Williams College

Williams College

Established in 1793 with funds bequeathed by Colonel Ephraim Williams, the college is private, residential, and liberal arts, with small graduate programs in the history of art and in development economics.

Williams College, consistently ranked as one of the nation's top liberal arts colleges, has challenged generations of students with an undergraduate education that is unsurpassed. The college's 2,000 undergraduates are taught by a faculty noted for the quality of their teaching. Virtually all faculty members engage in research activities that complement their commitment to teaching and the achievement of academic goals includes active participation of students with faculty in research.

With a faculty-student ratio of 1:8, fewer than 20 students in 71 percent of classes, an extended tutorial program, and options for honors work and independent study, Williams offers students a highly individualized learning experience. Students choose from 33 majors plus concentrations and special programs. The academic year consists of two four-course semesters plus a one-course January term.

In addition to the 450-acre campus, the college owns 2,500 outlying acres, including the Hopkins Memorial Forest (2,200 acres). The college operates more than 100 academic, athletic, and residential buildings, including the new '62 Center for Theatre and Dance, the Williams College Museum of Art, Chapin Library of Rare Books, and Hopkins Observatory, the oldest extant observatory in the United States.

Williamstown is located in the Berkshires in northwestern Massachusetts, 145 miles from Boston and 165 miles from New York City. Williamstown is also home to the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute and to The Williamstown Theatre Festival.