Williams College
Williams College at a Glance
Reviewed by James A. Barham, PhD, Vice President and Academic Editor. Influence ranks come from our InfluenceRanking™ methodology; other figures come from federal data, with the year shown under each section. Report an error
Williams College Featured Rankings
- #1 History Liberal Arts Colleges
- #1 Anthropology Liberal Arts Colleges
- #3 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Massachusetts 2026
- #3 Small Colleges in Massachusetts
- #4 Earth Sciences Liberal Arts Colleges
- #5 Physics Liberal Arts Colleges
- #5 Economics Liberal Arts Colleges
- #5 Religious Studies Liberal Arts Colleges
- #5 Math Liberal Arts Colleges
- #5 Liberal Arts Colleges for Biology Degrees
- #6 Computer Science Liberal Arts Colleges
- #6 Philosophy Liberal Arts Colleges
- #6 Best Liberal Arts Colleges 2026
- #7 Sociology Liberal Arts Colleges
- #7 Best Small Colleges 2026
- #7 Political Science Liberal Arts Colleges
- #7 English Liberal Arts Colleges
- #7 Chemistry Liberal Arts Colleges
- #8 Private Colleges in Massachusetts 2026
- #8 Best Liberal Arts Colleges for Psychology Majors
- #8 Political Science Colleges and Universities
- #9 Best Colleges in Massachusetts
- #10 Economics Colleges and Universities
- #11 Best Biology Colleges and Universities
- #31 The Fastest Traditional MBA Degree Programs
- #34 Best Undergrad Private Colleges
- #37 Best Undergrad Colleges 2026
About Williams College
Featured Alumnus
James C. Scott ranks among our Top Influential Political Scientists Today.
According to Wikipedia, Williams College is a private liberal arts college in Williamstown, Massachusetts. 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.
Williams College Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information
| Annual Applications | Acceptance | Retention Rate | Graduation Rate | Median SAT Score | Median ACT Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11,465 | 8% | 97% | 95% | 1530 | 34 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); acceptance rate for fall 2024; test scores for fall 2024; applications and enrollment for fall 2023; retention for students who started in fall 2023; graduation rate within six years for students who started in 2019.
How Much Does Williams College Cost To Attend?
| Tuition and fees (in-state) |
|---|
| $72,510 |
| Income | Average Net Cost |
|---|---|
| 0 - 30K | $2,291 |
| 30K - 48K | $3,680 |
| 48K - 75K | $722 |
| 75K - 110K | $5,280 |
| 110K+ | $43,912 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); tuition and fees for 2025–26; net price for 2024–25, for first-time, full-time students receiving financial aid.
How Much Do Williams College Graduates Make?
Ten years after starting college, former Williams College students who received federal financial aid earn a median of $95,954 a year, and 91% of those not still in school are working.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard; students who started college in 2011–12 or 2012–13, measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars.
Williams College's Demographics
Students enrolled at any time during the 2023–24 school year, including part-time and online students.
| Student Body | Under-Grads | Graduates |
|---|---|---|
| 2,326 | 2,270 | 56 |
Source: National Center for Education Statistics; 12-month enrollment for 2023–24.
Where is Williams College?
Williams College is located at 880 Main St, Williamstown, MA 01267.
How Safe is Williams College?
Relative to its enrollment, Williams College has a violent crime rate of 0.23% and a property crime rate of 0.09%. Williamstown has a violent crime rate of 0.10% and a property crime rate of 0.87%. Sources: campus: U.S. Department of Education Campus Safety and Security data, on-campus offenses in 2024 (violent: murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault; property: burglary, motor vehicle theft and arson, which excludes ordinary theft); city: FBI Crime Data Explorer, offenses reported to the city police in 2024.
What Is Williams College Known For?
Williams College is known for its academic work in the following disciplines:
- Literature
- Economics
- Political Science
- History
- Physics
- Religious Studies
- Chemistry
- Anthropology
- Philosophy
- Sociology
- Mathematics
- Biology
- Earth Sciences
- Psychology
- Computer Science
Williams College's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered
Each rank compares how much Williams College's faculty and alumni have shaped a field with other schools, using Wikipedia, Wikidata and scholarly citation databases such as Crossref and Semantic Scholar. World and U.S. ranks reflect modern influence; the historical rank counts influence across all time. How we rank influence
Williams College ranks #45 in the U.S. and #128 worldwide for influence in Literature.
literature DegreesWilliams College ranks #46 in the U.S. and #176 worldwide for influence in Economics.
economics DegreesWilliams College ranks #61 in the U.S. and #205 worldwide for influence in Political Science.
political-science DegreesWilliams College ranks #69 in the U.S. and #176 worldwide for influence in History.
history DegreesWilliams College ranks #79 in the U.S. and #325 worldwide for influence in Physics.
physics DegreesWilliams College ranks #83 in the U.S. and #377 worldwide for influence in Religious Studies.
religious-studies-hub DegreesWilliams College ranks #85 in the U.S. and #366 worldwide for influence in Chemistry.
chemistry DegreesWilliams College ranks #89 in the U.S. and #239 worldwide for influence in Anthropology.
anthropology DegreesWilliams College ranks #92 in the U.S. and #287 worldwide for influence in Philosophy.
philosophy DegreesWilliams College ranks #93 in the U.S. and #290 worldwide for influence in Sociology.
sociology DegreesWilliams College ranks #106 in the U.S. and #385 worldwide for influence in Mathematics.
math DegreesWilliams College ranks #117 in the U.S. and #387 worldwide for influence in Biology.
biology DegreesWilliams College ranks #120 in the U.S. and #471 worldwide for influence in Earth Sciences.
earth-science DegreesWilliams College ranks #127 in the U.S. and #289 worldwide for influence in Psychology.
psychology DegreesWilliams College ranks #205 in the U.S. and #770 worldwide for influence in Computer Science.
computer-science DegreesWho Are Williams College's Most Influential Alumni?
Williams College's most influential alumni include professors and professionals in the fields of Literature, Psychology, and Communications. Here are some of Williams College's most famous alumni:
- G. Stanley Hall
- An American psychologist and educator .
- Elia Kazan
- An American film and theatre director .
- Richard Helms
- A Director of the Central Intelligence Agency.
- Max Eastman
- An American writer .
- James C. Scott
- An American political scientist and anthropologist.
- Bernard Bailyn
- An American historian .
- William Cullen Bryant
- An American romantic poet and journalist .
- Robert F. Engle
- An American economist.
- Walter Kaufmann
- A German-American philosopher .
- James MacGregor Burns
- An American historian and political scientist .
- Telford Taylor
- An American lawyer.
- Walker Evans
- An American photographer and photojournalist .
Who Are Williams College's Most Influential Faculty?
Williams College's most influential faculty include professors in the fields of Literature, Psychology, and Communications. Here are some of Williams College's most famous faculty:
- Farid Hafez
- An Austrian political scientist.
- Satyan Devadoss
- An American mathematician.
- Steven J. Miller
- An American mathematician.
- Karen Russell
- An Author.
- Glenn Shuck
- An American evangelical academic.
- Pamela E. Harris
- A Mexican-American mathematician & academic.
- Alán Aspuru-Guzik
- A Mexican-Canadian chemist.
- Emily Balskus
- An American synthetic biologist, chemist, and microbiologist.
- Liza Johnson
- An American film editor and film director.
