Colby College vs. Williams

Should I go to Colby College or Williams College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Colby College 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 Middlebury Hamilton College Colgate Dartmouth Swarthmore Harvard Tufts Vassar Brown BC Bowdoin College
Colby College vs. Williams College comparison
Colby College Williams College College 3 College 4
Colby College Williams College
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

Colby College Williams
Location Waterville, ME Williamstown, MA
Setting Remote Town Distant Town
Enrollment 2,299 2,222
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #44 #13
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website colby.edu williams.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Colby College Williams
Tuition (In State) $60,840 $61,450
Tuition (Out of State) $60,840 $61,450
Room & Board $16,330 $15,530
Avg Net Price $16,951 $20,965
Avg Grant Aid $61,714 $57,121
% Receiving Grant Aid 41% 45%

Admission

Colby College Williams
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 16,890 15,321
Admitted 1,286 1,302
Acceptance Rate 7.6% 8.5%
Enrolled % 52.3% 44.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.86 3.94
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Elite Elite
Applicant Competition Extreme Extreme
ACT Range 32/34 34/35
SAT Range 1430/1540 1480/1570
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 1, 2024 Jan 10, 2024

Academics

Colby College Williams
Student to Faculty Ratio 10:1 6:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (23%)
  • General Studies (13%)
  • Biology (10%)
  • English and Literature (8%)
  • Physical Sciences (7%)
  • Social Sciences (25%)
  • Psychology (10%)
  • History (9%)
  • Foreign Languages (8%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (8%)

Outcomes

Colby College Williams
Graduation Rate 91% 95%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $73,400 $73,600
Making Student Loan Payments 88% 83%
Median Student Loan Debt $19,345 $14,582
Median Loan Payment $200 $150

Diversity

Colby College Williams
% Men 48% 47%
% Women 52% 53%
Racial Diversity Medium High
HBCU No No
% White 62% 54%
% Black 3% 8%
% Hispanic 6% 13%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 6%
% International 11% 8%
% Unknown Race 7% 0%

Students

Colby College Williams
% In-State 7% 14%
% Out-of-State 79% 76%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Colby College is larger than than Williams based on total student enrollment (2,299 students vs. 2,222 students)

Colby College vs. Williams Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Colby College or Williams?

  • Williams College is 1% more expensive to attend than Colby College for in-state tuition ($61,450.00 vs. $60,840.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 1% higher at Williams than Colby College ($61,450.00 vs. $60,840.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Colby College than Williams ($16,951 vs. $20,965)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Williams College are 5.2% lower than costs at Colby College ($15,530 vs. $16,330)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Williams College than Colby College (45% vs. 41%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Colby College students is 8% larger than aid received Williams College ($61,714 vs. $57,121)

Colby College vs. Williams Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Williams College (1442) is 79 points higher than at Colby College (1363)
  • Incoming Williams students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (33) than students at Colby College (31)
  • Accepted freshman Williams students have a 0.08 point higher average high school GPA (3.94) than students at Colby College (3.86)
  • Williams has a higher acceptance rate (8.5%) than Colby College (7.6%)

Colby College vs. Williams Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Colby College 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 Colby College.

  • The graduation rate at Williams is higher than Colby College (95% vs. 91%)
  • Graduates from Williams College earn on average $200 more per year than Colby College graduates after ten years. ($73,600 vs. $73,400)
  • Williams College students graduate with a $4,763 lower median federal student loan debt than Colby College graduates. ($14,582 vs. $19,345)
  • Williams graduates are paying $50 less per month on federal student loans than Colby College graduates. ($150 vs. $200)
  • More Colby College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Williams students, three years after graduation. (88% vs. 83%)

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