What does the admissions data for Williams College look like in 2026?
Williams College accepted a record low 7.4% of applicants to the Class of 2030. This Massachusetts liberal arts school admitted 981 students via regular decision and 258 candidates through early decision, while 14 students matched with Williams through Questbridge. Williams received a record-breaking 15,534 regular decision applications, an increase of over 1,000 from last year’s 14,261. The regular decision pool saw a record breaking acceptance rate as well, at 6.3%. Williams also waitlisted 2,138 students and denied admission to 12,395 applicants from the regular decision pool.
What has Williams’ acceptance rate looked like over the last few years?
As the number one ranked liberal arts college in the US News & World Report every consecutive year since 2004, Williams College is a selective school. Take a look at recent admissions numbers below:
Williams Class Year Number of Applicants Number of Admits Acceptance Rate
2030 16,557 1,253 7.40%
2029 15,520 1,336 8.60%
2028 15,411 1,272 8.30%
2027 11,258 1,113 9.80%
2026 15,321 1,302 8.50%
Based on this data we can conclude that Williams will continue to receive thousands of applications and its acceptance rate will stay this low—if not get more competitive.
What is the early decision acceptance rate for Williams College?
For a school as selective as Williams, if you know that it is your number one choice, you may consider applying in the early decision round. Early decision is a binding route; this means that if you’re admitted, you must attend, so make the decision carefully. Here’s how early decision acceptance rates have looked at Williams in recent years:
Williams Class Year Number of ED Applicants Number of ED Admits ED Acceptance Rate
2030 1,203 258 25.20%
2029 964 257 26.60%
2028 1,068 249 23.30%
2027 943 255 27%
2026 814 255 31.30%
As you can see, the ED acceptance rates for Williams College are considerably higher than RD admit rates. That said, getting into Williams is still no easy task, so make sure you put your best foot forward as you prepare your application.
What changes has Williams College admissions made in the last few years?
In June of 2023, when the Supreme Court declared race-conscious admissions practices unconstitutional, Williams College had to change its policies after 51 years of practicing affirmative action. As a result Williams eliminated its supplemental essay requirement starting with the Class of 2028—which might have contributed to the noticeable jump in the number of applications the school received from the Class of 2027. Prior to this, Williams had either a required or optional short essay.
While admissions officers can no longer view applicants’ self-disclosed race or ethnicity, students are still able to discuss experiences related to race in their Common App essays.
What does the waitlist look like for Williams College?
According to the Wall Street Journal, “The Only Thing Harder Than Getting Into College Is Getting Off the Wait List.” Let’s take a look at waitlist movement at Williams:
Williams Class Year Number of students who offered a waitlist spot Number of students who accepted a waitlist spot Number of waitlisted students admitted Waitlist admit rate
2029 2,193 850 25 2.90%
2028 2,303 858 113 13.20%
2027 1,606 637 6 0.90%
2026 2,241 860 0 0
2025 2,371 929 1 0.10%
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