Quad

Head-to-head

Williams
Grinnell

Key differences

The biggest gaps between these schools, largest first.

  1. 1

    Williams grads earn $25.8K more ten years out than Grinnell's ($88,665 vs. $62,830)

    Median earnings, 10 yrs
  2. 2

    Grinnell costs about $10.4K less per year on average than Williams ($37,528 vs. $47,891, all students)

    Average cost, all students
  3. 3

    Williams's yield is 12 pts higher than Grinnell's

    Yield rate
  4. 4

    Grinnell's grants cover 55% of its full price on average, vs. 44% at Williams

    Aid generosity
  5. 5

    Williams is 1.8× more selective than Grinnell

    Acceptance rate
  6. 6

    Williams graduates 8 pts more of its students than Grinnell (96% vs. 88%)

    Graduation rate

The shape of each school

Each axis is a national rank among 4-year colleges; further out = more of it.

SelectivityTest scoresSizePell shareFirst-genDiversity

Who's hardest to get into

Williams admits 8.3%, Grinnell 15%; Williams's yield is higher, at 43%.

Acceptance rate
Williams8.3%
Grinnell15%
Quad's selectivity
  • WilliamsUltra selective
  • GrinnellHighly selective
SAT middle 50%Axis 1300–1600
Williams
1490–1570
Grinnell
1410–1540
How they read a recordfirst-years at 3.75+
  • WilliamsSchool record and prep program required
  • GrinnellSchool record required

Who's on each campus

Williams is a bit larger than Grinnell (2,076 vs. 1,729 undergrads); both have the same Pell share, 18%.

Undergrads
Williams2.1K
Grinnell1.7K
Pell Grant share
Williams18%
Grinnell18%

Majors and faculty

Econometrics and Quantitative Economics leads at Williams, and Computer Science at Grinnell; Williams has 6 students per faculty member to Grinnell's 9.

Students per faculty member
Williams6 to 1
Grinnell9 to 1
Most popular majorshare of graduates
  • WilliamsEconometrics and Quantitative Economics17%
  • GrinnellComputer Science13%

What each costs

Grinnell costs about $10.4K less a year than Williams on average, and its grants cover the larger share of its price.

Average cost, all students
Williams$47.9K
Grinnell$37.5K
Aid generosity
Williams44%
Grinnell55%

What each pays off

Williams's former students earn more, a median $88.7K ten years after enrolling; both graduate more than 80% within six years.

Median earnings, 10 years
Williams$88.7K
Grinnell$62.8K
Graduation rate
Williams96%
Grinnell88%

How each has changed

Applications grew at both; both got more selective.

Applications, 10-year change
  • WilliamsGrowing+144%
  • GrinnellGrowing+61%
All the numbersEvery figure for these colleges in one table, with differences highlighted.
Sources for this comparisonEvery dataset and year behind the numbers in this comparison; tap any ⓘ for one number's source

Sources:IPEDS Admissions survey, Fall 2024;College Scorecard, Fall 2024;College Scorecard, most recent release;IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey, 2023–24;IPEDS Student Financial Aid survey, 2023–24;College Scorecard, Entered fall 2023;IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part D), Fall 2024;IPEDS Completions survey (degrees awarded by field), 2024–25 graduates;College Scorecard, 2023–24;IPEDS Graduation Rates survey (Pell Grant and subsidized loan recipients), Entered fall 2018About the data(retrieved 2026-10-12)

Figures are the newest each college has published; years can differ between colleges. Each value's ⓘ shows its source and year. Why