Wheaton College vs Williams College

Wheaton College and Williams College, both esteemed liberal arts institutions, offer distinct educational experiences. Wheaton, located in Norton, Massachusetts, boasts a higher acceptance rate (34%) compared to Williams' highly selective admissions (13%). While Williams excels in the social sciences, Wheaton offers a broader range of popular majors, including nursing, education, and business. Williams' student body is slightly larger, with an undergraduate enrollment of 2,000 students, while Wheaton fosters a more intimate learning environment with approximately 1,700 undergraduates. Both colleges boast impressive graduation rates, with Williams slightly edging out Wheaton (96% vs. 93%). To help you make an informed decision, we've compiled a comprehensive comparison table highlighting key differences between these two exceptional institutions. Dive in to discover which college aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.
Wheaton College logo

Wheaton College

Williams College logo

Williams College

Overview

Location Wheaton, Illinois Williamstown, Massachusetts
Campus setting Suburb: Large Town: Fringe
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Private (Non Profit) Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system Semester 4-1-4
Degrees offered Undergraduate and Graduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 89.0% 97.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation Undenominational

Admission

Acceptance rate 86.3% 8.8%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $50

Graduate: $30
$65
SAT range 1250 - 1430 N/A
ACT range 27 - 32 N/A
Students submitting SAT score 32.0%
Students submitting ACT score 25.0%
Total number of applicants 1,993 12,452
Total number of admissions given out 1,719 1,099
Admitted students who chose to enroll 546 574
Yield rate 31.8% 52.2%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Required Not required
Recommendation letters Required Required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Required Not required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $54,700 $78,060
Average net price $28,319 $14,487
Tuition $40,570 $59,350
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $6,640

Meal plan: $4,660
Room/dormitory: $7,625

Meal plan: $7,375
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

91.0%
Average amount $23,469
52.0%
Average amount $52,053
Students receiving federal student loan 52.0%
Average amount $5,169
13.0%
Average amount $3,992
Students taking out private loans 5.0%
Average amount $15,404
2.0%
Average amount $3,884

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 2,341
Men 44.9% Women 55.1%
2,174
Men 48.1% Women 51.9%
Graduate students 706
Men 34.6% Women 65.4%
50
Men 44.0% Women 56.0%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Low
Moderate
Out-of-state students N/A N/A
International students 5.9% 9.8%
Campus local/setting Suburb: Large Town: Fringe
Dormitory capacity 2,153 2,045
First year students are required to live on campus? No Yes
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from N/A N/A

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Psychology
  • Theology
  • Education
  • Health Professions
  • Social Sciences
  • Mathematics and Statistics
  • Visual & Performing Arts
  • Social Sciences
  • Foreign Languages and Literatures
  • Ethnic Studies
Students to faculty ratio 11:1 6:1
Institutional accreditation Higher Learning Commission New England Commission on Higher Education

Outcome

Graduation rate 87.6% 93.8%
Dropout rate 3.1% 3.1%
Transferred out 9.1% 1.6%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Business/Managerial Economics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $47,492
  • Year 2: $48,667
  • Year 3: $61,559
Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $34,982
  • Year 2: $37,748
  • Year 3: $48,761
Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $37,694
  • Year 2: $39,009
  • Year 3: $48,539
Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $30,613
  • Year 2: $33,459
  • Year 3: $41,661
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $42,251
  • Year 2: $37,856
  • Year 3: $41,339
Theological and Ministerial Studies (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $38,767
  • Year 2: $39,049
  • Year 3: $38,775
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $35,864
  • Year 3: $36,928
English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $26,471
  • Year 2: $27,126
  • Year 3: $34,682
Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $24,825
  • Year 2: $20,140
  • Year 3: $32,867
Religious Education (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $25,194
  • Year 3: $31,289
Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $109,470
  • Year 2: $96,183
  • Year 3: $99,047
Economics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $83,280
  • Year 2: $76,460
  • Year 3: $91,723
Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $55,217
  • Year 2: $53,358
  • Year 3: $63,034
Area Studies (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $37,948
  • Year 2: $44,384
  • Year 3: $48,967
History (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $40,036
  • Year 2: $49,464
  • Year 3: $44,771
Fine and Studio Arts (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $25,993
  • Year 2: $38,289
  • Year 3: $43,402
English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $30,135
  • Year 2: $40,461
  • Year 3: $41,065
Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $40,760
  • Year 2: $34,704
  • Year 3: $37,587
Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $41,029
  • Year 2: $33,993
  • Year 3: $26,432
Chemistry (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $35,668
  • Year 2: $25,525
  • Year 3: $14,771

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