Williams vs. Princeton

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

Williams Princeton
Location Williamstown, MA Princeton, NJ
Setting Distant Town Large Suburban
Enrollment 2,222 8,842
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #13 #1
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website williams.edu princeton.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Williams Princeton
Tuition (In State) $61,450 $57,410
Tuition (Out of State) $61,450 $57,410
Room & Board $15,530 $18,630
Avg Net Price $20,965 $18,698
Avg Grant Aid $57,121 $59,792
% Receiving Grant Aid 45% 61%

Admission

Williams Princeton
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 15,321 38,019
Admitted 1,302 2,167
Acceptance Rate 8.5% 5.7%
Enrolled % 44.3% 69.2%
Avg High School GPA 3.94 3.93
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Elite Elite
Applicant Competition Extreme Extreme
ACT Range 34/35 33/35
SAT Range 1480/1570 1490/1580
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 1, 2025

Academics

Williams Princeton
Student to Faculty Ratio 6:1 5:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (25%)
  • Psychology (10%)
  • History (9%)
  • Foreign Languages (8%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (8%)
  • Social Sciences (25%)
  • Engineering (17%)
  • Biology (10%)
  • History (7%)
  • Human Services (7%)

Outcomes

Williams Princeton
Graduation Rate 95% 96%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $73,600 $113,900
Making Student Loan Payments 83% 83%
Median Student Loan Debt $14,582 $7,500
Median Loan Payment $150 $77

Diversity

Williams Princeton
% Men 47% 53%
% Women 53% 47%
Racial Diversity High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 54% 45%
% Black 8% 8%
% Hispanic 13% 9%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 6% 4%
% International 8% 11%
% Unknown Race 0% 2%

Students

Williams Princeton
% In-State 14% 16%
% Out-of-State 76% 69%

Campus

Williams Princeton
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

  • Princeton University is larger than than Williams based on total student enrollment (8,842 students vs. 2,222 students)

Williams vs. Princeton Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Williams or Princeton?

  • Williams College is 7% more expensive to attend than Princeton for in-state tuition ($61,450.00 vs. $57,410.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 7% higher at Williams than Princeton University ($61,450.00 vs. $57,410.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Princeton University than Williams ($18,698 vs. $20,965)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Williams College are 20% lower than costs at Princeton University ($15,530 vs. $18,630)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Princeton University than Williams College (61% vs. 45%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Princeton University students is 4.7% larger than aid received Williams College ($59,792 vs. $57,121)

Williams vs. Princeton Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Princeton University (1490) is 48 points higher than at Williams (1442)
  • Incoming Princeton students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (34) than students at Williams (33)
  • Accepted freshman Williams students have a 0.01 point higher average high school GPA (3.94) than students at Princeton (3.93)
  • Williams has a higher acceptance rate (8.5%) than Princeton (5.7%)

Williams vs. Princeton Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at Princeton is higher than Williams College (96% vs. 95%)
  • Graduates from Princeton University earn on average $40,300 more per year than Williams graduates after ten years. ($113,900 vs. $73,600)
  • Princeton University students graduate with a $7,082 lower median federal student loan debt than Williams graduates. ($7,500 vs. $14,582)
  • Princeton graduates are paying $73 less per month on federal student loans than Williams graduates. ($77 vs. $150)
  • More Princeton graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Williams students, three years after graduation. (83% vs. 83%)

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