You're probably looking at a dozen different tabs right now. Harvard, UVA, Georgetown—the usual suspects. But then there's William & Mary. It’s that historic, slightly "under-the-radar" Public Ivy in Williamsburg that keeps popping up on ranking lists with some oddly specific, high-tier accolades.
Honestly, the William and Mary MBA ranking is a bit of a paradox. On one hand, you’ve got the big-picture U.S. News numbers that put them in the top 50. On the other, you have niche categories where they literally beat everyone else in the country. It’s confusing.
If you just look at the "overall" number, you’re missing why people actually go here.
The 2024-2025 Rankings: Where They Stand
Let’s get the raw data out of the way. As of the most recent cycles, the Raymond A. Mason School of Business is sitting at #40 for Best Business Schools according to U.S. News & World Report (2024). Bloomberg Businessweek is a bit more bullish, placing them at #32 in the U.S. for 2024.
Then there's the global stage. The Financial Times recently ranked the program #80 in the world for 2025. That might sound "middle of the pack" if you’re only chasing top-10 prestige, but when you consider there are roughly 16,000 business schools globally, being in the top 100 puts William & Mary in the top 1% of all MBA programs on the planet.
But here is the kicker. Bloomberg Businessweek also ranked them #1 in the nation for Learning in 2025.
Think about that. Number one.
They beat the M7 schools. They beat the Ivy League. For the actual act of learning—the curriculum, the engagement, the "did I actually get smarter?" factor—they are the gold standard right now. They also hit #5 for Best Professors via the Princeton Review. You aren't being taught by a bored TA here; you're getting heavy hitters who actually know your name.
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Why the "Learning" Rank Matters More Than the Name
Most MBA rankings are heavily weighted toward "starting salary." While that’s important, it doesn't always tell you if the program is actually good. It just tells you if the graduates went into high-paying consulting roles at McKinsey or investment banking at Goldman.
William & Mary takes a different path. Their "Executive Partners" program is basically a cheat code for networking. They have over 200 retired and active C-suite executives who live in the Williamsburg area and volunteer their time to mentor students.
Imagine having the former CEO of a Fortune 500 company review your slide deck on a Tuesday afternoon. That happens here.
This focus on mentorship is why they consistently rank so high in Networking (#9 by Bloomberg) and Entrepreneurship (#8 by Bloomberg). It’s a tight-knit ecosystem. You aren't just a number in a lecture hall of 500 people. The class sizes are small, usually around 100 to 160 students for the full-time cohort.
The Reality of the ROI
Let's talk money, because $100k+ in debt is no joke. The William and Mary MBA ranking for "Value" is consistently high because the tuition isn't as eye-watering as the private elites.
- In-state tuition: Roughly $39,394 per year.
- Out-of-state tuition: Roughly $51,796 per year.
- Average starting salary (2023 grads): $115,855.
Compare that to a school like NYU Stern or Columbia where tuition alone can nudge $85,000 a year. If you’re a Virginia resident, the ROI at Mason is basically unbeatable. Even for out-of-state students, the gap between what you pay and what you earn starts to close very quickly.
Also, they are generous with scholarships. The McGlothlin and Mason Scholars programs can cover full tuition. If you're Beta Gamma Sigma (the business honor society), you often get an automatic 50% tuition scholarship just for getting in.
The Online and Part-Time Flexibility
Not everyone can quit their job for two years. The school has pivoted hard into the online space, and the rankings reflect that.
The Online MBA is currently ranked #25 by The Princeton Review and #33 by U.S. News. It’s the same faculty teaching the same curriculum, but you do it from your couch. The interesting thing here is the salary jump. Online grads at W&M have reported an average salary of $135,879, which is actually higher than some of the residential stats.
Why? Because the online students are usually further along in their careers—averaging about 9 years of work experience compared to 5 years for the full-time residential students.
What Most People Get Wrong About W&M
People assume because it's a "Public Ivy" and "Historic," it must be stuffy or academic-only.
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Wrong.
The Mason School is surprisingly "techy." They were early adopters of the STEM-designated MBA, which is a massive deal for international students. If you’re here on an F-1 visa, that STEM designation lets you stay and work in the U.S. for up to 36 months via the OPT extension. That is a huge reason why the program is about 35% international.
They also have a massive military presence. About 30% of the class often comes from a military background. Williamsburg is close to several major bases, and the school is ranked as one of the best for veterans. This creates a classroom vibe that is very disciplined, very practical, and zero-fluff.
The Verdict on the Ranking
If you want a "prestige" name to put on a LinkedIn profile so you can get an automatic interview at a New York PE firm, you might still look at the Top 10.
But if you want a program where the professors actually teach (and aren't just doing research), where you have a personal mentor who used to run a global corporation, and where the debt-to-income ratio actually makes sense, William & Mary is punching way above its weight class.
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The #40 or #80 rank doesn't reflect the #1 quality of the instruction.
Next Steps for Your Search:
- Check the Deadlines: Round 2 usually hits in early January, with Round 3 in March. If you’re looking at the Online MBA, they have starts in Fall, Spring, and Summer.
- Request a GMAT/GRE Waiver: The school is currently very flexible. You don't always need a test score if you can prove your quantitative chops through your work history or undergraduate GPA (average is around 3.3).
- Connect with an Executive Partner: Reach out to the admissions office and specifically ask to speak with one of the mentors. It will give you a better feel for the program than any ranking list ever could.
Ultimately, the Mason School is for the "doer" who wants a high-touch environment. If that's you, the ranking is just a number; the experience is what actually builds the career.