1. [College research](/) 2. / 3. [Williams College](/school/williams-college/) 4. / 5. Career outcomes brief Career outcomes brief Copy linkPrint brief # Williams College Career Outcomes & Earnings Updated September 30, 2026 [Overview](/school/williams-college/)[Cost & aid](/school/williams-college/cost/)Outcomes[Admissions](/school/williams-college/admissions/)[Majors](/school/williams-college/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/williams-college/similar/) **On this page**+ ## How much do Williams College graduates earn? The reported median is $80,487 four years after completion. The peer comparison uses $68,250 as its benchmark; the difference is $12,237 per year. Return is the strongest pillar at Williams College, in the 93rd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Four years after completing a degree, federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $80,487, in the 89th percentile. That is $12,237 above the $68,250 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). The earnings scenarios show a wide spread, from a downside of $50,659 to an upside of $173,874. Program choice matters a great deal within that range. At the upper end, Computer Science graduates earn a median of $209,574 four years after completion, from 49 degrees awarded. Economics, the largest program, follows at $166,678 with 107 degrees awarded. Mathematics graduates earn $134,304 from 53 degrees awarded. An estimated 42.9% of graduates continue to graduate study, a figure estimated from the program mix rather than observed enrollment. Four-year earnings cover completers who are working and not enrolled, so those continuing their education are outside that snapshot. The estimate matters when reading the reported median. **Median earnings · four years after completion** $80,487 Four-year median earnings against two benchmarks **Williams College reported median** $80,487 **Peer schools comparable schools · $12,237 below Williams College** $68,250 School and program earnings use pooled 2017–18 and 2018–19 completion cohorts, measured in 2022 and 2023 and expressed in 2024 dollars. [How the model works](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/). ## How many Williams College first-year students return? First-time, full-time bachelor’s cohorts · CDS 2025-26 **Returned the following fall** 97.4% Source: Williams College Common Data Set 2025-26, B22 retention. ## How could earnings differ from the median? The planning scenarios range from $50,659 to $173,874, around the reported median of $80,487. Compare the lower scenario with [Williams College borrowing and monthly payments](/school/williams-college/cost/) to see how a smaller income could change your plan. Modeled from the school’s program mix; not salary percentiles or a forecast for one graduate. Earnings four years after completion Planning rangeReported median **Lower estimate** $50,659 **Median · reported** $80,487 **Higher estimate** $173,874 Downside shows a lower-earning scenario based on the college’s mix of programs; upside shows a higher-earning scenario. Typical is the school’s reported median four years after completion. These are planning scenarios, not a forecast of your salary or percentiles of individual graduates. [Why the downside matters](/analysis/median-roi-hides-a-harsh-reality/) explores the risk hidden by medians, using older ten-year entrant data. [Read about the move to four-year earnings](/analysis/college-scorecard-2026-4-year-vs-10-year-earnings-2-2/). ## Do Williams College graduates earn more than expected? Azimuth models what we would expect graduates to earn based on who the college enrolls, how selective it is and its local economy. The difference between that expectation and reported earnings is what Azimuth calls [value added](/methodology/#value-added). That comparison is not reported for Williams College. Unlike a peer comparison, it adjusts for who enrolls. The breakdown separates the contribution attributed to observed factors from the remaining difference. Neither component establishes how much attending Williams College caused a student to earn. [Read how expected earnings are estimated](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/). ## Which fields at Williams College report the highest earnings? The highest-earning programs at Williams College are not the largest by degrees awarded, and the spread between them is wide. Computer Science graduates earn a median of $209,574 four years after completion, from 49 degrees awarded. [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) the program #13 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions in its field. Economics is the largest program, with 107 degrees awarded and median earnings of $166,678. Azimuth ranks it #2 nationally. Mathematics awards 53 degrees and its graduates earn $134,304, ranking #8 in its field. History graduates earn $59,535 from 53 degrees awarded. The contrast between the highest-earning quantitative fields and the larger humanities and social science programs is a defining feature of the earnings picture here. Williams College has 9 nationally ranked bachelor's programs, and the strongest of them is Economics. [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) it #2 within its field, with median earnings of $166,678 four years after completion. That program is also the largest on campus. It awards 107 degrees a year. Psychology is the second-largest at 64 degrees, with earnings of $72,891 and a national rank of #13. The highest-earning program is a smaller one: Computer Science, ranked #13 in its field, has median earnings of $209,574 four years out, from 49 degrees awarded. Mathematics, ranked #8 in its field, follows at $134,304, with 53 degrees. Highest reported four-year program earnings **Computer Science** $209,574 **Economics** $166,678 **Mathematics** $134,304 **Political Science and Government** $88,339 **Psychology, General** $72,891 **English Language and Literature, General** $69,065 **Biology, General** $65,357 **History** $59,535 [Explore Williams College program cohorts and field ranks](/school/williams-college/majors/#largest-cohorts) for more context. ## Further analysis Earnings scenarios estimated from the program mix show a downside of $50,659, a typical outcome of $80,487, and an upside of $173,874. The spread is wide. Computer Science graduates reach $209,574 four years out, while History, the lowest-earning among the largest programs, stands at $59,535. The variation by field is substantial. Four years after completing a degree, federally aided graduates of Williams College who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $80,487. That places the college in the 89th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions, based on an earnings cohort of 305 completers. Earnings scenarios, estimated from the program mix, show how much the field of study can matter. The typical earnings scenario is $80,487, with a downside scenario of $50,659 and an upside scenario of $173,874. An estimated 42.9% of graduates continue to graduate study, based on the program mix. That share means a substantial portion of the earnings picture unfolds after further education, beyond the four-year window captured here. ## Data & methodology Sources and reporting periods: [methodology](/methodology/). Analysis and methodology by [Daniel Rogers](/about/#founder), founder of College Azimuth. Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source. Figure notes link to sources and limitations. [About College Azimuth](/about/).