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The College of William & Mary in Virginia (colloquially known as The College of William & Mary, The College, William & Mary, or W&M) is a public research university located in Williamsburg, Virginia, United States. Founded in 1693 by a royal charter (by a British letters patent) issued by King William III and Queen Mary II, it is the second-oldest institution of higher education in the United States after Harvard University. William & Mary's undergraduate program ranks #4 and #6 among American public universities according to the 2009 Forbes and 2010 U.S. News & World Report rankings, respectively. William & Mary educated U.S. Presidents Thomas Jefferson, James Monroe, and John Tyler as well as other key figures important to the development of the nation, including U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Marshall, Speaker of the House Henry Clay and 16 signers of the Declaration of Independence. W&M founded the Phi Beta Kappa academic honor society in 1776 and was the first school of higher education in the United States to install an honor code of conduct for students. The establishment of graduate programs in law and medicine in 1779 make it one of the first universities in the United States. William & Mary is a Public Ivy. In addition to its focal undergraduate program, the College is also home to several graduate and professional programs, including law, business, education, marine science and colonial history. In 2008, W&M enrollment comprised 5,850 undergraduate and 2,042 graduate/professional students. |