MIT vs Williams for small classes: which one actually has smaller class sizes?

Williams is the one that more consistently delivers smaller, discussion-based classes. Its entire model is built around a small liberal arts college environment, with lots of seminars, close reading, writing-heavy courses, and regular professor interaction across departments. MIT has excellent access to faculty too, but its class experience is more mixed because many introductory STEM courses are larger and lecture-based.

One concrete difference is institutional size. Williams has a much smaller undergraduate population, so the day-to-day academic setup is centered on undergraduates rather than on a large research enterprise. That usually translates into more classes where your professor knows you well and where discussion is a normal part of the course rather than something limited to recitations or upper-level electives.

Another big separator is teaching style. At Williams, small seminars and tutorial-style courses are a signature part of the academic culture, especially in the humanities and social sciences, but also in many upper-level courses overall. MIT absolutely offers small advanced classes and strong faculty mentorship, especially once you move beyond the intro sequence, yet the institute’s core identity is still shaped by large foundational courses in math, physics, computer science, and engineering.

Professor access also feels different in practice. Williams faculty are hired with undergraduate teaching at the center of the job, and there are no graduate students competing for attention in the same way you would see at a research university. At MIT, professors can still be very accessible, but the presence of graduate programs, labs, and large intro classes means the small-class experience is less universal across your schedule.

If your main priority is that intimate classroom environment on a regular basis, Williams is more likely to feel smaller in practice.