (interchangeably). Both in and OOS costs should be about the same. They are both fantastic academic institutions. Really top notch. If it were me, fit would be a major decider here.
On Costs…
An actual real life example for OOS costs finds they are not the same. D18 has been accepted by both schools. No direct Merit so the numbers are grant/loan aid based. Monroe Scholar at W&M which does not offer any merit aid although definately a significant consideration in ultimately deciding.
While both schools gravitate to the EFC the difference in the packaging is considerable. UVA’s package consists of significantly more institutional loans over grants so W&M’s real cost is much less for us as far as actual overall cost because W&M offers a better grant which has zero payback.
Unfortunately UVA has a very appealing major for D18. This may not be a big enough difference maker IMO that D18 cannot adjust for through a select major/minor path at W&M.
Still digging deeper on the degree offer and cost factor through mid-April. However UVA does not bend on its FA package so no expectations there.
Yes the two schools offer a much different dynamic. However for the tweener student both are a great option. For the student bent on a big school environment or the other who must have a small LAC the choice is clear. For the student seeking a middlish sized school “feel” both are great fits. UVA offers a smallish big school “feel” and W&M offers a largish LAC “feel”.
So if you are a tweener it mostly comes down to cost and major of emphasis IMO because both schools fit that not too big and not too small feel. Yes there are some clear cut differences along that big/small center line that matter more to some than to others. Class size etc… Typically the tweener can roll either way…
The end point “COST” is not the same. I wish it were.
To me this is a big factor for the tweener to appreciate w/r/t W&M as it’s one that often stands out and comes to mind in helping narrow the focus.
“Regarding attention paid to undergraduates, this is a big plus of William and Mary. The college has much more of an undergrad focus than most universities. There are very few grad students. That’s why there is much more of a LAC feel. Classes aren’t taught by graduate students, which happens shockingly often at some of the most famous schools.”
OP, why not look at the catalog of courses available and then into prof backgrounds, their research interests, and how active they are in their fields? That gives a better sense of your opportunities than some generalized ranking.