BC vs. Williams

Should I go to Boston College or Williams College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if BC 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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Boston College vs. Williams College comparison
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Overview

BC Williams
Location Chestnut Hill, MA Williamstown, MA
Setting Small City Distant Town
Enrollment 15,287 2,222
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #45 #13
Religious Affiliation Roman Catholic - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website bc.edu williams.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

BC Williams
Tuition (In State) $62,950 $61,450
Tuition (Out of State) $62,950 $61,450
Room & Board $16,120 $15,530
Avg Net Price $30,559 $20,965
Avg Grant Aid $49,992 $57,121
% Receiving Grant Aid 40% 45%

Admission

BC Williams
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 40,494 15,321
Admitted 6,748 1,302
Acceptance Rate 16.7% 8.5%
Enrolled % 34.6% 44.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.86 3.94
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Elite Elite
Applicant Competition Very High Extreme
ACT Range 33/35 34/35
SAT Range 1435/1540 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 1, 2025 Jan 10, 2025

Academics

BC Williams
Student to Faculty Ratio 12:1 6:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (24%)
  • Social Sciences (17%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • English and Literature (7%)
  • Social Sciences (25%)
  • Psychology (10%)
  • History (9%)
  • Foreign Languages (8%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (8%)

Outcomes

BC Williams
Graduation Rate 91% 95%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $90,900 $73,600
Making Student Loan Payments 90% 83%
Median Student Loan Debt $19,000 $14,582
Median Loan Payment $196 $150

Diversity

BC Williams
% Men 45% 47%
% Women 55% 53%
Racial Diversity Medium High
HBCU No No
% White 62% 54%
% Black 4% 8%
% Hispanic 10% 13%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 6%
% International 6% 8%
% Unknown Race 6% 0%

Students

BC Williams
% In-State 21% 14%
% Out-of-State 71% 76%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Boston College is larger than than Williams based on total student enrollment (15,287 students vs. 2,222 students)

BC vs. Williams Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, BC or Williams?

  • Boston College is 2.4% more expensive to attend than Williams for in-state tuition ($62,950.00 vs. $61,450.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 2.4% higher at BC than Williams College ($62,950.00 vs. $61,450.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Williams College than BC ($20,965 vs. $30,559)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Williams College are 3.8% lower than costs at Boston College ($15,530 vs. $16,120)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Williams College than Boston College (45% vs. 40%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Williams College students is 14.3% larger than aid received Boston College ($57,121 vs. $49,992)

BC vs. Williams Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Williams College (1442) is 62 points higher than at BC (1380)
  • Incoming Williams students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (33) than students at BC (32)
  • Accepted freshman Williams students have a 0.08 point higher average high school GPA (3.94) than students at BC (3.86)
  • BC has a higher acceptance rate (16.7%) than Williams (8.5%)

BC vs. Williams Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, BC 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 BC.

  • The graduation rate at Williams is higher than Boston College (95% vs. 91%)
  • Graduates from Boston College earn on average $17,300 more per year than Williams graduates after ten years. ($90,900 vs. $73,600)
  • Williams College students graduate with a $4,418 lower median federal student loan debt than BC graduates. ($14,582 vs. $19,000)
  • Williams graduates are paying $46 less per month on federal student loans than BC graduates. ($150 vs. $196)
  • More BC graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Williams students, three years after graduation. (90% vs. 83%)

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