BU vs. Williams

Should I go to Boston University or Williams College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if BU 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 University vs. Williams College comparison
Boston University Williams College College 3 College 4
Boston University Williams College
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Overview

BU Williams
Location Boston, MA Williamstown, MA
Setting Large City Distant Town
Enrollment 36,714 2,222
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #79 #13
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website bu.edu williams.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

BU Williams
Tuition (In State) $61,050 $61,450
Tuition (Out of State) $61,050 $61,450
Room & Board $17,400 $15,530
Avg Net Price $27,829 $20,965
Avg Grant Aid $51,565 $57,121
% Receiving Grant Aid 48% 45%

Admission

BU Williams
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 80,796 15,321
Admitted 11,607 1,302
Acceptance Rate 14.4% 8.5%
Enrolled % 31.3% 44.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.79 3.94
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Exceptional Elite
Applicant Competition Very High Extreme
ACT Range 31/34 34/35
SAT Range 1350/1500 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 4, 2025 Jan 10, 2025

Academics

BU Williams
Student to Faculty Ratio 11:1 6:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (21%)
  • Social Sciences (16%)
  • Communication (15%)
  • Health Professions (8%)
  • Engineering (7%)
  • Social Sciences (25%)
  • Psychology (10%)
  • History (9%)
  • Foreign Languages (8%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (8%)

Outcomes

BU Williams
Graduation Rate 85% 95%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $72,000 $73,600
Making Student Loan Payments 82% 83%
Median Student Loan Debt $27,000 $14,582
Median Loan Payment $279 $150

Diversity

BU Williams
% Men 43% 47%
% Women 57% 53%
Racial Diversity Very High High
HBCU No No
% White 43% 54%
% Black 4% 8%
% Hispanic 11% 13%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 6%
% International 20% 8%
% Unknown Race 5% 0%

Students

BU Williams
% In-State 14% 14%
% Out-of-State 61% 76%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Boston University is larger than than Williams based on total student enrollment (36,714 students vs. 2,222 students)

BU vs. Williams Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, BU or Williams?

  • Williams College is 0.7% more expensive to attend than BU for in-state tuition ($61,450.00 vs. $61,050.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 0.7% higher at Williams than Boston University ($61,450.00 vs. $61,050.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Williams College than BU ($20,965 vs. $27,829)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Williams College are 12% lower than costs at Boston University ($15,530 vs. $17,400)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Boston University than Williams College (48% vs. 45%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Williams College students is 10.8% larger than aid received Boston University ($57,121 vs. $51,565)

BU vs. Williams Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Williams College (1442) is 139 points higher than at BU (1303)
  • Incoming Williams students have a 4 point higher average ACT score (33) than students at BU (29)
  • Accepted freshman Williams students have a 0.15 point higher average high school GPA (3.94) than students at BU (3.79)
  • BU has a higher acceptance rate (14.4%) than Williams (8.5%)

BU vs. Williams Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, BU 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 BU.

  • The graduation rate at Williams is higher than Boston University (95% vs. 85%)
  • Graduates from Williams College earn on average $1,600 more per year than BU graduates after ten years. ($73,600 vs. $72,000)
  • Williams College students graduate with a $12,418 lower median federal student loan debt than BU graduates. ($14,582 vs. $27,000)
  • Williams graduates are paying $129 less per month on federal student loans than BU graduates. ($150 vs. $279)
  • More Williams graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former BU students, three years after graduation. (83% vs. 82%)

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