Williams vs UChicago for economics: which is better for undergrads?

The biggest practical tradeoff is scale and style: Williams gives you a small liberal arts economics experience with very close faculty access and a tight undergraduate focus, while UChicago gives you a larger, more research-driven department with more course breadth and a stronger pre-professional city setting. For economics specifically, both are excellent, but they feel quite different day to day. Williams is known for unusually strong undergraduate teaching in economics, and UChicago is known for economics as a defining academic strength of the university.

At Williams, the major is built around small classes, discussion-heavy learning, and professors whose attention is directed almost entirely toward undergraduates. That matters if you want close mentorship, easier access to recommendation letters, and a classroom environment where you are expected to speak up and build relationships. The liberal arts setting can make the experience feel more personal and intellectually broad, which is especially helpful for students considering a PhD or wanting economics in conversation with math, political science, or history.

At UChicago, economics is one of the school’s signature fields, and undergrads benefit from a deeper bench of faculty, more specialized upper-level offerings, and stronger proximity to policy, finance, consulting, and research opportunities in Chicago. The major tends to feel more analytical and theory-forward, and many students pair it with math, statistics, or business-related interests.

For internships, UChicago has the clearer logistical advantage because of location and the size of its economics ecosystem. For faculty attention and undergraduate-centered teaching, Williams has the edge. For grad school preparation, either can work very well, but Williams may be especially appealing if you want intense mentorship, while UChicago may suit you better if you want to plug into a larger economics culture early.

If the question is which offers the better undergraduate economics experience overall, I’d lean Williams for students who care most about teaching quality, access to professors, and an undergraduate-first environment. I’d pick UChicago instead only if you specifically want a bigger economics department, more specialized options, and the advantages of studying economics in Chicago.