Williams College
About
Williams College is a private liberal arts college in Williamstown, Massachusetts, United States. It was established as a men's college in 1793 with funds from the estate of Ephraim Williams, a colonist from the Province of Massachusetts Bay who was killed in the French and Indian War in 1755.
Admissions & acceptance rate
How selective is this institution, and how many admitted students choose to enroll?
Graduation rate & outcomes
Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.
Pell equity
Pell and non-Pell students graduate at nearly identical rates — a notably small equity gap.
Tuition & cost
What families actually pay, broken down by family income.
Net price by family income
Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.
Academic programs at Williams College
Top program areas ranked by completions.
Top program families by completions
Enrollment trends & demographics
Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.
Gender split
Race / ethnicity composition
Student-faculty ratio
Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.
Williams College vs Peer comparison
The peer institutions Williams College selected for federal comparison reporting.
A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.
| Carnegie | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SubjectWilliams College | 94% | — | 2,164 | $14,852 | Baccalaureate |
Amherst College | 94% | 9.0% | 1,914 | $18,246 | Baccalaureate |
Bowdoin College | 95% | 7.1% | 1,881 | $20,786 | Baccalaureate |
Carleton College | 90% | 20.4% | 2,128 | $27,320 | Baccalaureate |
Dartmouth College | 96% | 5.4% | 6,938 | $28,619 | R1 Research |
Grinnell College | 88% | 14.5% | 1,788 | $15,608 | Baccalaureate |
Haverford College | 90% | 12.4% | 1,431 | $25,210 | Baccalaureate |
Middlebury College | 91% | 10.7% | 2,803 | $25,934 | Baccalaureate |
Pomona College | 93% | 7.1% | 1,700 | $19,424 | Baccalaureate |
Swarthmore College | 92% | 7.5% | 1,623 | $18,686 | Baccalaureate |
Wesleyan University | 93% | 16.5% | 4,011 | $27,888 | Baccalaureate |
| Peer group median | 93% | 9.9% | 1,914 | $20,786 |
Williams College Institutional Research office
The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.
Institutional Research supports data-informed decision-making at Williams by providing accurate and timely information and analysis that enables Williams to track, critically assess, and communicate its progress.
Visit IR office page- Courtney WadeAssociate Provost for Analytics and Institutional Research
- James CartAssociate Director of Institutional Research
- Corinne GreenblattAssistant Director of Institutional Research
Research funding
External research funding from NSF, NIH, HERD, and federal spending sources.
Common Data Set (26)
The institution's official annual Common Data Set publications — the most detailed reference for enrollment, admissions, and outcomes.
Reports & documents (3)
Dashboards, factbooks, data dictionaries, and other reference material published by the IR office.
- DashboardDashboardpublic.tableau.com
- DFR reportIPEDS Data Feedback Report 20242024nces.ed.gov
- Strategic planWilliams College Strategic Plan2021Williams College's 2021 strategic plan aims to extend the college's excellence by defining a new standard of academic excellence, expanding access and affordability, and substantially increasing commitments to sustainability and diversity. Developed through extensive community input, the plan focuses on adapting to global challenges and societal shifts such as climate change and technological innovation. The strategy will prepare future graduates to thrive in unexpected circumstances while holding true to Williams' core values of liberal arts education and community engagement.president.williams.edu
Grants & funding (14)
Federal grant awards and open funding opportunities awarded to this institution.
- awardMassachusetts Life Sciences Center grantMassachusetts Life Sciences Centerinstitution_site$744,886
- awardMellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship ProgramMellon Foundationinstitution_site$143,000
- awardDavis UWC Scholars Programinstitution_site$110,000
- awardGetty Foundation grantGetty Foundationinstitution_site$100,000
- awardNational Science Foundation grantNational Science Foundationinstitution_site$98,706
- awardPer Jacobsson Foundation grantPer Jacobsson Foundationinstitution_site$75,000
- awardHelen Frankenthaler Foundation grantHelen Frankenthaler Foundationinstitution_site$50,000
- awardAmerican Chemical Society grantAmerican Chemical Societyinstitution_site$25,000
- awardProjects for Peaceinstitution_site$10,000
- awardNCAA grantsNational Collegiate Athletic Associationinstitution_site
- opportunityWilliams College Class of 1945 World Fellowship ProgramWilliams Collegeinstitution_site
- opportunityWilliams College Class of 1957 Summer Research ProgramWilliams Collegeinstitution_site
- opportunityWilliams College Oakley Center FellowshipsWilliams Collegeinstitution_site
- opportunityWilliams College Sabbatical Grant ProgramWilliams Collegeinstitution_site
Notable alumni of Williams College (39)
A curated list of alumni recognized for notable achievements across industries.
- Brooke AckerlyAcademia
- Peter AdamsonAcademia
- Lawrence A. AlexanderAcademia
- Robert Z. AliberAcademia
- Richard T. AntounAcademia
- Bernard BailynAcademia
- Emily BalskusAcademia
- James Phinney Baxter IIIAcademia
- David BellingerAcademia
- Michael BeschlossAcademia
- Norman BirnbaumAcademia
- Allison DavisAcademia
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