Match #1
Longwood University
Farmville, VA
Profile closeness85/100
Admit rate90%
- 3,015 students
- Public
- Town: Remote
- Graduation rate 62%, close to 65%
- Enrollment 3,015 students, close to 3,566
The colleges most similar to University of Mary Washington are Longwood University, Christopher Newport University, and Virginia Military Institute. University of Mary Washington admits 80% of applicants and has an average net price of $23,821 a year; 9 of its 10 alternatives cost less and 7 admit a larger share of applicants, in the CollegesRef 2026–27 edition.
Profile closeness (0–100) compares graduation rate, size, admit rate, net price, Carnegie class, and control with University of Mary Washington. The order also uses CollegesRef matching tiers, so a later match can score higher. Admit-rate bars use a 0–100% scale.
Top 10 alternatives to University of Mary Washington
Row-wise results ranked by similarity. No curated AI list exists for this school.
Match #2
Christopher Newport University
Newport News, VA
Profile closeness84/100
Admit rate86%
- 4,365 students
- Public
- City: Midsize
- Enrollment 4,365 students, close to 3,566
- Average net price $22,310, close to $23,821
Match #3
Virginia Military Institute
Lexington, VA
Profile closeness74/100
Admit rate71%
- 1,527 students
- Public
- Town: Distant
- Graduation rate 72%, close to 65%
- Acceptance rate 71%, close to 80%
Match #4
Virginia Commonwealth University
Richmond, VA
Profile closeness64/100
Admit rate93%
- 20,753 students
- Public
- City: Midsize
- Graduation rate 65%, close to 65%
- Average net price $25,037, close to $23,821
Match #5
Virginia State University
Petersburg, VA
Profile closeness59/100
Admit rate89%
- 5,074 students
- Public
- Suburb: Large
- Enrollment 5,074 students, close to 3,566
- Acceptance rate 89%, close to 80%
Match #6
Radford University
Radford, VA
Profile closeness58/100
Admit rate90%
- 6,038 students
- Public
- Suburb: Small
- Acceptance rate 90%, close to 80%
- Same control type (public)
Match #7
James Madison University
Harrisonburg, VA
Profile closeness55/100
Admit rate72%
- 20,888 students
- Public
- City: Small
- Average net price $23,550, close to $23,821
- Acceptance rate 72%, close to 80%
Match #8
Norfolk State University
Norfolk, VA
Profile closeness54/100
Admit rate88%
- 5,392 students
- Public
- City: Midsize
- Enrollment 5,392 students, close to 3,566
- Acceptance rate 88%, close to 80%
Match #9
George Mason University
Fairfax, VA
Profile closeness52/100
Admit rate87%
- 27,752 students
- Public
- Suburb: Large
- Graduation rate 66%, close to 65%
- Acceptance rate 87%, close to 80%
Match #10
William & Mary
Williamsburg, VA
Profile closeness45/100
Admit rate34%
- 7,055 students
- Public
- Suburb: Small
- Same control type (public)
Questions about University of Mary Washington alternatives
What colleges are similar to University of Mary Washington?
The closest matches to University of Mary Washington are Longwood University, Christopher Newport University, Virginia Military Institute, Virginia Commonwealth University, and Virginia State University. CollegesRef ranks them on admissions, cost, graduation rate, size, and campus profile using IPEDS and College Scorecard data.
Is University of Mary Washington hard to get into?
University of Mary Washington admitted 80% of its 5,027 applicants in the CollegesRef 2026–27 edition, so it is not very selective: it admits most applicants. 7 of its 10 closest alternatives admit a larger share of applicants.
Which University of Mary Washington alternatives cost less?
9 of the 10 closest alternatives have a lower average net price than University of Mary Washington ($23,821 a year), including Norfolk State University ($12,180), Radford University ($13,701), and George Mason University ($14,697). Net price is what first-time, full-time students paid after grants; your own price depends on family income.
