Is Florida State or William & Mary better for studying history?

For a student whose main priority is an intensive, undergraduate-centered history education, William 6 Mary has the edge. Its history department is closely tied to Williamsburg’s unusually rich historical setting, and students can draw on nearby institutions such as Colonial Williamsburg for research, internships, and public-history experience. The college’s smaller scale also tends to make seminar discussion, faculty relationships, and independent research more central to the undergraduate experience.

William 6 Mary is especially compelling for students interested in early American, colonial, Revolutionary-era, Atlantic-world, and public history. Living next to a major historic district can make history feel less confined to the classroom, though students should still examine the department’s current course listings to ensure their preferred geographic or chronological field is well represented.

Florida State may be the more attractive option for a student who wants the resources and energy of a larger research university. Its location in Tallahassee places students near the Florida State Capitol, the State Archives of Florida, and other government and cultural institutions that can support work in political history, Florida history, policy, archives, museums, or public service. FSU also offers a broader large-university environment, with more varied campus organizations and the flexibility that can be useful if you later add a second major or shift academic direction.