William & Mary, founded by Royal Charter in 1693, is the second oldest institution of higher education in the country. It has a long history of liberal arts education and a growing research and science curriculum that demonstrates a strong commitment to undergraduate research. Included among the nation's prestigious "Public Ivies," William & Mary is a state-assisted institution offering a superior education at a cost far below that of the Ivy League. Based on its smaller size, commitment to undergraduate teaching and combination of contemporary excellence and historic preeminence, W&M is the quintessential public ivy. The university is home to five graduate and professional programs - the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, one of the largest marine science graduate programs in the United States; schools of education and business and William & Mary Law School, the first collegiate law school in the country (established in 1779). William & Mary combines the brains of a research university with the heart of a liberal arts college.The university is dedicated to a philosophy of personalized education exemplified through small class size and extensive student-faculty collaboration. Known as "the alma mater of the nation," William & Mary has educated three American presidents, Thomas Jefferson, James Monroe and John Tyler, and claims several firsts, including the 1776 creation of Phi Beta Kappa, the country's first academic honor society.

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