Non-Profit Private
Accredited · New England Commission on Higher Education
Williamstown, Massachusetts
10% Acceptance Rate
Williams College — Admission Snapshot 2026
A complete at-a-glance picture of every metric that matters for your 2026 application
10%Acceptance Rate
3.94Avg GPA
1527Avg SAT
34Avg ACT
$81,164Annual Cost
$88,665Grad Salary
17.2%Pell Grant
Acceptance Rate
10%
Avg GPA
3.94
Avg SAT
1527
Avg ACT
34
Selectivity
Extremely Competitive
Institution Type
Non-Profit Private
Campus
Main Campus
Accredited By
New England Commission on Higher Education
SAT Middle 50%
1470–1560
ACT Middle 50%
33–35
Need-Based Aid
17.2% receive Pell
Williams College, founded in 1793, is a top liberal arts college in the Berkshires of Massachusetts. Known for its tutorial system modeled after Oxford Williams pairs students with faculty for intensive one-on-two learning. The college's Clark Art Institute and Hopkins Observatory enrich arts and sciences education. Williams' winter study term encourages experiential learning.
The college's need-blind admissions and all-grant financial aid promote inclusivity. Alumni include Pulitzer winners, CEOs, and a U.S. president. Williams' rural location fosters close faculty-student bonds and outdoor activities. Its commitment to teaching excellence and intellectual curiosity defines the Williams experience.
Williams College Acceptance Rate
Williams College accepted just 10% of applicants last cycle, roughly 10 out of every 100 who applied, placing it among the most selective schools among colleges in Massachusetts.
What William College Admissions Looks For
- A Defined Strength: Leadership, original research, or a national-level achievement carries more weight than a long activity list.
- Essay Distinctiveness: Reviewers read thousands of similar transcripts. The essays are where genuinely different applicants stand out.
- Class Rank: Admitted students typically finish in the top 2–5% of their graduating class.
Selectivity at a Glance
Extremely Competitive
Selectivity scale: Extremely Competitive — 10% acceptance rate
Most Selective (0%)Open Enrollment (100%)
At this tier, meeting the average GPA and test scores is the baseline, not the differentiator. Your essays and recommendations are what separate you from the rest of an already-strong pool.
Recommended Academic Profile
Candidate GPA Range
Admission Category
Strategic Requirement
3.94 – 4.00
Target Match
Maintain Rigor & High Testing
3.74 – 3.93
Competitive Reach
Focus on Score Compensation
Below 3.49
Secondary Reach
Requires Contextual Support
Source: IPEDS & College Scorecard (Nov 2025).
Williams College Application Deadlines & Admission Dates 2026
The application deadline for Williams College is November 15 for Early Decision applicants, with additional plans listed below. Admission decisions are typically released by December 15.
Key Admission Dates
⏳ 97 days left — Early Decision
Early Decision
November 15
Decision by: December 15
Regular Decision
January 9
Decision by: April 1
💡 The scholarship deadline (November 15, 2026) often falls before the regular admission deadline. Submit your application and FAFSA early to be considered for maximum aid.
Deadlines are verified from official institutional sources but may change each cycle. Always confirm final dates on the official website.
William College GPA Requirement
The average GPA of admitted students at William College is 3.94. That makes admissions here extremely selective. Most admitted students carry straight A's, with very little room for a B.
If your GPA sits between 3.64 and 3.94, a high SAT or ACT score is the most reliable way to compensate.
Most schools report GPA on a weighted or unweighted 4.0 scale differently. For an unweighted profile like this, students with AP/IB coursework typically carry a weighted GPA of 4.14–4.34.William College GPA & Admission Outlook
Assessment: Extreme selectivity; requires elite academic standing.
Recommended Strategy: High Course Rigor (AP/IB/Honors) to validate the grade.
Where your GPA falls in this range shapes what the rest of your application needs to do:
Candidate GPA Range
Admission Category
Strategic Requirement
3.94 – 4.00
Academic Target
Maintain Rigor & High Testing
3.74 – 3.93
Competitive Match
Focus on SAT/ACT Compensation
3.54 – 3.73
Secondary Reach
Personal Statement & Impact
Below 3.53
Institutional Reach
Requires Significant Contextual Factors
Evaluation Metrics That Matter Here
- Williams' waitlist behavior varies dramatically year to year - from zero students admitted off the waitlist in one recent cycle to 113 admitted in another - making it a genuinely unpredictable component of the admissions process that shouldn't be counted on as a backup plan.
- Williams offers distinctive curricular features beyond the tutorial, including Winter Study (a January term for focused independent or unconventional coursework) and a Difference, Power, and Equity requirement woven into the curriculum.
- Williams is test-optional, and the college does not publish an official average SAT/ACT score for enrolled students, reflecting its emphasis on holistic review over standardized metrics as the primary differentiator.
- Rigor Over Raw Number: A slightly lower GPA (say 3.8) paired with multiple AP or IB courses often outweighs a flat 4.0 from a standard curriculum.
- Trajectory Matters: A lower start in 9th or 10th grade, followed by a clear upward trend senior year, reads as academic resilience rather than a weakness.
Data verified via IPEDS, College Scorecard (Nov 2025) and the Common Data Set (CDS). Expert Review led by Sohaib Khan and Dr. Waseem.
Check Your Admission Chances at William College
Admission Chance Predictor
Real-Time Sensitive Analysis — based on Williams College's verified institutional data
--%
Calculating Profile...
Adjust the sliders to see how every decimal point affects your outcome.
Your SAT Score 1200
Your Unweighted GPA 3.00
✅ Verified Data: Institutional records for 2026.
Calculated via College Portal's Human-Intelligence (HI) Methodology & Editorial Standards. Verified by Sohaib Ahmad Khan.
Williams College (William College) Test Requirements
Standardized scores still matter here: aim for the middle 50% range of the 2026 admitted class below, and if William College is test-optional, a high score submitted voluntarily still helps with merit scholarships.
Can I Get Into William College Without SAT or ACT?
William College considers scores when submitted, without requiring them. Prepare well and submit your best attempt. Most applicants test 2–3 times.
Williams College Average SAT Score: 1527
The average SAT score of admitted students at Williams College is 1527 on the 1600-point scale.
SAT Competitiveness
SAT 1527 — Extremely Competitive
This places William College in the top tier nationally for SAT scores. It sits well above the 75th percentile of all US test-takers.
Key Insight: Aim for the 75th percentile (1560 SAT or 35 ACT) to stand out. Below average? Williams College allows Score Choice for the SAT, so a retake only helps — a low sitting never has to be sent.
If your score is below 1470, retaking the SAT is strongly recommended to improve your chances at William College. Retaking multiple times is completely normal. Most competitive applicants sit for it two or three times. There's no official limit on attempts.
SAT Scores Breakdown by Sections
| Section | Average | 25th Percentile | 75th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| SAT Math | 765 | 740 | 790 |
| SAT Reading | 750 | 730 | 770 |
| SAT Composite | 1527 | 1470 | 1560 |
Below 1470, you're behind most admitted students; at 1560 or above, you're ahead of 75% of them. (25th/75th percentile = the score below which that share of admitted students fall.)
View list of all colleges with average SAT score of 1550
Can I get into Williams College (William College) with a 1550 SAT?
A 1550 SAT puts you ahead of most of William College's admitted class, but admissions still weighs GPA, course rigor, and essays alongside it. A strong score opens the door; the rest of your profile decides what happens next.
Williams College (William College) ACT Requirements
The average ACT score at William College is 34.
ACT Competitiveness
ACT 34 — Extremely Competitive
An average of 34 places William College among the most ACT-competitive schools nationally.
ACT Scores Breakdown by Sections
| Section | Average | 25th Percentile | 75th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| ACT Math | 33 | 31 | 35 |
| ACT English | 35 | 34 | 35 |
| ACT Composite | 34 | 33 | 35 |
Can I get into Williams College with a 35 ACT?
A 35 ACT puts you ahead of 75% of William College's admitted students. That's a strong position, though the ACT is only one benchmark among several that admissions weighs.
Unlike the SAT, the ACT scores four separate sections: English, Math, Reading, and Science, each on a 1–36 scale. A noticeably weak section, especially Science at STEM-focused schools, stands out to reviewers, so it's worth checking your section breakdown for outliers before applying.
Your ACT score clears the first filter, but GPA, course rigor, extracurricular depth, recommendations, and essays are what carry an application the rest of the way at William College.
Your 2026 Admissions Roadmap for William College
Elite Strategy: The 'Spike' Approach
To succeed at a world-class institution like William College, move beyond 'well-rounded' and show you're institutionally necessary, with a specific, undeniable strength rather than a broad set of decent ones.
If You Submit the Optional Writing Sample, Choose Genuine Academic Work, Not a New Personal Essay
Williams no longer offers a traditional supplemental essay; instead, applicants can optionally submit a 3-5 page academic paper they've already written and feel proud of. If you have a strong analytical paper - particularly relevant for writing-intensive intended majors - submitting it demonstrates real intellectual capability in a way a freshly written supplement cannot, but skipping it entirely is also a legitimate, undamaging choice since it's optional.
Show Genuine Interest in Close, Intensive Academic Collaboration
Over half of Williams students participate in the tutorial system - classes of just two students who produce weekly work and critique each other under a professor's guidance. If you reference Williams specifically, demonstrating that you understand and are drawn to this uniquely intimate, mutually accountable academic format signals real fit beyond generic "small class sizes" praise.
Recognize That Essays Carry Less Formal Weight Than at Most Peer Schools - Don't Neglect the Factors Williams Rates Highest
Williams explicitly rates rigor of coursework, class rank, GPA, recommendations, and personal character as "very important," with essays and the optional writing sample sitting one tier lower as merely "important." Make sure your transcript rigor and recommender selection are as strong as possible, since these carry more formally weighted influence here than the optional writing component.
Apply Early Decision Only With Real Conviction - It's Binding and the Applicant Pool Is Tiny
Williams's overall acceptance rate sits around 7.5-8%, among the most selective liberal arts colleges nationally, and Early Decision applicants may apply to only one institution and must withdraw all other applications if admitted. Only choose ED if Williams is genuinely your unambiguous first choice, since the binding commitment leaves no room to reconsider after acceptance.
Expert Insight: Do not assume that skipping the optional writing submission disadvantages your application in any formal sense - Williams designed this as a genuine option specifically because not every strong applicant has a polished academic paper ready to submit, and a rushed or weak paper submitted purely to "complete" the application can do more harm than submitting none at all.
William College Profile
Full Name
Williams College (William College)
City
Williamstown
State
Massachusetts
ZIP Code
1267
Type
Non-Profit Private
Campus
Main Campus
Official Website
Accredited By
New England Commission on Higher Education (NECHE)
Is a William College Degree Worth It?
William College offers a rigorous academic environment, but 'worth it' is a personal calculation of cost, program fit, and outcomes. The figures below are a starting point.
The average household income among admitted students is $78,000, with a graduate unemployment rate of 3.46%.
How much does a degree from William College Cost?
The sticker price is $81,164/year, but the average net price students actually pay, after Pell and federal grants, is typically much lower.
17.2% of students receive a Pell Grant and 6% take federal loans at William College. File your FAFSA early and list William College as a choice to be considered for both.
How much does a William College Graduate earn?
Median earnings 10 years after enrollment (roughly 4–6 years post-graduation) are $88,665. That's about 118% above the U.S. median graduate income.
Compare Similar Colleges
Less Competitive Schools
These schools have lower average SAT or ACT scores than Williams College. If your SAT or ACT score is slightly lower, you'll be competitive for these schools.
| School | Location | SAT | ACT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Claremont McKenna College | Claremont, CA | 1514 | 34 |
| Scripps College | Claremont, CA | 1480 | 33 |
| University of Southern California | Los Angeles, CA | 1501 | 34 |
| Wesleyan University | Middletown, CT | 1513 | 34 |
| Georgetown University | Washington, DC | 1494 | 33 |
| Emory University | Atlanta, GA | 1507 | 33 |
| University of Notre Dame | Notre Dame, IN | 1510 | 34 |
| Grinnell College | Grinnell, IA | 1486 | 33 |
| Bowdoin College | Brunswick, ME | 1514 | 34 |
| Colby College | Waterville, ME | 1500 | 33 |
Equally Competitive Schools
These schools have the same range of average SAT or ACT scores as Williams College. If your SAT or ACT score is competitive, you'll be competitive for these schools also.
| School | Location | SAT | ACT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harvey Mudd College | Claremont, CA | 1537 | 35 |
| Pomona College | Claremont, CA | 1520 | 34 |
| Yale University | New Haven, CT | 1534 | 34 |
| Northwestern University | Evanston, IL | 1526 | 34 |
| Washington University in St Louis | St. Louis, MO | 1530 | 34 |
Degree Programs at William College
Bachelor Degree Programs
Frequently Asked Questions About William College Admissions
Williams College graduates typically earn around $88,665 a year, on the higher end depending on industry.
At about $81,164 a year, Williams College's cost is on the higher end; look closely at aid options.
Williams College's Pell Grant rate of 17.2% sits below the national average. Merit-based aid is worth checking regardless of income.
At 10%, Williams College admits a very small share of applicants. This is elite-tier selectivity.
Admitted students at Williams College average a 3.94 GPA.
Williams College doesn't publish a hard GPA floor, but landing at or above 3.64 keeps you in the typical applicant range; below it, lean on essays and recommendations.
Below 3.54, Williams College becomes a harder reach, though a strong test score, meaningful activities, and AP/IB coursework can still make a real case.
A strong SAT score matters at Williams College — aim above 1527, ideally within the 1470–1560 range admitted students typically fall in.
The application deadline for Williams College is November 15 for Early Decision applicants. Admission decisions are released by December 15.
The scholarship/financial aid priority deadline is November 15, 2026. Submit FAFSA before then for maximum consideration.
Yes, transfers are common. Have transcripts, recommendation letters, and a solid personal statement ready to make your case.
Strong academics, a focused extracurricular profile, and standout essays move the needle most, along with a competitive SAT/ACT score where relevant.
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