Williams College
Williams College is a private liberal arts college in Williamstown, in the rural Berkshires of northwestern Massachusetts, consistently ranked among the very top undergraduate colleges in the country. With about 2,100 students and a 7-to-1 student-faculty ratio, Williams centers on small seminars and its distinctive tutorial system — Oxford-style courses where two students meet weekly with a professor — plus a one-course January "Winter Study" term. Admission is extremely selective: Williams admitted roughly 8.6% of more than 15,500 applicants for its most recent class, and enrolled first-years who submitted scores posted middle-50% SATs of 1490–1550 and 33–35 on the ACT. The social sciences are the most-conferred field, and Williams is test-optional and meets 100% of demonstrated financial need with an all-grant, no-loan aid program.
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Williams admissions statistics
Acceptance Rate
Total applicants, admitted students, and enrolled students for the most recent admission cycle.
Early Decision
Williams offers binding Early Decision. Applying early can meaningfully change your odds — but ED commits you to enroll if admitted.
Admit rate by application plan
% admitted~3.6× higher admit rate applying early.
Standardized Tests
Williams is currently test-optional — you may apply without submitting scores.
SAT Accepted?
ACT Accepted?
Test Optional?
SAT Scores
ACT Scores
Class Rank
Where Williams's enrolled first-years placed in their high school graduating class.
Based on the 17% of enrolled students who reported a class rank. Williams does not publish an average GPA.
Admissions Factors
How Williams weighs each part of your application.
Rigor of High School Record
Academic GPA
Standardized Test Scores
Application Essay
Recommendations
Extracurricular Activities
Character / Personal Qualities
Talent / Ability
First Generation
Level of Applicant's Interest
Class Rank
Volunteer Work
Work Experience
Geographical Residence
State Residency
Alumni Relation
Racial / Ethnic Status
Religious Affiliation
Cost of Attendance
Estimated full-time annual cost from Williams's Common Data Set.
Private universities charge the same tuition regardless of state residency.
Financial Aid
Need-based aid statistics for full-time first-year students.
Major Distribution
Bachelor's degrees awarded in the past year by academic major.
Student Diversity
Racial and ethnic breakdown of enrolled undergraduate students.
Student-Faculty Ratio
The number of students for every one faculty member, indicating the average level of access students have to instructional staff.
Campus Life
On-campus housing and Greek life participation rates.
Enrollment by Gender
Since some students did not report gender, totals may not fully reflect the student body.
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Frequently asked questions about Williams admissions
Is it hard to get into Williams College?＋
Yes — Williams is extremely selective, admitting about 8.6% of applicants in the most recent cycle, or roughly 1,336 of more than 15,500 applicants, with about 567 enrolling. There is no single cutoff; admission turns on the rigor of your course load, GPA, class rank, recommendations, and personal qualities, which Williams all weighs as very important factors.
Does Williams require the SAT or ACT?＋
No. Williams is test-optional, so you can apply without submitting scores, and standardized test scores are only 'considered' rather than required in its holistic review. Among enrolled first-years who did submit, the middle 50% scored 1490–1550 on the SAT and 33–35 on the ACT.
Is a 1500 SAT good enough for Williams?＋
A 1500 is solidly competitive: it falls within the middle 50% range of 1490–1550 for enrolled first-years who submitted scores, just above the 25th percentile of 1490. Because Williams is test-optional, scores are only one 'considered' factor — your course rigor, grades, and recommendations carry far more weight.
What are my chances of getting into Williams Early Decision?＋
The binding Early Decision round is meaningfully easier than Regular: Williams admitted 256 of 964 Early Decision applicants, an admit rate near 27%, versus the 8.6% overall rate. Early Decision is a commitment to enroll if admitted, so apply ED only if Williams is clearly your first choice.
What GPA and class rank do you need to get into Williams?＋
Williams does not publish an average admitted GPA, but its class sits at the very top of the high school cohort — among the 17% of enrolled first-years who reported a class rank, about 88% were in the top tenth of their graduating class. There is no hard cutoff, but academic GPA, class rank, and the rigor of your course load are all weighed as very important factors.
How much does Williams cost, and does it offer financial aid?＋
Tuition and required fees are about $76,640 per year, with the total cost higher once on-campus housing and food (around $19,320) are added. Williams meets 100% of demonstrated financial need through an all-grant program that has eliminated loans and work-study; about 57% of first-years receive need-based aid, with an average first-year package near $80,302.
What is Williams known for academically?＋
Williams is a liberal arts college centered on small seminars and a 7-to-1 student-faculty ratio, with strong outcomes — a 97% first-year retention rate and a 95% six-year graduation rate. The social sciences are the single most-conferred field at about 23% of degrees, followed by mathematics and statistics (9.9%), computer science (8.1%), and psychology (8.1%).
Does the application essay matter at Williams?＋
Yes. Williams rates the application essay as an important factor in its holistic review — below academics, recommendations, and personal qualities, but above test scores, which are only 'considered.' With an 8.6% acceptance rate, a specific, well-revised essay is one of the few places a strong applicant can stand out.
Source: Williams College Common Data Set 2025-2026. Figures transcribed 2026-06-07. Esslo aggregates publicly reported data and is not affiliated with Williams. Banner photo by Carol M. Highsmith, via Wikimedia Commons (CC0 1.0).