Williams vs. Cornell

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

Williams Cornell
Location Williamstown, MA Ithaca, NY
Setting Distant Town Small City
Enrollment 2,168 26,264
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #13 #19
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website williams.edu cornell.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Williams Cornell
Tuition (In State) $64,540 $65,204
Tuition (Out of State) $64,540 $65,204
Room & Board $16,300 $18,554
Avg Net Price $16,988 $26,455
Avg Grant Aid $64,176 $56,741
% Receiving Grant Aid 58% 51%

Admission

Williams Cornell
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 11,465 65,635
Admitted 1,145 5,358
Acceptance Rate 10% 8.2%
Enrolled % 47.2% 66%
Avg High School GPA 3.94 3.9
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Elite Elite
Applicant Competition Very High Extreme
ACT Range 33/35 33/35
SAT Range 1470/1560 1480/1560
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 10, 2026 Jan 2, 2026

Academics

Williams Cornell
Student to Faculty Ratio 6:1 9:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (25%)
  • Psychology (10%)
  • History (9%)
  • Foreign Languages (8%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (8%)
  • Engineering (17%)
  • Agriculture (13%)
  • Business (13%)
  • Biology (12%)
  • Social Sciences (12%)

Outcomes

Williams Cornell
Graduation Rate 95% 93%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $73,600 $98,400
Making Student Loan Payments 83% 87%
Median Student Loan Debt $14,582 $12,000
Median Loan Payment $150 $124

Diversity

Williams Cornell
% Men 1% 19%
% Women 1% 20%
Racial Diversity High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 54% 41%
% Black 8% 6%
% Hispanic 13% 12%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 6% 4%
% International 8% 10%
% Unknown Race 0% 8%

Students

Williams Cornell
% In-State 14% 32%
% Out-of-State 75% 55%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Cornell University is larger than than Williams based on total student enrollment (26,264 students vs. 2,168 students)

Williams vs. Cornell Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Williams or Cornell?

  • Cornell University is 1% more expensive to attend than Williams for in-state tuition ($65,204.00 vs. $64,540.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 1% higher at Cornell than Williams College ($65,204.00 vs. $64,540.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Williams College than Cornell ($16,988 vs. $26,455)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Williams College are 13.8% lower than costs at Cornell University ($16,300 vs. $18,554)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Williams College than Cornell University (58% vs. 51%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Williams College students is 13.1% larger than aid received Cornell University ($64,176 vs. $56,741)

Williams vs. Cornell Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Williams College (1442) is 14 points higher than at Cornell (1428)
  • Incoming Williams students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (33) than students at Cornell (32)
  • Accepted freshman Williams students have a 0.04 point higher average high school GPA (3.94) than students at Cornell (3.9)
  • Williams has a higher acceptance rate (10%) than Cornell (8.2%)

Williams vs. Cornell Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Williams or Cornell? 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 Cornell and Williams.

  • The graduation rate at Williams is higher than Cornell University (95% vs. 93%)
  • Graduates from Cornell University earn on average $24,800 more per year than Williams graduates after ten years. ($98,400 vs. $73,600)
  • Cornell University students graduate with a $2,582 lower median federal student loan debt than Williams graduates. ($12,000 vs. $14,582)
  • Cornell graduates are paying $26 less per month on federal student loans than Williams graduates. ($124 vs. $150)
  • More Cornell graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Williams students, three years after graduation. (87% vs. 83%)

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