AU vs. Williams

Should I go to American University or Williams College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if AU or Williams is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.
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American University vs. Williams College comparison
American University Williams College College 3 College 4
American University Williams College
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Overview

 AU Williams
Location Washington, DC Williamstown, MA
Setting Large City Distant Town
Enrollment 13,885 2,222
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #93 #13
Religious Affiliation United Methodist - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website american.edu williams.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 AU Williams
Tuition (In State) $53,070 $61,450
Tuition (Out of State) $53,070 $61,450
Room & Board $15,706 $15,530
Avg Net Price $41,369 $20,965
Avg Grant Aid $27,138 $57,121
% Receiving Grant Aid 66% 45%

Admission

 AU Williams
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 19,510 15,321
Admitted 7,926 1,302
Acceptance Rate 40.6% 8.5%
Enrolled % 22.2% 44.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.7 3.94
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Very High Elite
Applicant Competition Low Extreme
ACT Range 29/32 34/35
SAT Range 1290/1430 1480/1570
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Jan 15, 2025 Jan 10, 2025

Academics

 AU Williams
Student to Faculty Ratio 11:1 6:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (43%)
  • Business (14%)
  • Communication (8%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (6%)
  • Psychology (3%)
  • Social Sciences (25%)
  • Psychology (10%)
  • History (9%)
  • Foreign Languages (8%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (8%)

Outcomes

 AU Williams
Graduation Rate 77% 95%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $64,800 $73,600
Making Student Loan Payments 80% 83%
Median Student Loan Debt $24,250 $14,582
Median Loan Payment $250 $150

Diversity

 AU Williams
% Men 37% 47%
% Women 63% 53%
Racial Diversity High High
HBCU No No
% White 58% 54%
% Black 7% 8%
% Hispanic 12% 13%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 6%
% International 7% 8%
% Unknown Race 4% 0%

Students

 AU Williams
% In-State 2% 14%
% Out-of-State 94% 76%

Campus

 AU Williams
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No Yes
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes Yes No
Daycare Facility Yes Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • American University is larger than than Williams based on total student enrollment (13,885 students vs. 2,222 students)

AU vs. Williams Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, AU or Williams?

  • Williams College is 15.8% more expensive to attend than AU for in-state tuition ($61,450.00 vs. $53,070.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 15.8% higher at Williams than American University ($61,450.00 vs. $53,070.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Williams College than AU ($20,965 vs. $41,369)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Williams College are 1.1% lower than costs at American University ($15,530 vs. $15,706)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at American University than Williams College (66% vs. 45%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Williams College students is 110.5% larger than aid received American University ($57,121 vs. $27,138)

AU vs. Williams Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, AU or Williams? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Williams or AU .

  • The average SAT score at Williams College (1442) is 190 points higher than at AU (1252)
  • Incoming Williams students have a 5 point higher average ACT score (33) than students at AU (28)
  • Accepted freshman Williams students have a 0.24 point higher average high school GPA (3.94) than students at AU (3.7)
  • AU has a higher acceptance rate (40.6%) than Williams (8.5%)

AU vs. Williams Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, AU or Williams? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between Williams and AU.

  • The graduation rate at Williams is higher than American University (95% vs. 77%)
  • Graduates from Williams College earn on average $8,800 more per year than AU graduates after ten years. ($73,600 vs. $64,800)
  • Williams College students graduate with a $9,668 lower median federal student loan debt than AU graduates. ($14,582 vs. $24,250)
  • Williams graduates are paying $100 less per month on federal student loans than AU graduates. ($150 vs. $250)
  • More Williams graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former AU students, three years after graduation. (83% vs. 80%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/