Williamstown, MA · Private · 2,076 undergraduates · town
Williams College
Extremely selective
Williams is the small liberal-arts college known for tutorial courses modeled on Oxford, close faculty contact, and a mountain setting in northwestern Massachusetts. There are no graduate schools competing for attention and no city supplying an alternate social life. That concentration is the advantage for students who want discussion and mentorship, and the limitation for students who need constant metropolitan variety.
Institutional profile
Top tier Exceptional in academic standing, and exceptional in affordability.- Admission
- 10% admitted
- Price by income
- Varies across five income ranges
- Completion
- 95.5%
11,465 applicants in the reported year
Compare recent average annual costs by household income
$88,665 median earnings 10 years after enrollment
What sets Williams apart
Tutorials place two students with one professor
Selected courses use weekly writing and direct discussion rather than a standard seminar format.
Undergraduates receive the institution’s full attention
With no graduate schools, teaching, research assistance, and campus leadership center on college students.
Location shapes the entire experience
Williamstown and the Berkshires support a close residential community but little urban anonymity.
The Williams tutorial
Write an argument, defend it, revise it
The tutorial makes intellectual exchange direct enough that preparation and judgment cannot hide in a crowd.
Take a position
One student develops a written argument from the week’s material.
Defend and question it
A professor and peer test the reasoning in close conversation.
Improve the work
Feedback becomes another round of thought rather than a mark at the end.
Can I get in?
10% admitted
Williams expects exceptional work in a demanding program and reads for intellectual engagement, character, and contribution to a small residential community.
Recent applicant pool
11,465About 10 in every 100 applicants were admitted.
Academic range
Of admitted students, 42% submitted an SAT, and 18% submitted an ACT. Because ACT scores came from few admitted students, the range describes that self-selected group rather than the full class.
In the season card
Where your GPA sits in the entering class
The full entering-class GPA distribution for Williams, in nine bands from 4.0 down, with your own record marked on it.
See where I landIn the season card
What Williams weighs when it reads a file
See how this college describes the role of grades, testing, essays, recommendations, activities, and demonstrated interest.
- Course rigor
- GPA
- Test scores
- Essay
- Recommendations
- Extracurriculars
- Demonstrated interest
What moves the application
The evidence that separates a strong file
Show readiness for close discussion
Writing and recommendations should reveal how the student listens, argues, and improves a small class.
Demonstrate intellectual depth
A sustained question or body of work matters more than a long activity inventory.
Choose remoteness deliberately
Explain why Williamstown supports the desired life rather than treating location as incidental.
Contribute to a small community
Use examples where the applicant’s presence changed a group other people relied on.
How to apply
Rounds, route, and required materials
Williams offers Early Decision and Regular Decision. The application should show why close discussion, faculty contact, and a remote residential setting fit the student’s working style.
Fee waiver: accepted
Can I afford it?
Compare annual cost by household income.
Need-based aid can make the actual price far lower than the published total. Travel to Williamstown and limited local employment options should remain in the comparison.
In the season card
Average annual cost by household income at Williams
Compare recent average net prices across five federal income ranges and estimate a 4-year cost for yours.
- $0–30k
- $30–48k
- $48–75k
- $75–110k
- $110k+
Is it worth it?
Completion, debt, and earnings
Graduate study, finance, consulting, research, education, public service, arts, and technology benefit from close recommendations and an active alumni network.
Degree completion across the reported entering cohort
First-year students who return for year two
And what that comes to against what they earn.
Reported 10 years after enrollment
Academic portfolio
Largest bachelor’s fields
How many students finish in each field, and median earnings four years after completing the program.
Economics
Psychology, General
English Language and Literature, General
Biology, General
Computer Science
What is campus life like?
Williams beyond the classroom
Williamstown, the Berkshires, Entry housing, athletics, arts, clubs, and outdoor life create an intimate and self-contained experience without Greek life.
Entries create the first-year community
Small residential groups place new students with peers and junior advisers before later housing broadens.
Meals reinforce a compact campus
Dining halls and a small town keep daily life concentrated around familiar people and places.
Participation is easy to enter
Arts, publications, service, research, outdoor groups, and athletics rely heavily on undergraduate leadership.
There is no Greek system
Entries, teams, clubs, performances, campus events, and house gatherings carry the social structure.
The Berkshires replace a city backdrop
Museums, mountains, outdoor activity, and neighboring colleges shape off-campus time.