Williams vs. Mason

Should I go to Williams College or George Mason University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Williams or Mason 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. 

JMU Amherst VCU Middlebury Virginia Tech CNU Dartmouth Old Dominion Swarthmore Harvard Hamilton College UVA
Williams College vs. George Mason University comparison
Williams College George Mason University College 3 College 4
Williams College George Mason University
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

 Williams Mason
Location Williamstown, MA Fairfax, VA
Setting Distant Town Large Suburban
Enrollment 2,222 39,049
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #13 #228
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website williams.edu gmu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Williams Mason
Tuition (In State) $61,450 $9,795
Tuition (Out of State) $61,450 $35,377
Room & Board $15,530 $13,120
Avg Net Price $20,965 $18,479
Avg Grant Aid $57,121 $10,760
% Receiving Grant Aid 45% 74%

Admission

 Williams Mason
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 15,321 20,001
Admitted 1,302 18,001
Acceptance Rate 8.5% 90%
Enrolled % 44.3% 23%
Avg High School GPA 3.94 3.68
Typical High School Grades A- B+
Admissions Standards Elite Difficult
Applicant Competition Extreme
ACT Range 34/35 25/31
SAT Range 1480/1570 1140/1350
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, 2024 Feb 1, 2024

Academics

 Williams Mason
Student to Faculty Ratio 6:1 16:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (25%)
  • Psychology (10%)
  • History (9%)
  • Foreign Languages (8%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (8%)
  • Business (23%)
  • Social Sciences (16%)
  • English and Literature (10%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (7%)

Outcomes

 Williams Mason
Graduation Rate 95% 64%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $73,600 $61,900
Making Student Loan Payments 83% 73%
Median Student Loan Debt $14,582 $19,750
Median Loan Payment $150 $204

Diversity

 Williams Mason
% Men 47% 48%
% Women 53% 52%
Racial Diversity High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 54% 43%
% Black 8% 11%
% Hispanic 13% 13%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 6% 5%
% International 8% 5%
% Unknown Race 0% 5%

Students

 Williams Mason
% In-State 14% 77%
% Out-of-State 76% 17%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • George Mason University is larger than than Williams based on total student enrollment (39,049 students vs. 2,222 students)

Williams vs. Mason Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Williams or Mason?

  • Williams College is 527.4% more expensive to attend than Mason for in-state tuition ($61,450.00 vs. $9,795.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 73.7% higher at Williams than George Mason University ($61,450.00 vs. $35,377.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at George Mason University than Williams ($18,479 vs. $20,965)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at George Mason University are 18.4% lower than costs at Williams College ($13,120 vs. $15,530)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at George Mason University than Williams College (74% vs. 45%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Williams College students is 430.9% larger than aid received George Mason University ($57,121 vs. $10,760)

Williams vs. Mason Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Williams College (1442) is 289 points higher than at Mason (1153)
  • Incoming Williams students have a 7 point higher average ACT score (33) than students at Mason (26)
  • Accepted freshman Williams students have a 0.26 point higher average high school GPA (3.94) than students at Mason (3.68)
  • Mason has a higher acceptance rate (90%) than Williams (8.5%)

Williams vs. Mason Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at Williams is higher than George Mason University (95% vs. 64%)
  • Graduates from Williams College earn on average $11,700 more per year than Mason graduates after ten years. ($73,600 vs. $61,900)
  • Williams College students graduate with a $5,168 lower median federal student loan debt than Mason graduates. ($14,582 vs. $19,750)
  • Williams graduates are paying $54 less per month on federal student loans than Mason graduates. ($150 vs. $204)
  • More Williams graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Mason students, three years after graduation. (83% vs. 73%)

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