Williams vs. Penn State

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

 Williams Penn State
Location Williamstown, MA University Park, PA
Setting Distant Town Small City
Enrollment 2,168 50,399
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #13 #171
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website williams.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Williams Penn State
Tuition (In State) $64,540 $19,672
Tuition (Out of State) $64,540 $39,626
Room & Board $16,300 $13,030
Avg Net Price $16,988 $27,450
Avg Grant Aid $64,176 $11,577
% Receiving Grant Aid 58% 36%

Admission

 Williams Penn State
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 11,465 85,956
Admitted 1,145 46,605
Acceptance Rate 10% 54.2%
Enrolled % 47.2% 19.4%
Avg High School GPA 3.94 -
Typical High School Grades A- -
Admissions Standards Elite Very High
Applicant Competition Very High Low
ACT Range 33/35 27/32
SAT Range 1470/1560 1220/1400
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

Academics

 Williams Penn State
Student to Faculty Ratio 6:1 15:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (25%)
  • Psychology (10%)
  • History (9%)
  • Foreign Languages (8%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (8%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Engineering (12%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)

Outcomes

 Williams Penn State
Graduation Rate 95% 87%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $73,600 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 83% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $14,582 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $150 $277

Diversity

 Williams Penn State
% Men 1% 8%
% Women 1% 8%
Racial Diversity High Medium
HBCU No No
% White 54% 69%
% Black 8% 4%
% Hispanic 13% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 6% 3%
% International 8% 11%
% Unknown Race 0% 2%

Students

 Williams Penn State
% In-State 14% 51%
% Out-of-State 75% 40%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Penn State Main Campus is larger than than Williams based on total student enrollment (50,399 students vs. 2,168 students)

Williams vs. Penn State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Williams or Penn State?

  • Williams College is 228.1% more expensive to attend than Penn State for in-state tuition ($64,540.00 vs. $19,672.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 62.9% higher at Williams than Penn State Main Campus ($64,540.00 vs. $39,626.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Williams College than Penn State ($16,988 vs. $27,450)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Main Campus are 25.1% lower than costs at Williams College ($13,030 vs. $16,300)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Williams College than Penn State Main Campus (58% vs. 36%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Williams College students is 454.3% larger than aid received Penn State Main Campus ($64,176 vs. $11,577)

Williams vs. Penn State Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Williams College (1442) is 240 points higher than at Penn State (1202)
  • Incoming Williams students have a 6 point higher average ACT score (33) than students at Penn State (27)
  • Penn State has a higher acceptance rate (54.2%) than Williams (10%)

Williams vs. Penn State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Williams or Penn State? 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 Penn State and Williams.

  • The graduation rate at Williams is higher than Penn State Main Campus (95% vs. 87%)
  • Graduates from Williams College earn on average $18,300 more per year than Penn State graduates after ten years. ($73,600 vs. $55,300)
  • Williams College students graduate with a $12,236 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State graduates. ($14,582 vs. $26,818)
  • Williams graduates are paying $127 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State graduates. ($150 vs. $277)
  • More Williams graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State students, three years after graduation. (83% vs. 69%)

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