(This article was originally reported in January 2026. Latest update: November 2026.)
William & Mary opened Integrated Science Center 4 (ISC4) for the spring 2026 semester. The building is the new home of the university’s School of Computing, Data Sciences & Physics, which W&M describes as its first new school in more than 50 years. Its makerspace, the last part of the building to open, opened in March 2026.
What ISC4 Includes
According to W&M News (January 16, 2026):
- Size and site: a 124,000-square-foot building on the former site of Millington Hall, plus 10,000 square feet of renovated space connecting it to the rest of the Integrated Science Center complex. ISC4 is the latest phase of that complex.
- Who moved in: the computer science and data science departments, along with some Applied Science offices and labs that moved from ISC3. Physics remains in Small Hall, across from ISC4.
- Teaching space: small and medium classrooms, a large interactive classroom, a 150-seat lecture hall, collaboration spaces, and more than 35 instructional and research labs, several with glass fronts so passers-by can see the work inside.
- Makerspace: more than 8,000 square feet on the ground floor for design, experimentation and prototyping, with rooms for working hard, soft and hot materials and for laser cutting and 3D printing.
Provost Peggy Agouris called ISC4 “a major step forward for William & Mary’s academic vision.” Douglas C. Schmidt, dean of the School of Computing, Data Sciences & Physics, said the building is “more than a building for undergraduate and graduate courses.” Eric Bradley, chair of the Department of Applied Science, said he had worked on the project since 2019 and called its opening one of the most rewarding milestones of his career.
Why W&M Needed the Space
Computing has grown quickly at W&M. Between 2015 and 2025, the number of computer science majors rose 117% and physics enrollment 36%, and enrollment in the data science program, launched in 2021, rose 167%. The data science minor is now the most popular minor at the university, with more than twice as many declared minors as the next one, and an artificial intelligence minor started in fall 2025. W&M says its computer science program climbed 28 places in two years to No. 54 in the U.S. News undergraduate rankings, making it the university’s highest-ranked undergraduate program (W&M News).
For how the school was created, its degrees, how students enter its majors and its course fee, see our earlier report: William & Mary Launches School of Computing, Data Sciences & Physics.
Latest: The Makerspace Opens
On March 19, 2026, W&M’s Makerspaces announced that they were open in the new ISC4 location (room 0302). The primary design studio was set up, and the laser lab, hot work room, metal shop, wood and plastics shop, electronics and additive manufacturing lab, and spray and finishing room were brought together in the space, although not all equipment was online yet. Students request training or equipment use through the makerspace’s ticketing system (W&M Makerspaces).
For International Students
- Size: W&M is a small public research university. According to the latest IPEDS data, it enrolled 9,818 students in fall 2025, including 526 international students (237 undergraduates and 289 graduate students), and admitted 34.1% of 17,798 first-year applicants.
- Ranking: W&M is No. 52 among national universities in the 2027 U.S. News ranking, according to Forward Pathway’s US Colleges Ranking.
- Applying for computing: first-year students do not apply to the school directly; they enter its majors in their second year if they are in good standing and meet the criteria (see our earlier report linked above). Computer science, data science and physics are generally STEM fields eligible for the 24-month STEM OPT extension; confirm the CIP code of your degree with W&M’s international office (Study in the States: STEM OPT Hub).
See our William & Mary profile for admissions and cost data.
References
- W&M News: ISC4 opening marks new home for School of Computing, Data Sciences & Physics (January 16, 2026)
- W&M Makerspaces: announcements (March 19, 2026)
- Forward Pathway: William & Mary Launches School of Computing, Data Sciences & Physics
- Forward Pathway: William & Mary profile
- Forward Pathway: US Colleges Ranking