Williams vs. RPI

Should I go to Williams College or Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Williams or RPI 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. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute comparison
Williams College Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute College 3 College 4
Williams College Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
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Overview

 Williams RPI
Location Williamstown, MA Troy, NY
Setting Distant Town Small City
Enrollment 2,168 7,024
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #13 #124
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website williams.edu rpi.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Williams RPI
Tuition (In State) $64,540 $60,360
Tuition (Out of State) $64,540 $60,360
Room & Board $16,300 $17,530
Avg Net Price $16,988 $35,940
Avg Grant Aid $64,176 $43,994
% Receiving Grant Aid 58% 96%

Admission

 Williams RPI
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 11,465 16,283
Admitted 1,145 9,517
Acceptance Rate 10% 58.4%
Enrolled % 47.2% 16.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.94 3.88
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Elite Exceptional
Applicant Competition Very High Low
ACT Range 33/35 30/34
SAT Range 1470/1560 1330/1500
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 15, 2026

Academics

 Williams RPI
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%)
  • Engineering (53%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (9%)
  • Business (8%)
  • Engineering Technology (5%)
  • Architecture (5%)

Outcomes

 Williams RPI
Graduation Rate 95% 84%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $73,600 $82,500
Making Student Loan Payments 83% 92%
Median Student Loan Debt $14,582 $27,500
Median Loan Payment $150 $284

Diversity

 Williams RPI
% Men 1% 10%
% Women 1% 5%
Racial Diversity High High
HBCU No No
% White 54% 59%
% Black 8% 3%
% Hispanic 13% 8%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 6% 7%
% International 8% 11%
% Unknown Race 0% 2%

Students

 Williams RPI
% In-State 14% 36%
% Out-of-State 75% 58%

Campus

 Williams RPI
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

  • Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is larger than than Williams based on total student enrollment (7,024 students vs. 2,168 students)

Williams vs. RPI Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Williams or RPI?

  • Williams College is 6.9% more expensive to attend than RPI for in-state tuition ($64,540.00 vs. $60,360.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 6.9% higher at Williams than Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute ($64,540.00 vs. $60,360.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Williams College than RPI ($16,988 vs. $35,940)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Williams College are 7.5% lower than costs at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute ($16,300 vs. $17,530)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute than Williams College (96% vs. 58%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Williams College students is 45.9% larger than aid received Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute ($64,176 vs. $43,994)

Williams vs. RPI Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Williams College (1442) is 74 points higher than at RPI (1368)
  • Incoming Williams students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (33) than students at RPI (30)
  • Accepted freshman Williams students have a 0.06 point higher average high school GPA (3.94) than students at RPI (3.88)
  • RPI has a higher acceptance rate (58.4%) than Williams (10%)

Williams vs. RPI Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at Williams is higher than Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (95% vs. 84%)
  • Graduates from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute earn on average $8,900 more per year than Williams graduates after ten years. ($82,500 vs. $73,600)
  • Williams College students graduate with a $12,918 lower median federal student loan debt than RPI graduates. ($14,582 vs. $27,500)
  • Williams graduates are paying $134 less per month on federal student loans than RPI graduates. ($150 vs. $284)
  • More RPI graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Williams students, three years after graduation. (92% vs. 83%)

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