Williams vs. City College of New York

Should I go to Williams College or CUNY City College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Williams or City College of New York 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. CUNY City College comparison
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Williams College CUNY City College
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Overview

Williams City College of New York
Location Williamstown, MA New York, NY
Setting Distant Town Large City
Enrollment 2,168 15,012
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #13 #276
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website williams.edu cuny.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Williams City College of New York
Tuition (In State) $64,540 $6,930
Tuition (Out of State) $64,540 $14,880
Room & Board $16,300 $18,104
Avg Net Price $16,988 $4,599
Avg Grant Aid $64,176 $9,236
% Receiving Grant Aid 58% 86%

Admission

Williams City College of New York
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 11,465 31,988
Admitted 1,145 18,576
Acceptance Rate 10% 58.1%
Enrolled % 47.2% 14.4%
Avg High School GPA 3.94 3.2
Typical High School Grades A- B
Admissions Standards Elite Very High
Applicant Competition Very High Low
ACT Range 33/35
SAT Range 1470/1560 1220/1460
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 Feb 1, 2026

Academics

Williams City College of New York
Student to Faculty Ratio 6:1 14:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (25%)
  • Psychology (10%)
  • History (9%)
  • Foreign Languages (8%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (8%)
  • Psychology (15%)
  • Engineering (13%)
  • Social Sciences (13%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (11%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (8%)

Outcomes

Williams City College of New York
Graduation Rate 95% 40%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $73,600 $49,800
Making Student Loan Payments 83% 52%
Median Student Loan Debt $14,582 $11,400
Median Loan Payment $150 $117

Diversity

Williams City College of New York
% Men 1% 7%
% Women 1% 11%
Racial Diversity High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 54% 15%
% Black 8% 16%
% Hispanic 13% 35%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 6% 2%
% International 8% 6%
% Unknown Race 0% 0%

Students

Williams City College of New York
% In-State 14% 87%
% Out-of-State 75% 0%

Campus

Williams City College of New York
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required Yes No
Meal Plan Yes No
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility Yes Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • CUNY City College is larger than than Williams based on total student enrollment (15,012 students vs. 2,168 students)

Williams vs. City College of New York Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Williams or City College of New York?

  • Williams College is 831.3% more expensive to attend than City College of New York for in-state tuition ($64,540.00 vs. $6,930.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 333.7% higher at Williams than CUNY City College ($64,540.00 vs. $14,880.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at CUNY City College than Williams ($4,599 vs. $16,988)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Williams College are 11.1% lower than costs at CUNY City College ($16,300 vs. $18,104)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at CUNY City College than Williams College (86% vs. 58%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Williams College students is 594.8% larger than aid received CUNY City College ($64,176 vs. $9,236)

Williams vs. City College of New York Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Williams College (1442) is 317 points higher than at City College of New York (1125)
  • Accepted freshman Williams students have a 0.74 point higher average high school GPA (3.94) than students at City College of New York (3.2)
  • City College of New York has a higher acceptance rate (58.1%) than Williams (10%)

Williams vs. City College of New York Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Williams or City College of New York? 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 City College of New York and Williams.

  • The graduation rate at Williams is higher than CUNY City College (95% vs. 40%)
  • Graduates from Williams College earn on average $23,800 more per year than City College of New York graduates after ten years. ($73,600 vs. $49,800)
  • CUNY City College students graduate with a $3,182 lower median federal student loan debt than Williams graduates. ($11,400 vs. $14,582)
  • City College of New York graduates are paying $33 less per month on federal student loans than Williams graduates. ($117 vs. $150)
  • More Williams graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former City College of New York students, three years after graduation. (83% vs. 52%)

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