Williams College: Cost, Graduate Salary, Acceptance Rate and Return on Investment
Williams College is a private nonprofit college in Williamstown, MA. Students pay about $17,716 a year in net price, and the median graduate earns $88,665 ten years after enrolling. By our Degree-ROI measure the degree pays back in about 2 years and adds $336,025 over a decade, ranking it #31 of 918 (top 4%) by value added.
What is Williams College's acceptance rate?
Williams College has an acceptance rate of 8.3%, which makes it highly selective. It is a private nonprofit institution in Williamstown, MA enrolling about 2,076 students, with a 95.1% graduation rate.
How much does Williams College cost?
Williams College costs about $17,716 per year in average net price, what a typical student actually pays after grants and scholarships. Over four years, including typical borrowing, that totals roughly $83,625. Published sticker cost of attendance is $84,860 per year.
How much do Williams College graduates earn?
Ten years after enrolling, the median Williams College student earns $88,665 per year. That is $41,965 more than the $46,700 that the typical worker with only a high-school diploma earns.
Is Williams College worth it? Degree ROI and payback period
Williams College pays back its roughly $83,625 cost in about 2 years, then keeps returning the earnings premium. Over the first decade the degree adds about $336,025 net of cost, a 5.02x return on the money invested. That ranks it #31 of 918 (top 4%) by value added. Its top-tier value is driven mainly by strong graduate earnings and a high graduation rate.
Top 10% value
Williams College graduation rate and student debt
95.1% of Williams College students complete their degree, and the median graduate leaves with $12,761 in federal student debt. That debt is about 14% of one year of median graduate earnings.
Williams College by the numbers (vs the typical college)
How Williams College compares to the median four-year college in our snapshot. Percentile is its rank among the 918 colleges that report both earnings and cost (higher is better).
| Metric | This school | Median college | Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Avg net price / yr | $17,716 | $20,299 | cheaper than 62% |
| Median earnings (10 yrs) | $88,665 | $54,768 | 95th |
| Graduation rate | 95.1% | 57.0% | 99th |
| Acceptance rate | 8.3% | 75.7% | more selective than 98% |
| 10-yr value added | $336,025 | -$28,192 | 97th |
| ROI multiple (per $1) | 5.02x | 0.73x | 97th |
| Payback period | 2 yrs | 8.8 yrs | faster than 97% |
How Williams College compares with its nearest rivals
Williams College ranks #31 of 918 by ten-year value added. The five profiled colleges closest to it in that ranking are compared below on the same federal data: 1 of them costs less per year and 4 of them produce higher median earnings ten years after entry.
Williams College is a private nonprofit college in Williamstown, MA with 2,076 undergraduates. Its published cost of attendance is $84,860 a year, but the average aided family pays $17,716, a 79% discount from the sticker price. The median borrower leaves owing $12,761, equal to 14% of one year of median earnings ten years out. Getting in is the binding constraint at Williams College: 8.3% of applicants are admitted.
- Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology (Terre Haute, IN; #30 of 918; 80.0% graduate) costs $24,797 more per year ($42,513 net), and its graduates earn $12,588 more ten years out ($101,253). Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology adds $14,453 more ten-year value than Williams College. Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology pays back its cost in 3.6 years.
- Northeastern University Oakland (Oakland, CA; #32 of 918) costs $7,465 more per year ($25,181 net), and its graduates earn $3,873 more ten years out ($92,538). Williams College adds $2,619 more ten-year value than Northeastern University Oakland. Northeastern University Oakland pays back its cost in 2.7 years.
- California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo (San Luis Obispo, CA; #29 of 918; 85.7% graduate) costs $1,051 less per year ($16,665 net), and its graduates earn $2,103 more ten years out ($90,768). California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo adds $19,495 more ten-year value than Williams College. California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo pays back its cost in 1.9 years.
- Washington and Lee University (Lexington, VA; #29 of 918; 94.4% graduate) costs $6,065 more per year ($23,781 net), and its graduates earn $6,145 more ten years out ($94,810). Washington and Lee University adds $30,451 more ten-year value than Williams College. Washington and Lee University pays back its cost in 2.4 years.
- Johns Hopkins University (Baltimore, MD; #33 of 918; 94.2% graduate) costs $1,093 more per year ($18,809 net), and its graduates earn $1,110 less ten years out ($87,555). Williams College adds $12,961 more ten-year value than Johns Hopkins University. Johns Hopkins University pays back its cost in 2.1 years.
| College | Value rank | Net price / yr | Earnings (10 yrs) | Graduation | 10-yr value added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo | #29 | $16,665 | $90,768 | 85.7% | $355,520 |
| Washington and Lee University | #29 | $23,781 | $94,810 | 94.4% | $366,476 |
| Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology | #30 | $42,513 | $101,253 | 80.0% | $350,478 |
| Williams College | #31 | $17,716 | $88,665 | 95.1% | $336,025 |
| Northeastern University Oakland | #32 | $25,181 | $92,538 | n/a | $333,406 |
| Johns Hopkins University | #33 | $18,809 | $87,555 | 94.2% | $323,064 |
Paying for Williams College
Net price is what a family pays after grants, so the aid a student qualifies for moves every figure above. Our sister sites cover that side of the decision: the Pell Grant 2026-2027 guide sets out who qualifies and the maximum award, the education grants guide lists federal, state and institutional grants beyond Pell, and the best AI tools for students compares what is worth paying for once enrolled.
Frequently asked
Is Williams College worth the cost compared to other colleges?
By value added net of cost, Williams College ranks #31 of 918 (top 4%) of the 918 four-year colleges we rank, and returns about 5.02x the money invested over a decade.
Is Williams College expensive compared to other colleges?
Its $17,716 average net price is below the $20,299 median for the colleges in this snapshot, making it cheaper than 62% of them.
Do Williams College graduates earn more than average?
Median earnings of $88,665 ten years out are above the $54,768 median, higher than 95% of the colleges here.
How hard is it to get into Williams College compared to other colleges?
Its 8.3% acceptance rate is below the 75.7% median, making it more selective than 98% of the colleges in the snapshot.
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Federal data behind this page
What a programme costs, what its graduates earn, and what aid is available are published by federal statistical agencies rather than by any provider's marketing page, and the sources below are the primary ones. They are linked so a reader can check a figure here directly.
- College Scorecard publishes the federal cost, completion and post-enrolment earnings data used to compare programmes.
- National Center for Education Statistics is the federal statistical agency for education and the source most published figures trace back to.
- IPEDS holds the institution-level survey data behind enrolment, price and completion comparisons.
- Federal Student Aid states what aid exists, who qualifies, and what repayment actually obligates a borrower to.
- CFPB paying for college documents how education financing works and where its common traps are.
- US Department of Education sets the policy framework the accreditation and aid systems operate under.
- Department of Education laws and policy carries the rules that decide whether a provider or credential is recognised.
This page compares programmes on published data. Outcomes vary by student, and a reader's own aid package and circumstances decide what a programme actually costs them.