Williams College vs Brown University

Williams College and Brown University, both esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences to their students. Williams, nestled in the picturesque Berkshires of Massachusetts, boasts a lower acceptance rate and a smaller student body, fostering a close-knit community. Brown, located in the vibrant city of Providence, Rhode Island, offers a more diverse student body and a wider range of academic programs, including popular majors like computer science and engineering. While both colleges share a commitment to academic excellence, their unique characteristics may appeal to different types of students. Explore our comprehensive comparison table to discover more about the acceptance rates, popular majors, student body demographics, and graduation rates of these two prestigious institutions, and determine which one aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.
Brown University logo

Brown University

Williams College logo

Williams College

Overview

Location Providence, Rhode Island Williamstown, Massachusetts
Campus setting City: Midsize Town: Fringe
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Private (Non Profit) Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system Semester 4-1-4
Degrees offered Undergraduate and Graduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 98.0% 97.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 5.5% 8.8%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $75

Graduate: $75
$65
SAT range 1460 - 1570 N/A
ACT range 33 - 35 N/A
Students submitting SAT score 51.0%
Students submitting ACT score 30.0%
Total number of applicants 46,568 12,452
Total number of admissions given out 2,568 1,099
Admitted students who chose to enroll 1,705 574
Yield rate 66.4% 52.2%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Not required Not required
Recommendation letters Required Required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Not required Not required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $82,570 $78,060
Average net price $25,028 $14,487
Tuition $60,944 $59,350
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $10,054

Meal plan: $6,292
Room/dormitory: $7,625

Meal plan: $7,375
Available payment plans
  • Prepaid tuition plan
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

46.0%
Average amount $55,420
52.0%
Average amount $52,053
Students receiving federal student loan 9.0%
Average amount $5,159
13.0%
Average amount $3,992
Students taking out private loans 2.0%
Average amount $27,008
2.0%
Average amount $3,884

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 7,349
Men 48.1% Women 51.9%
2,174
Men 48.1% Women 51.9%
Graduate students 3,347
Men 50.0% Women 50.0%
50
Men 44.0% Women 56.0%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Moderate
Moderate
Out-of-state students 96.5% N/A
International students 18.6% 9.8%
Campus local/setting City: Midsize Town: Fringe
Dormitory capacity 5,013 2,045
First year students are required to live on campus? Yes Yes
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from New York California Mississippi New Jersey Texas N/A

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Health Professions
  • Social Sciences
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • Computer and Information Science
  • Engineering
  • Mathematics and Statistics
  • Visual & Performing Arts
  • Social Sciences
  • Foreign Languages and Literatures
  • Ethnic Studies
Students to faculty ratio 6:1 6:1
Institutional accreditation New England Commission on Higher Education New England Commission on Higher Education

Outcome

Graduation rate 95.8% 93.8%
Dropout rate 3.7% 3.1%
Transferred out N/A 1.6%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $130,101
  • Year 2: $153,718
  • Year 3: $184,762
Applied Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $105,532
  • Year 2: $88,506
  • Year 3: $97,037
Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $66,171
  • Year 2: $73,769
  • Year 3: $91,029
Engineering, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $70,583
  • Year 2: $75,921
  • Year 3: $80,783
Economics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $64,028
  • Year 2: $63,302
  • Year 3: $78,949
Public Policy Analysis (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $59,505
  • Year 2: $61,020
  • Year 3: $74,894
Medicine (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $60,843
  • Year 2: $61,294
  • Year 3: $73,224
International Relations and National Security Studies (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $37,882
  • Year 2: $50,105
  • Year 3: $65,953
Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $61,247
  • Year 2: $58,673
  • Year 3: $63,507
Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $50,186
  • Year 2: $53,108
  • Year 3: $62,581
Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $109,470
  • Year 2: $96,183
  • Year 3: $99,047
Economics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $83,280
  • Year 2: $76,460
  • Year 3: $91,723
Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $55,217
  • Year 2: $53,358
  • Year 3: $63,034
Area Studies (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $37,948
  • Year 2: $44,384
  • Year 3: $48,967
History (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $40,036
  • Year 2: $49,464
  • Year 3: $44,771
Fine and Studio Arts (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $25,993
  • Year 2: $38,289
  • Year 3: $43,402
English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $30,135
  • Year 2: $40,461
  • Year 3: $41,065
Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $40,760
  • Year 2: $34,704
  • Year 3: $37,587
Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $41,029
  • Year 2: $33,993
  • Year 3: $26,432
Chemistry (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $35,668
  • Year 2: $25,525
  • Year 3: $14,771

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