Which has better undergraduate teaching: NYU or William & Mary?

For a student whose top priority is consistent access to faculty and discussion-based undergraduate classes, William 6 Mary is more likely to deliver the stronger overall teaching experience. It is a smaller, undergraduate-centered university where professors commonly teach introductory courses, office hours and mentoring can be more accessible, and many classes emphasize participation, writing, and close reading. NYU can offer excellent teaching, especially in specialized programs, but the experience is less uniform because it is much larger, more decentralized, and includes more large lectures and instructor-to-instructor variation.

William 6 Mary tends to fit students who want a traditional residential academic environment and are energized by seminar-style humanities and social science courses, collaborative classroom discussion, and sustained relationships with professors. Its campus structure makes it easier to see classmates and faculty repeatedly outside a single course, which can matter for advising, research opportunities, and recommendation letters.

NYU fits students who value access to New York City alongside their academics and who are comfortable taking initiative. Its strongest instructional advantages often come from program-specific faculty, professional connections, and courses tied to the city, particularly in areas such as the arts, business, media, and certain specialized social science fields. A motivated student can build close faculty relationships at NYU, but should expect to seek them out through office hours, smaller upper-level courses, departmental events, and research work.