Williamstown, Massachusetts · ★ — / 5 Overall
Daderot / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)
Private not-for-profit · 4-year · Master's
Williams College is a private liberal arts college in Williamstown, Massachusetts, United States. It was established as a men's college in 1793 with funds from the estate of Ephraim Williams, a colonist from the Province of Massachusetts Bay who was killed in the French and Indian War in 1755. Williams's main campus is located in Williamstown, in the Berkshires in rural northwestern Massachusetts, and contains more than 100 academic, athletic, and residential buildings. There are 360 voting faculty members, with a student-to-faculty ratio of 6:1. As of 2022, the college had an enrollment of 2,021 undergraduate students and 50 graduate students. Following a liberal arts curriculum, Williams College provides undergraduate instruction in 25 academic departments and interdisciplinary programs including 36 majors in the humanities, arts, social sciences, and natural sciences. Williams offers an almost entirely undergraduate instruction, though there are two graduate programs in development economics and art history. The college maintains affiliations with the nearby Clark Art Institute and the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (MASS MoCA) along with a close relationship with Exeter College, Oxford. The college competes as the Ephs in the NCAA Division III as a member of the New England Small College Athletic Conference.
National Liberal Arts Colleges
Ranked #1 in National Liberal Arts Colleges (2026). Source: US News ↗
Liberal Arts Colleges
Ranked #2 in Liberal Arts Colleges (2025). Source: Washington Monthly ↗
National rank
Ranked #7 in Forbes Top Colleges (2026). Source: Forbes ↗
Unfiltered student reviews about the real
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880 Main St, Williamstown, Massachusetts, 01267
Visit University SiteValue rank
Ranked #18 on Washington Monthly Best Bang for the Buck (2025). Source: WM Best Value ↗
National rank
Ranked #259 in the US by CWUR (2026). Source: CWUR US ↗
World rank
Ranked #1508 globally by CWUR (2026). Source: CWUR World ↗
25th–75th percentile
SAT total: 1470–1560
SAT ERW: 730–770
SAT math: 740–790
ACT composite: 33–35
Total: 2,168
Undergrad: 2,112
Undergrad full-time: 2,070
Graduate: 56
Part-time: 42
In-state
Tuition: $64,860
Total cost on campus: $84,860
Out-of-state
Tuition: $64,860
Total cost on campus: $84,860
Room & board: $16,300
Books & supplies: $1,000
Receive aid: 67%
Avg grant aid: $64,176
Pell grant recipients: 19%
Rent: $1,364 / mo
Typical state asking rent, as a roommate share. Zillow Observed Rent Index.
Coffee: $6.00
State average cafe price. Numbeo, 2024.
Gas: $4.39 / gal
State average price. AAA.
Average meal: $12.70
Published board plan, per meal. IPEDS.