For an economics major, is Harvard or Williams the better choice?

The biggest practical tradeoff is scale: Harvard gives you a much larger economics ecosystem with more faculty, more course variety, and easier access to graduate-level resources, while Williams gives you a smaller, more intimate academic experience with very close faculty attention and discussion-heavy classes. For economics specifically, Harvard’s department is one of the most visible and expansive in the country, and that usually means more specialized electives, more seminars tied to different subfields, and a wider range of research centers and events. Williams, though, is exceptionally strong for a liberal arts college and is known for serious undergraduate teaching, so econ students often get a lot of direct mentorship rather than feeling like one student in a huge department.

At Harvard, one of the main advantages is breadth. If you want to explore areas like development, econometrics, behavioral economics, political economy, or advanced theory with a lot of options, Harvard tends to offer more room to do that. You also benefit from the surrounding university infrastructure, including related departments and a large alumni network in economics, finance, policy, and academia.

At Williams, the strength is the undergraduate focus. Classes are typically smaller, professors are hired with teaching very much in mind, and it can be easier to build real relationships with faculty early. That matters if you want detailed advising, strong recommendation letters, or a classroom environment where discussion and direct feedback shape how you learn economics.

For most students choosing purely on economics opportunities, Harvard has the edge because the department is broader and the overall ecosystem is deeper. But if you know you learn best in small classes, want professors highly centered on undergraduates, and value a tight academic community over the scale of a research university, Williams is a very compelling place to study economics.