Williams College

Williams College is one of the oldest colleges in the country. It has also been listed at the very top of the best liberal arts schools in the nation. Founded in 1793, the private school just started admitting women in the 1970s. The school’s 450-acre campus is located in Williamstown, Massachusetts near the Berkshire Mountains. The rural setting allows for the small undergraduate population of just under 2,100 students to become bonded during their four years. Williams College is responsible for many firsts in college traditions: they were the first to create a society for alumni and the first to wear caps and gowns at graduation.

The academic programs at Williams are divided into three sections: humanities, sciences, and social sciences. There are 31 majors, and students can choose to participate in 12 other academic areas that are not offered as majors. The most popular majors include: social sciences; English; physical sciences; mathematics and statistics; and foreign languages, literatures, and linguistics. The courses are laid out into two semesters, separated by a winter term in January. During this month, students can choose to take a course for pass or fail status. Some of the past subjects have included Learn to Play Chess, Inside Jury Deliberations and Shaping Your Life After Williams. Others decide to use the winter term to study abroad or participate in research projects. Class sizes have remained very small at Williams; 75 percent of classes have fewer than 20 students. In fact, the student to faculty ratio is 6.5 to one.

There are many student organizations on the Williams College campus. Although fraternities were banned in the 1960s, many students are still able to connect through the various groups available on campus. The Williams Record is the longest-running student newspaper on campus and was founded in 1887. Students can also participate in multiple kinds of music ensembles, choirs and more than eight a cappella groups. Williams College also has a prominent athletic department. Their 32 teams compete in the NCAA’s Division III levels and the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC). There are also many intramural sports teams; more than half of the students at Williams participate in one or more sports.

There are more than 30,000 living Williams alumni who can aid students after they finish their undergraduate experience. This dedicated group of people helps place students in internships and jobs; the connection is a valuable one. There are many reasons Williams is one of the top liberal arts schools in the country. Students interested in demanding academics combined with fun extracurricular activities should look into Williams College’s impressive reputation.

Early decision: Nov. 15 (Online notification is Dec. 15.)

Regular decision: Jan. 1 (Online notification is Apr. 1.)

Transfer decision: Apr. 1 (Online notification is May 15.)

Freshmen Admissions
Number of applicants: 9,715
Enrolled: 546
Yield: 44.6%
Acceptance rate: 12.6%

Early Decision Admissions
Number of ED applicants: 689
Number of ED admits: 257
ED acceptance rate: 37.3%

Waitlist Admission Statistics
Number of waitlisted applicants: 651
Admitted off the waitlist: 25
Waitlist acceptance rate: 3.8%

Transfer Admissions
Number of transfer applicants: 413
Admitted transfer applicants: 16
Transfer acceptance rate: 3.9%

Grades
Average GPA: N/A
Top 10% of High School: 85%

Middle SAT Range (25 to 75 Percentile)
SAT Composite: 1420-1540
SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing: 700-760
SAT Math: 710-790

Median SAT
SAT Composite: 1500
SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing: 740
SAT Math: 765

Middle ACT Range (25 to 75 Percentile)
ACT Composite: 32-35

Median ACT
ACT Composite: 34

SAT/ACT not required

Writing portion not required

SAT Subject Tests not required

Graduation Rates
4 years: 88.2%
5 years: 94.5%
6 years: 95.0%

Loan default rate: 0.4%

Transferred to another school: 1%

Total Rhodes Scholars: 35

Salary after attending: $59,000

R&D Expenditures: $5.23 million

Campus Safety
Sex offenses: 11
Robberies: 0
Aggravated assaults: 2
Burglaries: 11
Car thefts: 1

Tuition, room and board (2020-2021): $72,200

Total estimated cost of attendance (2020-2021): $74,660

Net Cost
Average: $17,303

By Income
$0 to $30,000: $2,498
$30,001 to $48,000: $2,223
$48,001 to $75,000: $7,134
$75,001 to $110,000: $14,653
$110,001 and more: $40,664

Graduates with student debt: 32.9%

Average student debt at graduation: $15,911

Student to Faculty Ratio: 6.5 to 1

Women: 50%

Undergraduate Class Sizes
Under 20: 75%
20 to 39: 20%
40 to 99: 5%
100+: 0%

Student Population
Total: 2,134
Undergraduate: 2,078

Student Residence
In State: 12%
Out of State: 79%
International: 9%