Is William and Mary or UNC Chapel hill thought more highly of? Are either of them in general?
They are both very highly regarded! They are also very different. If you haven’t yet, you should visit both to see which fits you better.
Good luck!
They are both very good schools that will get you where you need to be. William and Mary has fewer students- I believe about 6,000 undergrads versus UNC’s 18,000 undergrads. That may or may not matter to you. My advice is to visit if possible and see which one is the better fit. Are you in-state for either?
William and Mary is going to be significantly smaller, more residential, and feel more like an undergraduate-focused liberal arts and sciences school than UNC. UNC will feel more like a large research university and will also have a bigger sports scene for basketball and football. So visit when they are in session to see how you might fit. Both are very good options. In general, I think students should keep debt down for undergraduate school.
both are highly regarded public universities, considered among the best in that category.
for example, US News and World report top public universities rank them #5 and #6:
https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/rankings/national-universities/top-public
In state for UNC
Are finances a concern? If yes, I would choose UNC… if you like it. If finances are not a concern I would visit both and then decide which one is better for you.