Caltech vs. Williams

Should I go to California Institute of Technology or Williams College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Caltech or Williams 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.

Add a college to compare up to four schools

Frequently compared to these colleges. Click a college to add to the comparison. 

Amherst Cal Poly Stanford Middlebury Dartmouth Swarthmore Harvard Hamilton College Tufts MIT Vassar Brown
California Institute of Technology vs. Williams College comparison
California Institute of Technology Williams College College 3 College 4
California Institute of Technology Williams College
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

Caltech Williams
Location Pasadena, CA Williamstown, MA
Setting Midsize City Distant Town
Enrollment 2,401 2,222
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #5 #13
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website caltech.edu williams.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Caltech Williams
Tuition (In State) $58,479 $61,450
Tuition (Out of State) $58,479 $61,450
Room & Board $18,606 $15,530
Avg Net Price $20,755 $20,965
Avg Grant Aid $59,192 $57,121
% Receiving Grant Aid 57% 45%

Admission

Caltech Williams
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 16,626 15,321
Admitted 448 1,302
Acceptance Rate 2.7% 8.5%
Enrolled % 50% 44.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.97 3.94
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Elite Elite
Applicant Competition Extreme Extreme
ACT Range 35/36 34/35
SAT Range 1530/1580 1480/1570
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Jan 3, 2024 Jan 10, 2024

Academics

Caltech Williams
Student to Faculty Ratio 3:1 6:1
Popular Majors
  • Engineering (41%)
  • Physical Sciences (25%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (11%)
  • Mathematics (11%)
  • Biology (8%)
  • Social Sciences (25%)
  • Psychology (10%)
  • History (9%)
  • Foreign Languages (8%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (8%)

Outcomes

Caltech Williams
Graduation Rate 87% 95%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $85,800 $73,600
Making Student Loan Payments - 83%
Median Student Loan Debt $14,350 $14,582
Median Loan Payment $148 $150

Diversity

Caltech Williams
% Men 61% 47%
% Women 39% 53%
Racial Diversity Very High High
HBCU No No
% White 27% 54%
% Black 2% 8%
% Hispanic 12% 13%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 6%
% International 8% 8%
% Unknown Race 0% 0%

Students

Caltech Williams
% In-State 29% 14%
% Out-of-State 58% 76%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • California Institute of Technology is larger than than Williams based on total student enrollment (2,401 students vs. 2,222 students)

Caltech vs. Williams Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Caltech or Williams?

  • Williams College is 5.1% more expensive to attend than Caltech for in-state tuition ($61,450.00 vs. $58,479.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 5.1% higher at Williams than California Institute of Technology ($61,450.00 vs. $58,479.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at California Institute of Technology than Williams ($20,755 vs. $20,965)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Williams College are 19.8% lower than costs at California Institute of Technology ($15,530 vs. $18,606)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at California Institute of Technology than Williams College (57% vs. 45%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by California Institute of Technology students is 3.6% larger than aid received Williams College ($59,192 vs. $57,121)

Caltech vs. Williams Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at California Institute of Technology (1544) is 102 points higher than at Williams (1442)
  • Incoming Caltech students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (35) than students at Williams (33)
  • Accepted freshman Caltech students have a 0.03 point higher average high school GPA (3.97) than students at Williams (3.94)
  • Williams has a higher acceptance rate (8.5%) than Caltech (2.7%)

Caltech vs. Williams Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at Williams is higher than California Institute of Technology (95% vs. 87%)
  • Graduates from California Institute of Technology earn on average $12,200 more per year than Williams graduates after ten years. ($85,800 vs. $73,600)
  • California Institute of Technology students graduate with a $232 lower median federal student loan debt than Williams graduates. ($14,350 vs. $14,582)
  • Caltech graduates are paying $2 less per month on federal student loans than Williams graduates. ($148 vs. $150)

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