What is the Williams acceptance rate?
8.6% for the most recent class with official figures. Williams’s Common Data Set 2025-2026 reports 15,520 first-year applicants, 1,336 admitted and 567 enrolled for fall 2025, the Class of 2029. Williams has not posted Class of 2030 admission figures on its admission or institutional research pages, so this guide does not use the Class of 2030 figures reported in the student newspaper. Students applying now are applying for fall 2027 entry.
| Measure (class that entered in fall 2025) | Figure |
|---|---|
| Applications | 15,520 |
| Admitted | 1,336 |
| Acceptance rate | 8.6% |
| Enrolled | 567 |
| Yield (enrolled as a share of admitted) | 42.4% |
| Early Decision | 256 admitted of 964 applicants (26.6%) |
How does Early Decision compare with Regular Decision at Williams?
For fall 2025, Williams admitted 256 of 964 Early Decision applicants, or 26.6%, by our calculation from its Common Data Set. The other 1,080 admits, set against the remaining 14,556 applications, give about 7.4% for everyone else; that figure is approximate, because deferred early applicants were reviewed again in regular decision and later admits can include students from the waitlist. Early Decision admits made up 19.2% of all fall 2025 admits.
Early pools are self-selected, so the gap does not show that applying early causes admission. Early Decision at Williams is binding; Williams says that in rare instances, when the aid offered does not make attendance possible, a student may ask to be released (Williams how to apply). In our view, Early Decision fits a student for whom Williams is a clear first choice and whose family has checked its likely aid. Our Early Decision acceptance rates guide compares other colleges.
What are the Williams application deadlines for fall 2027?
| Plan | Application and aid deadline | Decision by | Reply by |
|---|---|---|---|
| Early Decision | November 15 | December 14 | January 4 |
| Regular Decision | January 4 | April 1 | May 1 |
| Transfer | March 3 | April 13 | June 1 |
Williams uses a November 15 Early Decision deadline, so the early round for fall 2027 entry is still open on November 4, 2026. Financial aid applications are due on the same dates as admission applications.
Is Williams test optional?
Yes. Williams says it “is truly test optional” and that whether to submit SAT or ACT results is “entirely up to you” (Williams how to apply).
| Test (enrolled fall 2025) | 25th percentile | Median | 75th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| SAT composite | 1490 | 1520 | 1550 |
| SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing | 740 | 750 | 770 |
| SAT Math | 740 | 770 | 790 |
| ACT composite | 33 | 34 | 35 |
In our view, a student whose scores sit at or above the middle of these ranges should usually send them, and a student well below them can apply without scores. Our guide to colleges that require the SAT or ACT lists which selective colleges have returned to requiring tests.
What is the Williams transfer acceptance rate?
3.9% for fall 2025, by our calculation. Williams’s Common Data Set 2025-26 reports 595 transfer applicants, 23 admitted and 15 enrolled (item D2). In our view, with so few places, the transfer rate can change a great deal from one year to the next.
How does the Williams waitlist work?
Williams’s Common Data Set 2025-26 reports a waiting list that is not ranked. In the order of the form, it lists 2,193 students offered a place, 850 accepting a place and 25 admitted from the list for fall 2025. On those figures, about 2.9% of students who accepted a place were admitted. A waitlisted student should accept a place elsewhere by May 1 and treat a later Williams offer as a bonus.
How does the Williams acceptance rate compare with other liberal arts colleges?
| College | Class of 2030 (fall 2026) rate | Class of 2029 (fall 2025) rate |
|---|---|---|
| Amherst | 6.8% (1,209 of 17,786) | 7.7% (1,222 of 15,819) |
| Bowdoin | 6.5% (962 of 14,727) | Not verified |
| Swarthmore | 7.4% (969 of 13,029) | Not verified |
| Williams | Not published | 8.6% (1,336 of 15,520) |
| Claremont McKenna | Not published | 9.4% (655 of 6,939) |
| Harvey Mudd | 13.2% (654 of 4,971) | Not verified |
Williams’s most recent official rate is a year older than the Class of 2030 figures that Amherst, Bowdoin, Swarthmore and Harvey Mudd have posted, so the table does not rank Williams against them. On their latest official figures, five of the six colleges in the table admitted between 6.5% and 9.4% of applicants, and Harvey Mudd admitted 13.2%. Our Williams, Amherst and Swarthmore comparison looks at how the three differ.
How does Williams financial aid work?
Williams says, “we meet 100% of demonstrated need with no loans and no work-study expectations” (Williams tuition and aid), and that “All financial aid from Williams comes in the form of grants from the college, along with federal and state support” (Williams types of aid). Financial aid applications are due with the admission application in each round.
How should families read the Williams acceptance rate?
The view of Oriel Admissions is that an 8.6% rate describes the whole pool, not the chances of any one student, and that Williams should be a reach school for virtually all applicants. Two features matter more than the headline rate. The first is Early Decision: the early round admitted 26.6% of applicants in fall 2025, against about 7.4% for the rest of the pool, although early applicants are self-selected, and the November 15 deadline leaves time to apply early for fall 2027. The second is testing: Williams is test optional, so a student should decide on scores case by case. Our guide to what Williams College is known for covers the academic program.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Williams Acceptance Rate
Williams admitted 1,336 of 15,520 applicants for fall 2025, the Class of 2029, or 8.6%, according to its Common Data Set 2025-26. It has not published Class of 2030 figures on its own pages.
For fall 2025, Williams admitted 256 of 964 Early Decision applicants, or 26.6%, by our calculation from its Common Data Set.
November 15, 2026, with decisions by December 14. Regular decision applications are due January 4, 2027, with decisions by April 1.
Yes. Williams says it is truly test optional and leaves the choice to send SAT or ACT scores to the applicant.
Among students who entered in fall 2025 and sent SAT scores, the middle half scored 1490 to 1550. Only 43% of enrolled students sent SAT scores.
For fall 2025, Williams admitted 23 of 595 transfer applicants, or 3.9%, by our calculation from its Common Data Set 2025-26.
No. Williams says it meets 100% of demonstrated need with no loans and no work-study expectations, with aid in the form of grants.
Oriel Admissions suggests treating Williams as a reach school, using the November 15 Early Decision deadline when Williams is a clear first choice, and deciding on test scores case by case.
Sources: Williams Common Data Set 2025-2026, Williams how to apply, Williams tuition and aid, Williams types of aid, Amherst Class of 2030 profile, Amherst Common Data Set 2025-2026, Bowdoin Class of 2030 at a glance, Swarthmore by the numbers, Claremont McKenna Common Data Set 2025-2026, Harvey Mudd admission. Williams pages; other colleges.
About Oriel Admissions
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