Is William & Mary or Virginia Tech better for a liberal arts education?

For a student centered on history or political science and seeking a distinctly liberal-arts-oriented undergraduate experience, William  Mary is likely the closer fit. Its academic culture is built around the arts and sciences, with a strong emphasis on close reading, writing, discussion-based classes, and faculty interaction. History and government are especially established areas there, and the campuss Williamsburg setting offers an unusually direct connection to early American history and public history resources.

Virginia Tech fits a different kind of liberal arts student: someone who wants to study history or political science within a much larger research university whose identity is strongly shaped by science, engineering, technology, agriculture, and applied research. Its College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences provides solid humanities and social science options, and the broader university can be valuable for students who want to connect political questions to technology, environmental policy, national security, business, data, or science. Blacksburg also offers a more traditional college-town setting and the energy of a larger campus community.

William  Mary is more naturally immersive for a student who wants liberal arts to be the center of their college experience. Virginia Tech makes more sense for someone who values liberal arts while also wanting frequent exposure to technical and applied fields, a larger student body, and a broader range of university-scale opportunities.