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Williams College
Williams College admits 8 of every 100 applicants — a reach school for nearly everyone applying to Williams College, whatever the rest of the profile says.
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Williams College anchors the college town of Williamstown, MA, where the private campus and town largely share a footprint. International students are a visible presence here — 8.8% of undergraduates come from outside the U.S.
Its highest-earning path is Computer Science, where graduates median $209,574 four years out. Faculty pay averages $183,804 a year here — a rough proxy for what the school spends on the teaching itself. With 2,076 undergraduates and a residential core, weekends happen on campus — and 96.9% of first-years come back for a second year.
Submitters admitted here typically landed between 1470 and 1560 — above the MA middle for four-year schools. Put your own practice estimate on Williams College's range with the SAT calculator, or bring a saved GPA from the grade tools.
Admissions
Williams College is test-optional: scores are considered when submitted but not required. The 1470–1560 range below describes admitted students who chose to submit — typically Williams College's stronger testers — so treat it as the higher end of what gets in.
| Score | 25th | 50th | 75th |
|---|---|---|---|
| SAT Reading & Writing | 730 | 760 | 770 |
| SAT Math | 740 | 770 | 790 |
| ACT Composite | 33 | 34 | 35 |
Percentiles are among students who submitted scores (Fall 2023 admissions cycle).
In the Fall 2023 cycle, Williams College received 11,465 applications and admitted 1,145 (10%), with 541 enrolling.
How Williams College compares
| Williams College | Massachusetts median | National median | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acceptance rate | 8.3% | 70.7% | 77.2% |
| Tuition (in-state) | $68,560 | $46,700 | $19,591 |
| Median earnings (10 yr) | $88,665 | $62,832 | $53,781 |
Ten years after enrolling, the median Williams College student earns $88,665 — 41% above the Massachusetts median of $62,832 for college-goers.
Cost, size & completion
Williams College lists tuition at $68,560 for everyone — private schools don't do residency pricing. Williams College's sticker and net price can differ sharply after aid; treat $68,560 as the ceiling, not the bill.
Williams College enrolls 2,076 undergraduates — mid-sized, with the trade-offs Williams College's scale implies: more programs than a small college, more anonymity too.
93.6% of Williams College students finish a bachelor's within six years — 38.8 points above the national 54.9% — and the single best predictor that the $68,560 price above buys a degree, not just enrollment.
Top majors by earnings at Williams College
| Bachelor's program | Median earnings, 4 yrs after completion |
|---|---|
| Computer Science | $209,574 |
| Economics | $166,678 |
| Mathematics | $134,304 |
| Political Science and Government | $88,339 |
| Psychology, General | $72,891 |
| English Language and Literature, General | $69,065 |
| Biology, General | $65,357 |
| History | $59,535 |
| Fine and Studio Arts | $55,012 |
| Chemistry | $51,050 |
| Area Studies | $43,501 |
Median earnings for these 11 Williams College programs come from a different federal cohort than the campus-wide $88,665 above — compare rows to each other, not to that 10-year figure. 20 additional Williams College programs have earnings withheld under federal privacy rules.
Frequently asked questions
What GPA and test scores do you need for Williams College?
Among admitted students who submitted scores, the middle 50% scored 1470–1560 on the SAT. There's no published GPA cutoff — pair these ranges with the 8.3% admission rate to judge your odds.
What is Williams College's acceptance rate?
10% in the Fall 2023 cycle — 1,145 admitted from 11,465 applicants.
How much does Williams College cost?
At Williams College, published tuition is $68,560 — net price after aid usually comes in lower. That number is Williams College's ceiling, not a quote.
What do Williams College graduates earn?
Federal data puts median earnings at $88,665 ten years after enrolling. The table above breaks this down by major.
Similar colleges in Massachusetts
- Wellesley College — 14.1% admitted
- Tufts University — 11.5% admitted
- Northeastern University — 5.2% admitted
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology — 4.5% admitted
Run your own numbers
Data: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (Jun 2026), IPEDS ADM2023/HD2024. Retrieved 2026-09-01. Figures reflect the latest federal cohorts, which lag the current admissions cycle.