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Williams College

Private#3 Liberal Arts Colleges

Williamstown, MA

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Williams College is a private small school in Williamstown, MA, enrolling about 2,076 undergraduates. It's highly selective, admitting about 8% of applicants. Among reported majors, Computer Science shows the strongest outcomes -- $209,574/year in median earnings four years after graduation. On-campus housing is mandatory here.

Admissions

Admit rate8%
SAT range1490–15502025-26 CDS
ACT range33–352025-26 CDS
Undergrads2,076
Yield (admits who enroll)44%
Next deadlineNov 15, 2026 (ED1)

Test scores for the Fall 2025 entering class come from Williams College's own 2025-26 Common Data Set: 43% submitted SAT scores, 18% submitted ACT scores.

Application deadlines for Fall 2027 entry

  • Early Decision: Nov 15, 2026
  • Regular Decision: Jan 4, 2027

Confirm on Williams College's own admissions site before you apply.

Cost & outcomes

Cost of attendance$84,8602024-25
Tuition & fees$68,5602024-25
4-year grad rate95%
Median earnings, 10yr out$88,665

From the US Dept of Education College Scorecard, most recent year reported. Not every school reports every field. Tuition & fees are the sticker price for a full-time first-year undergrad, before financial aid, and don't include room and board.

Where do you stand against Williams College's numbers?

Check your chances here

How Williams College weighs your application

From Williams College's own Common Data Set, 2025-26, Section C7 -- not a generic admissions checklist. What is a Common Data Set?

Academic factors
Rigor of secondary school recordVery important
Class rankVery important
Academic GPAVery important
Standardized test scoresConsidered
Application essayImportant
RecommendationsVery important
Nonacademic factors
InterviewNot considered
Extracurricular activitiesImportant
Talent/abilityImportant
Character/personal qualitiesVery important
First generationImportant
Alumni relation (legacy)Considered
Geographical residenceConsidered
State residencyNot considered
Religious affiliationConsidered
Volunteer workImportant
Work experienceImportant
Level of interest (demonstrated interest)Not considered
BUILD YOUR FIT SCORESee how Williams College actually weighs your profile, free, no account needed

What applicants who posted their results listed

57 self-reported applicant profiles from public posts, 2024–25 and 2025–26 admissions cycles: 18 admitted, 39 rejected or waitlisted. Figures read admitted vs. rejected or waitlisted.

Median unweighted GPA4.00 vs 3.92
Median SAT (where sent)1545 vs 1540
Median ACT (where sent)35 vs 34
Listed a national-level award89% vs 69%

Most common activities

AdmittedRejected or waitlisted
Clubs & honor societies
61%
41%
Paid job
61%
31%
Tutoring & teaching
50%
41%
Community service
44%
62%
Debate, speech & Model UN
44%
36%
Selective summer program
44%
13%
Research
39%
49%
Sports
39%
36%

Most common awards among admits

Competition placement · 61%School award · 56%Named scholarship · 50%National Merit · 44%

Who posted

Public high school · 67%Private or boarding school · 24%First-generation · 47%International · 11%

How this compares across selective liberal arts colleges: Liberal Arts College Accepted vs. Rejected Applicants →

These are people who chose to post their results publicly, mostly on Reddit -- a group that skews toward high scores and STEM. They describe posters, not Williams College's admitted class, and recruited athletes are left out. For official numbers, use the admissions figures above.

See full profile -- financial aid, campus life, and what Williams College weighs in your application

Paying it back

Undergrads taking federal loans5%
Loan balance still growing, 3yrs out81%

"Still growing" means a borrower's payments aren't yet covering interest 3 years into repayment -- not a default rate. A high number here can mean real repayment difficulty, or just a lot of grads who deferred for graduate school, so read it alongside the school's typical outcomes above.

Majors & earnings

Area, Ethnic, Cultural, Gender, and Group Studies
Area Studies$43,501/yr
Biological and Biomedical Sciences
Biology, General$65,357/yr
Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services
Computer Science$209,574/yr
English Language and Literature/Letters
English Language and Literature, General$69,065/yr
History
History$59,535/yr
Mathematics and Statistics
Mathematics$134,304/yr
Physical Sciences
Chemistry$51,050/yr
Psychology
Psychology, General$72,891/yr
Social Sciences
Economics$166,678/yr
Political Science and Government$88,339/yr
Visual and Performing Arts
Fine and Studio Arts$55,012/yr

Median earnings 4 years after graduation, by major, from the US Dept of Education. Only shown where the school reports a real figure for that major -- most schools don't report every major they offer, especially smaller programs.

Campus life

On-campus housingYes
Required to live on campusYes
Dormitory capacity2,173
Typical room charge$7,900
Typical board charge$7,630

Room and board are shown separately from the cost of attendance above -- that total already includes them alongside tuition and fees, this just breaks out the living-cost portion.

What matters in your application

GPAConsidered, not required
Class rankConsidered, not required
RecommendationsRequired

From this school's own reporting to the US Dept of Education on what it formally requires, considers, or doesn't use when reviewing applications.

Frequently asked questions

What does Williams College look for in applicants?

Per Williams College's own Common Data Set (Section C7), it rates rigor of secondary school record, class rank, academic GPA, recommendations, character/personal qualities as "very important" in admissions decisions -- its own stated top factors, not a generic guess.

What is Williams College's acceptance rate?

Williams College in Williamstown, MA admits approximately 8% of applicants, based on the US Dept of Education's most recently reported figures.

What SAT score do I need for Williams College?

Per Williams College's own 2025-26 Common Data Set, the middle 50% of enrolled first-years scored 1490–1550 on the SAT (25th–75th percentile, among students who submitted scores).

What ACT score do I need for Williams College?

Per Williams College's own 2025-26 Common Data Set, the middle 50% of enrolled first-years scored 33–35 on the ACT (25th–75th percentile, among students who submitted scores).

How much does Williams College cost?

Williams College's total cost of attendance is reported at $84,860 per year, including tuition, fees, and room and board.

When is the application deadline for Williams College?

Williams College's deadlines are Early Decision Nov 15, 2026; Regular Decision Jan 4, 2027, per its own published admissions calendar.

Does Williams College require students to live on campus?

Yes -- Williams College requires students to live in on-campus housing.

Comparing Williams College against another school?

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