Getting in
For Fall 2025, 15,520 first-year students applied to Williams, 1,336 were admitted and 567 enrolled: an acceptance rate of 8.6%.
Source: Williams Common Data Set 2025-2026 (opens in a new tab), section C1. Read Oct 1, 2026.
By school or major. Williams' Common Data Set reports one first-year acceptance rate for the whole college, with no rate by major.
Source: Williams Common Data Set 2025-2026 (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Early decision. Williams has one early decision round and no early action plan.
Early decision, Fall 2025
| Plan | Applied | Admitted | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Early Decision | 964 | 256 | 26.6% |
Source: Williams Common Data Set 2025-2026 (opens in a new tab), sections C21 and C22. Read Oct 1, 2026.
Majors
38 majors across 1 school. Every major in Williams' official 2026-27 Catalog, each leading to the Bachelor of Arts. Concentrations and graduate programs are left out.
Majors38
- Africana Studies (B.A.)
- American Studies (B.A.)
- Anthropology (B.A.)
- Arabic Studies (B.A.)
- Art History (B.A.)
- Art Studio (B.A.)
- Astronomy (B.A.)
- Astrophysics (B.A.)
- Biology (B.A.)
- Chemistry (B.A.)
- Chinese (B.A.)
- Classics (B.A.)
- Comparative Literature (B.A.)
- Computer Science (B.A.)
- Contract Major (B.A.)
- East Asian Languages & Cultures (B.A.)
- Economics (B.A.)
- English (B.A.)
- Environmental Studies (B.A.)
- French (B.A.)
- Geosciences (B.A.)
- German (B.A.)
- History (B.A.)
- Japanese (B.A.)
- Mathematics (B.A.)
- Music (B.A.)
- Philosophy (B.A.)
- Physics (B.A.)
- Political Economy (B.A.)
- Political Science (B.A.)
- Psychology (B.A.)
- Religion (B.A.)
- Russian (B.A.)
- Sociology (B.A.)
- Spanish (B.A.)
- Statistics (B.A.)
- Theatre (B.A.)
- Women's, Gender & Sexuality Studies (B.A.)
Source: Williams College Catalog, Courses & Programs 2026-27 (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Deadlines for Fall 2027
For students applying in fall 2026, entering fall 2027
| Plan | Apply by | Decision | Binding |
|---|---|---|---|
| Early Decision | November 15 | By December 14 | Yes |
| Regular Decision | January 4 | By April 1 | No |
Financial aid applications are due on the same dates. Early Decision admits reply by January 4 and Regular Decision admits by May 1. Williams takes the Common App, Coalition with Scoir and QuestBridge, and does not interview. It admits students for the fall semester only.
Source: Williams Admission, How to Apply (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Early Decision is binding: you sign the Early Decision Agreement Form, and if admitted you are expected to withdraw any applications to other schools.
Source: Williams Admission, First-Year (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Testing
For students applying in fall 2026, entering fall 2027
Williams is test-optional: whether to send SAT or ACT results is up to you. If you send them, Williams superscores, and the science section is optional on the enhanced ACT. You can change your mind about sending scores at any point before your application deadline.
Source: Williams Admission, First-Year (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
The Common Data Set also marks the SAT or ACT as considered if submitted, not required, for fall 2027 applicants, with scores due by January 12.
Source: Williams Common Data Set 2025-2026 (opens in a new tab), section C8. Read Oct 1, 2026.
Applying next year?
For students applying in fall 2027, entering fall 2028
Not announced yet. When we checked Williams's admission pages on October 1, 2026, we found no announced changes for fall 2028 entry. The deadlines and rules above are for fall 2027 entry.
Source: Williams Admission, First-Year (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Cost, and what families paid after aid
The published cost of a year at Williams, 2026-2027:
| Tuition | $76,300 |
|---|---|
| Housing | $9,830 |
| Meals | $9,490 |
| Activities and residential house fees | $340 |
| Total | $95,960 |
Williams' comprehensive fees for 2026-2027. Books, estimated at $1,000, are not in the total; Williams covers them for every student on financial aid. Students who study away also pay a $1,500 study away fee.
Source: Williams Tuition & Aid, 2026-2027 Comprehensive Fees (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Average net price per year, by family income, 2023-24:
| Family income | Paid after grants |
|---|---|
| $0 to $30,000 | -$2,610 |
| $30,001 to $48,000 | -$1,727 |
| $48,001 to $75,000 | -$1,978 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 | $3,030 |
| Over $110,000 | $49,594 |
| All incomes | $17,716 |
What first-year, full-time students who received federal aid paid after grants and scholarships, by family income, in 2023-24, the latest year the Department of Education publishes. A negative figure means grants and scholarships came to more than the listed cost. Your own price comes from Williams' aid offer.
Source: College Scorecard, U.S. Department of Education (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Similar schools
Chosen for how close each is to Williams College on acceptance rate, public or private, location and majors offered.
Amherst CollegeAmherst, MA · Private7.7% admitted$23,367 average net price
Colby CollegeWaterville, ME · Private7.1% admitted$17,180 average net price
Bowdoin CollegeBrunswick, ME · Private6.8% admitted$14,398 average net price
Tufts UniversityMedford, MA · Private10.8% admitted$39,998 average net price
University of Notre DameNotre Dame, IN · Private9.4% admitted$26,780 average net price
Admitted: each school's latest first-year acceptance rate, so the year can differ from school to school; each school's page names its year and source. Average net price: what federal aid recipients paid per year after grants, 2023-24, and the in-state figure for a public university.