The College of William & Mary in Virginia (colloquially known as The College of William & Mary, The College, William & Mary, or W&M) is a public research university located in Williamsburg, Virginia, United States. Founded in 1693 by a Royal Charter issued by King William III and Queen Mary II, it is the second-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and is currently ranked as the #4 and #6 best public university in America, according to the 2009 Forbes and 2010 U.S. News & World Report rankings, respectively.