On Feb. 8, 1693, The College of William and Mary was founded by a Royal Charter issued by King William III and Queen Mary II of England, making it the second oldest institution of higher learning in the U.S. It is the alma mater of Thomas Jefferson, James Monroe, and John Tyler.

Today this small, public university in Williamsburg enrolls over 7,700 students and offers 36 undergraduate programs and 14 graduate programs, including the Virginia Institute of Marine Science.