Williams vs. Penn

Should I go to Williams College or University of Pennsylvania? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Williams or Penn 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. University of Pennsylvania comparison
Williams College University of Pennsylvania College 3 College 4
Williams College University of Pennsylvania
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Overview

Williams Penn
Location Williamstown, MA Philadelphia, PA
Setting Distant Town Large City
Enrollment 2,168 28,711
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #13 #23
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website williams.edu upenn.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Williams Penn
Tuition (In State) $64,540 $58,620
Tuition (Out of State) $64,540 $58,620
Room & Board $16,300 $18,496
Avg Net Price $16,988 $26,017
Avg Grant Aid $64,176 $59,721
% Receiving Grant Aid 58% 48%

Admission

Williams Penn
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 11,465 59,465
Admitted 1,145 3,489
Acceptance Rate 10% 5.9%
Enrolled % 47.2% 69.2%
Avg High School GPA 3.94 3.95
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Elite Elite
Applicant Competition Very High Extreme
ACT Range 33/35 34/35
SAT Range 1470/1560 1500/1570
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 5, 2025

Academics

Williams Penn
Student to Faculty Ratio 6:1 8:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (25%)
  • Psychology (10%)
  • History (9%)
  • Foreign Languages (8%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (8%)
  • Business (26%)
  • Social Sciences (16%)
  • Biology (8%)
  • Engineering (7%)
  • Health Professions (7%)

Outcomes

Williams Penn
Graduation Rate 95% 96%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $73,600 $123,600
Making Student Loan Payments 83% 84%
Median Student Loan Debt $14,582 $20,633
Median Loan Payment $150 $213

Diversity

Williams Penn
% Men 1% 26%
% Women 1% 33%
Racial Diversity High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 54% 45%
% Black 8% 7%
% Hispanic 13% 10%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 6% 4%
% International 8% 11%
% Unknown Race 0% 3%

Students

Williams Penn
% In-State 14% 14%
% Out-of-State 75% 69%

Campus

Williams Penn
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

  • University of Pennsylvania is larger than than Williams based on total student enrollment (28,711 students vs. 2,168 students)

Williams vs. Penn Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Williams or Penn?

  • Williams College is 10.1% more expensive to attend than Penn for in-state tuition ($64,540.00 vs. $58,620.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 10.1% higher at Williams than University of Pennsylvania ($64,540.00 vs. $58,620.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Williams College than Penn ($16,988 vs. $26,017)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Williams College are 13.5% lower than costs at University of Pennsylvania ($16,300 vs. $18,496)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Williams College than University of Pennsylvania (58% vs. 48%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Williams College students is 7.5% larger than aid received University of Pennsylvania ($64,176 vs. $59,721)

Williams vs. Penn Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of Pennsylvania (1457) is 15 points higher than at Williams (1442)
  • Incoming Williams students have at the same average ACT score (33) as students at Penn (33)
  • Accepted freshman Penn students have a 0.01 point higher average high school GPA (3.95) than students at Williams (3.94)
  • Williams has a higher acceptance rate (10%) than Penn (5.9%)

Williams vs. Penn Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Williams or Penn? 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 and Williams.

  • The graduation rate at Penn is higher than Williams College (96% vs. 95%)
  • Graduates from University of Pennsylvania earn on average $50,000 more per year than Williams graduates after ten years. ($123,600 vs. $73,600)
  • Williams College students graduate with a $6,051 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn graduates. ($14,582 vs. $20,633)
  • Williams graduates are paying $63 less per month on federal student loans than Penn graduates. ($150 vs. $213)
  • More Penn graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Williams students, three years after graduation. (84% vs. 83%)

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