Williams vs. Lafayette College

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

 Williams Lafayette College
Location Williamstown, MA Easton, PA
Setting Distant Town Large Suburban
Enrollment 2,222 2,729
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #13 #65
Religious Affiliation - Presbyterian Church (USA) - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website williams.edu lafayette.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Williams Lafayette College
Tuition (In State) $61,450 $58,110
Tuition (Out of State) $61,450 $58,110
Room & Board $15,530 $17,336
Avg Net Price $20,965 $37,186
Avg Grant Aid $57,121 $24,981
% Receiving Grant Aid 45% 98%

Admission

 Williams Lafayette College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 15,321 10,500
Admitted 1,302 3,531
Acceptance Rate 8.5% 33.6%
Enrolled % 44.3% 21.4%
Avg High School GPA 3.94 3.53
Typical High School Grades A- B+
Admissions Standards Elite Exceptional
Applicant Competition Extreme High
ACT Range 34/35 30/33
SAT Range 1480/1570 1330/1480
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, 2025 Jan 15, 2025

Academics

 Williams Lafayette College
Student to Faculty Ratio 6:1 10:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (25%)
  • Psychology (10%)
  • History (9%)
  • Foreign Languages (8%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (8%)
  • Social Sciences (33%)
  • Engineering (19%)
  • Biology (10%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • English and Literature (8%)

Outcomes

 Williams Lafayette College
Graduation Rate 95% 88%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $73,600 $81,000
Making Student Loan Payments 83% 91%
Median Student Loan Debt $14,582 $26,000
Median Loan Payment $150 $268

Diversity

 Williams Lafayette College
% Men 47% 50%
% Women 53% 50%
Racial Diversity High Medium
HBCU No No
% White 54% 67%
% Black 8% 5%
% Hispanic 13% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 6% 2%
% International 8% 9%
% Unknown Race 0% 7%

Students

 Williams Lafayette College
% In-State 14% 16%
% Out-of-State 76% 76%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Lafayette College is larger than than Williams based on total student enrollment (2,729 students vs. 2,222 students)

Williams vs. Lafayette College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Williams or Lafayette College?

  • Williams College is 5.7% more expensive to attend than Lafayette College for in-state tuition ($61,450.00 vs. $58,110.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 5.7% higher at Williams than Lafayette College ($61,450.00 vs. $58,110.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Williams College than Lafayette College ($20,965 vs. $37,186)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Williams College are 11.6% lower than costs at Lafayette College ($15,530 vs. $17,336)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Lafayette College than Williams College (98% vs. 45%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Williams College students is 128.7% larger than aid received Lafayette College ($57,121 vs. $24,981)

Williams vs. Lafayette College Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Williams College (1442) is 148 points higher than at Lafayette College (1294)
  • Incoming Williams students have a 4 point higher average ACT score (33) than students at Lafayette College (29)
  • Accepted freshman Williams students have a 0.41 point higher average high school GPA (3.94) than students at Lafayette College (3.53)
  • Lafayette College has a higher acceptance rate (33.6%) than Williams (8.5%)

Williams vs. Lafayette College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Williams or Lafayette College? 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 Lafayette College and Williams.

  • The graduation rate at Williams is higher than Lafayette College (95% vs. 88%)
  • Graduates from Lafayette College earn on average $7,400 more per year than Williams graduates after ten years. ($81,000 vs. $73,600)
  • Williams College students graduate with a $11,418 lower median federal student loan debt than Lafayette College graduates. ($14,582 vs. $26,000)
  • Williams graduates are paying $118 less per month on federal student loans than Lafayette College graduates. ($150 vs. $268)
  • More Lafayette College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Williams students, three years after graduation. (91% vs. 83%)

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