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Northeastern BC Amherst NYU Babson Middlebury Dartmouth Tufts UMass Brandeis University Swarthmore Lehigh| Boston University | Williams College | College 3 | College 4 | |
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Overview |
BU | Williams | ||
| Location | Boston, MA | Williamstown, MA | ||
| Setting | Large City | Distant Town | ||
| Enrollment | 36,624 | 2,168 | ||
| Type | Private 4 Year | Private 4 Year | ||
| National Ranking | #77 | #13 | ||
| Religious Affiliation | - | - | - | - |
| Status | Non-profit | Non-profit | ||
| Website | bu.edu | williams.edu | ||
| Team Colors |
Costs |
BU | Williams | ||
| Tuition (In State) | $63,798 | $64,540 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition (Out of State) | $63,798 | $64,540 | ||
| Room & Board | $18,110 | $16,300 | ||
| Avg Net Price | $27,551 | $16,988 | ||
| Avg Grant Aid | $55,080 | $64,176 | ||
| % Receiving Grant Aid | 50% | 58% |
Admission |
BU | Williams | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Admission Chances | Calculate | Calculate | ||
| Applied | 80,495 | 11,465 | ||
| Admitted | 8,733 | 1,145 | ||
| Acceptance Rate | 10.8% | 10% | ||
| Enrolled % | 36% | 47.2% | ||
| Avg High School GPA | 3.79 | 3.94 | ||
| Typical High School Grades | A- | A- | ||
| Admissions Standards | Exceptional | Elite | ||
| Applicant Competition | Very High | Very High | ||
| ACT Range | 32/34 | 33/35 | ||
| SAT Range | 1400/1520 | 1470/1560 | ||
| 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, 2026 | Jan 10, 2026 |
Academics |
BU | Williams | ||
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| Student to Faculty Ratio | 10:1 | 6:1 | ||
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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 | 21% | 1% | ||
| % Women | 28% | 1% | ||
| 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% | 75% | ||
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 (36,624 students vs. 2,168 students)
BU vs. Williams Cost Comparison
Which college is more expensive, BU or Williams?
- Williams College is 1.2% more expensive to attend than BU for in-state tuition ($64,540.00 vs. $63,798.00)
- Out of state tuition is 1.2% higher at Williams than Boston University ($64,540.00 vs. $63,798.00)
- The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Williams College than BU ($16,988 vs. $27,551)
- Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Williams College are 11.1% lower than costs at Boston University ($16,300 vs. $18,110)
- More students receive financial grant aid at Williams College than Boston University (58% vs. 50%)
- The average total grant financial aid received by Williams College students is 16.5% larger than aid received Boston University ($64,176 vs. $55,080)
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 (10.8%) than Williams (10%)
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/