Brown vs Williams for economics: which is the better choice for an undergraduate economics major?

For undergraduate economics, Brown has the edge for most students because it offers a larger economics department, more course variety, and easier access to related fields like applied math, public policy, computer science, and entrepreneurship. Brown’s open curriculum also makes it unusually easy to build an economics path that is either very theoretical or very interdisciplinary.

Brown’s biggest advantage is scale and flexibility within a university setting. You can take more specialized economics electives, combine econ with strong departments across the university, and explore without a core curriculum limiting your schedule.

Williams stands out for the intimacy of the academic experience. Economics there is very well regarded, and the small liberal arts environment means smaller classes, closer faculty attention, and a stronger chance that your professors will know your work well. That can be especially appealing if you value discussion-heavy classes and a tightly knit campus where undergraduates are the clear center of attention.

The practical difference is that Brown tends to offer more pathways, while Williams often offers more personalized access. At Brown, you are in a more urban setting with Providence-based opportunities and the resources of a research university. At Williams, the rural location creates a more self-contained community, which some students love but others find limiting for in-semester internships or off-campus professional exposure.

For economics specifically, I would lean Brown unless you know you strongly prefer the small liberal arts college experience and want maximum faculty closeness over breadth of options. Williams is an excellent place to study econ, but Brown usually provides the more expansive undergraduate economics experience.