Williams College
A 2,100-student liberal arts college in the Berkshires built around two-student tutorials and an all-grant aid model.
- Acceptance rate
- 8.6%
- Class of 2029 (entered fall 2025)
- Students
- 2,150
- 2,101 undergraduates
- International
- 9%
- of students
- Student–faculty
- 7:1
- ratio
- Tuition
- $76,300
- 2026-27
About Williams
Williams College opened in Williamstown, Massachusetts, on October 9, 1793, funded by the estate of Colonel Ephraim Williams; the college's own timeline calls it the second-oldest institution of higher education in Massachusetts. It is a liberal arts college rather than a research university: about 2,100 undergraduates study across three divisions (languages and the arts, social sciences, and science and mathematics), choosing from 37 majors, and about 45% graduate with more than one. The only graduate students are the 49 enrolled in two small master's programs, one in the history of art run with the Clark Art Institute and one in policy economics for public-sector economists from low- and middle-income countries.
Teaching is the point. The student-faculty ratio is 7 to 1, and Williams adapted the Oxford tutorial into a signature format: two students and one professor, with the students taking turns to present a paper and critique their partner's. Up to 100 tutorials run each year and more than half of students take at least one. January is Winter Study, a month for a single course, an internship, travel or research, and about 60% of students spend some or all of junior year away, including a full year at Oxford through the Williams-Exeter Programme.
Admission is highly selective: 1,336 of 15,520 first-year applicants were admitted for fall 2025 (8.6%). Williams describes itself as the first college in the country to give all financial aid as grants, with no loans or work requirements, and it meets 100% of demonstrated need for every admitted student, including international students.
E liberalitate E. Williams, armigeri
“Through the generosity of E. Williams, Esquire” — university motto
Why students choose Williams
Two-student tutorials adapted from Oxford, with up to 100 offered each year, put you in weekly debate with a professor and one classmate.
All financial aid is grant money with no loans or work requirement, and Williams meets 100% of demonstrated need for all admitted students regardless of citizenship.
January Winter Study offers about 150 courses plus internships, travel and research, and the Williams-Exeter Programme lets you spend a full year at the University of Oxford.
Undergraduates get serious research experience: more than 300 funded summer research positions each year, with about 40% of students doing funded research annually.
Admissions
Class of 2029 (entered fall 2025)
About 1 in 12 applicants is admitted
1,336 admitted from 15,520 applicants
Middle 50% of admitted students scored in this range.
Middle 50% of admitted students scored in this range.
Early Decision admitted 256 of 964 applicants for fall 2025, and ED students made up 44% of the entering class. Williams practices need-blind admission for domestic applicants (including undocumented and DACA-designated students) but is not need-blind for international applicants.
Deadlines
- Early Decision Binding Next deadline · In 40 daysNovember 15, 2026
Binding; decision by December 14. Financial aid applications are due at the same time as the admission application.
- Regular Decision Non-binding In ~3 monthsJanuary 4, 2027
Decisions by April 1; reply by May 1. Financial aid applications are due with the admission application.
Williams lists ED November 15 and RD January 4 on its current first-year page without a year; for fall 2027 entry these fall on November 15, 2026 and January 4, 2027. Williams is also a QuestBridge College Partner, with dates set by QuestBridge. Its Common Data Set gives January 12 as the latest date to receive test scores.
How to apply
Common App, Coalition on Scoir or the QuestBridge Application; school transcript and midyear report (due February 6); counselor recommendation plus two teacher recommendations; $65 fee or fee waiver; Early Decision agreement for ED applicants. No Williams writing supplement is required and Williams does not offer interviews. Optional: an academic writing sample, an arts portfolio via SlideRoom, or a research abstract.
What admissions looks for
- Very important in the Common Data Set: rigor of the secondary school record, class rank, academic GPA, recommendations and character or personal qualities.
- Important: the application essay, extracurricular activities, talent or ability, volunteer and work experience, and first-generation status.
- Two admission officers read each application together to understand achievements, talents and life experiences, and what a student would bring to a small community.
- Test scores are only considered, not required, and demonstrated interest and interviews are not considered.
Tips for applying to Williams
- 1 If Williams is your first choice, apply Early Decision by November 15: the ED admit rate was about 27% (256 of 964) for fall 2025, and ED students were 44% of the class.
- 2 If you prefer academic writing to a personal narrative, submit an optional graded or ungraded paper with the prompt (not a lab report).
- 3 Artists and researchers can add an arts portfolio through SlideRoom or a short abstract of significant research; faculty review them.
- 4 International applicants who might ever need aid must answer yes to the financial aid question on the application, because Williams is need-aware for international students.
What are your chances?
Sign up to see your personalized admission chances for Williams College
Sign up to see your chancesCosts & financial aid
2026-27 · figures in USD
Williams meets 100% of demonstrated need for all admitted students, including international students, entirely with grants: no loans, no work-study and no summer earnings expectation. Admission is need-blind for domestic applicants (including undocumented and DACA-designated students) but not for international applicants; about 70% of international students receive aid, averaging more than $90,000 a year. Aid covers books, travel home and study away.
- $95,960 (tuition, housing, meals and fees; $97,460 with study away; books estimated at $1,000)
- 2026-27 comprehensive fee
- 53% (fall 2025)
- Undergraduates receiving need-based aid
- 28%
- Aided students' families paying nothing
- $80,302 (Common Data Set 2025-2026)
- Average need-based grant, first-years
- About 70%, averaging more than $90,000 a year
- International students receiving aid
Academics
Academic calendar: 4-1-4: fall and spring semesters with a January Winter Study term
Tutorials
Oxford-style courses for two students and one professor, with up to 100 offered each year; more than half of students take at least one.
Winter Study
A January term, running since 1968, with about 150 courses plus internships, travel and research.
Williams-Exeter Programme at Oxford
A full year at the University of Oxford in collaboration with Exeter College, taking Oxford tutorials.
Williams-Mystic
A semester-long ocean and coastal studies program based at Mystic Seaport, which Williams calls the largest maritime museum in America.
Economics and the Center for Development Economics
Since 1960 the CDE has run a master's in policy economics for public-sector economists from low- and middle-income countries, alongside the undergraduate major.
Art History
A two-year master's founded in 1972 with the Clark Art Institute gives Williams unusual depth in art history for a small college.
Research
- More than 300 funded summer research positions each year, and about 40% of students do funded research annually.
- The Williams Undergraduate Research Journal publishes peer-reviewed student work across the sciences, mathematics, social sciences and humanities.
- The Hopkins Observatory, built in 1836-1838, now houses the Mehlin Museum of Astronomy and the Milham Planetarium.
- Faculty and students run field research in the college's Hopkins Memorial Forest.
Schools & faculties
- Division I: Languages and the Arts
- Division II: Social Sciences
- Division III: Science and Mathematics
- Graduate Program in the History of Art (with the Clark Art Institute)
- Center for Development Economics
Williams reports that its alumni most often go on to graduate study in management, education, law and health care; it publishes no graduate employment rate on its fact pages.
Student life
Almost everyone lives on campus. First-years live in entries, small groups in suite-style halls on the Frosh Quad and Berkshire Quad, and meet for Sunday Snacks; upper-class students move to residence halls and some seniors to co-ops. There are more than 230 student organizations, and about 30% of students play one of 32 NCAA Division III varsity sports as the Ephs. On Mountain Day, on one of the first Fridays in October, the president cancels classes and students hike up Stony Ledge. Log Lunch, a weekly student-cooked vegetarian meal with an environmental talk, and the student-run Goodrich Coffee Bar are fixtures.
- 32 varsity teams (16 men's and 16 women's) in NCAA Division III, plus 16 club teams and intramurals.
- More than 230 student organizations; three students and an advisor can start a new one.
- Mountain Day, first mentioned in 1827, when classes are cancelled for a hike to Stony Ledge.
- The college's timeline records the first intercollegiate baseball game, Williams against Amherst, in 1859, and the Society of Alumni founded in 1821.
Housing. First-years live together in entries in the Frosh Quad (Williams and Sage halls) and Berkshire Quad, then move into upper-class halls, with co-op houses available to seniors.
Location
Williamstown is a small town in the Berkshires in northwestern Massachusetts, 135 miles from Boston and 165 miles from New York City. Campus sits among low mountains with hiking and trails close by, and the arts are unusually strong for a rural area: the Clark Art Institute is in town, MASS MoCA is in nearby North Adams, and the Williamstown Theatre Festival stages premieres locally.
Nearest airport: Albany International Airport (ALB)
Notable alumni
- JA James A. Garfield20th president of the United States; graduated from Williams in 1856
- SS Stephen SondheimComposer and lyricist; switched from mathematics to music at Williams
- EK Elia KazanFilm and stage director; graduated cum laude from Williams
- RF Robert F. Engle2003 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences; BS in physics from Williams
- MC Martha CoakleyFormer Massachusetts attorney general; BA cum laude 1975
- JS John SaylesIndependent film director and screenwriter; attended Williams
- DS David StrathairnOscar-nominated actor; graduated 1970
- MH Mark HopkinsEducator; graduated in 1824 and later served as president of Williams, 1836-1872
Frequently asked questions
What is the Williams College acceptance rate?
For fall 2025, Williams admitted 1,336 of 15,520 first-year applicants, an acceptance rate of 8.6%. Early Decision admitted 256 of 964 applicants.
Is Williams test-optional?
Yes. Williams calls itself truly test-optional: scores are considered if you send them and superscored. Among enrolled fall 2025 first-years who submitted scores, the middle 50% was 1490-1550 on the SAT and 33-35 on the ACT.
Is Williams need-blind for international students?
No. Williams is need-blind for domestic applicants but not for international applicants. It still meets 100% of demonstrated need for every admitted student with grants only, and about 70% of international students receive aid averaging more than $90,000 a year.
Does Williams College require interviews or supplemental essays?
No. Williams does not offer interviews and has no required writing supplement, though you may send an optional academic paper or an InitialView interview.
Is Williams a university?
No. Williams is a liberal arts college focused on about 2,100 undergraduates, ranked No. 1 among National Liberal Arts Colleges by U.S. News (2027 edition). Its only graduate programs are two small master's programs in art history and development economics.
Sources & methodology
Figures on this page were checked against official university publications, national application services and ranking publishers in September 2026. Each number is shown with the year or admissions cycle it describes. Always confirm deadlines and fees on the university's own website before applying.
Explore nearby in the world top 100
Universities ranked close to Williams in the QS World University Rankings 2027.