International

Join Our Global Community

Williams invites the brightest minds from around the world. Our students come from more than 100 countries, and international students—students who, regardless of country of residence, don’t hold U.S. citizenship, permanent residency or a green card—make up 10% of our student body.

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A Few Things to Know

English Proficiency

Williams students must complete a considerable amount of reading and writing across the curriculum; therefore, a high level of English proficiency is a prerequisite for admission. If English is not your first language or the language of academic instruction at your school, we encourage you to submit English language proficiency scores. 

You may submit a TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language), IELTS (International English Language Testing System), or Duolingo English Test score in any of three ways:

1. Enter them in the testing section of your application.
2. Email a screenshot of your score report to admission​@williams​.edu.
3. Have them sent to Williams directly from the testing agency. 

Competitive applicants to Williams typically have the following English Language Proficiency results: 

TOEFL: 5-6 (Prior to January 2026, 100-120) 

IELTS: 7.5-9

Duolingo: 135-160

Please note that scores for all enrolling students who choose to submit them will be verified. Discrepancies between self-reported scores and official scores may jeopardize a student’s place at Williams.

For students displaced by conflict and natural disasters

Williams is proud to be one of the small handful of schools who’ve launched the Global Student Haven Initiative (GSHI). Created in response to the war in Ukraine and the crisis in Afghanistan, GSHI seeks to remove barriers in the college application process for talented students who are displaced by war, political conflict, catastrophic natural disasters or other crises. Impacted students should not hesitate to reach out.

Applying for financial aid as an international student

Approximately 70% of international students receive financial aid from the college, with aid awards averaging more than $90,000 annually.

International applicants who might seek financial aid at any point during their enrollment at Williams must indicate their intent to apply for financial aid:

1. On your admission application, select “Yes” on the question “Do you intend to apply for financial aid?” Do not submit any financial aid materials as part of your application to Williams.
2. If admitted, follow the instructions from the Office of Student Financial Services about how to submit your financial aid application. Instructions will be shared at the same time you receive your offer of admission.
3. Submit all requested financial aid application materials as soon as possible.
4. Review your financial aid award, which will be available within seven days of submission of your completed financial aid application.

Please note: Students who are dual citizens of the United States and another country, or permanent residents of the U.S., should complete the standard application requirements for domestic students.

Financial Aid Requirements