Wellesley College is a private nonprofit institution offering bachelor's degrees based in Wellesley, Massachusetts. It enrolls 2,300 students (a mid-sized student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Every figure on this page is reported by the federal government, not supplied by the college, so it can be compared like for like against anywhere else you are looking.
AccreditorNew England Commission on Higher Education
Academic CalendarSemester
How It Measures Up
These four scores answer one question: compared with similar colleges, is this one worth the money? Each runs 0 to 100 and is judged only against its peer group (4-Year Selective), so a community college is never marked down for not being Harvard. Everything is computed from federal data. Nobody can pay to move a score, and a pillar with missing data is left unscored rather than guessed.
Strong
82/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes96
Value70
Affordability24
Selectivity96
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
Wellesley College admits 14.1% of applicants, which makes it genuinely competitive, so your application needs to be strong.
Acceptance Rate
14.1%
Very Selective
SAT Range (25th–75th)
1460 – 1560
Reading + Math combined
ACT Range (25th–75th)
33 – 35
Cumulative composite
Test PolicyNot ConsideredStandardized test scores are not used in admissions decisions.
5-Year Admission Trend
Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether Wellesley College is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.
Getting more selective ↓
7.7 pts
since 2019
Cost & Financial Aid
Ignore the sticker price. What matters is the net price, which is what a typical family pays here after grants and scholarships come off. At $25,496 a year on average, it sits in line with what private nonprofit colleges charge nationally. Plan for the gap between that and what you can pay without borrowing. Figures are College Scorecard 2023-24.
Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.
Tuition & Fees
$67,176
Room & Board (on-campus)
$21,024
Room & Board (off-campus)
$21,024
Books & Supplies
$800
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$1,250
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$2,250
Total Cost of Attendance
$86,290
Net Price by Family Income
Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.
Under $30,000
$2,546
$30,001 – $48,000
$2,836
$48,001 – $75,000
$6,587
$75,001 – $110,000
$11,551
Over $110,000
$54,188
Debt at Graduation
Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.
$2,63410%percentile
$5,20425%percentile
$10,000Medianpercentile
$15,00075%percentile
$21,50090%percentile
Median Debt by Student Type
Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.
GroupDebtvs Median
Pell recipients $6,400
↓ $3,600
No Pell $10,000
—
Dependent students $8,700
↓ $1,300
Independent students $6,297
↓ $3,703
Worth knowing:
Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $5,500, less than completers ($10,000), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.
Graduation Rate & Retention
93% of students who start here finish within six years, and 96% come back after first year. Most people who start here leave with the degree they came for. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Completion and earnings carry the most weight in this college's score, and how the UCD Score weighs each measure sets out exactly how they are combined.
6-Year Graduation Rate
93%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
96%
Returning for their second year
What this means:
Strong completion signals. Most students who start, finish.
After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes
Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $84,803 a year, well above the national median. Strong earnings, though the field studied drives much of that. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$84,803
Earning > $25K
91%
10 yrs after entry
Earnings Growth After Graduation
Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.
Earnings by Demographic
Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.
By Family Income at Entry
Family income (lowest third)
$79,600
Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (middle third)
$70,500
Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (highest third)
$68,900
Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.
Loan Repayment Progression
Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.
Stable ↑
1.7 pts
across 6 years
What this signals:
Excellent. 94% of graduates were paying down at least $1 of principal seven years out.
Who Studies Here
Who you would actually be sitting next to: 2,300 students, a mid-sized community.
Total Enrolled
2,300
Part-Time
0%
First-Generation
17%
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
White 29.8%686
Asian 25.7%591
Hispanic 14.4%331
International 13.4%307
Black 8.4%194
Other 8.0%184
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at Wellesley College. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
Wellesley College offers
a varied set of programs:
39 distinct programs across
16 majors.
Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings.
Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.
There are 7 students for every instructor here: small classes, and staff who are likely to know your name.
Student : Faculty
7:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Endowment
$3.1B
Strong financial cushion supports aid and stability
Avg Faculty Salary
$120,638
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
332 instructional faculty across 5 ranks.
The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.
Rank
Faculty Count
Share
Avg Salary
Full Professors
108
33%
$163,318
Associate Professors
67
20%
$120,293
Assistant Professors
34
10%
$102,747
Lecturers
79
24%
$92,444
No Rank
44
13%
$80,847
Pros & Cons of Wellesley College
No college is right for everyone. Here is where Wellesley College is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.
Highly competitive admissions, many strong applicants are rejected
Very high published cost of attendance (full-pay families pay much more than the net-price average)
Predominantly serves middle- and upper-income families
No graduate programs offered at this institution
Best for:
Based on the data, Wellesley College is a fit for
students prioritizing post-graduation earnings; students seeking a highly selective peer group.
Frequently Asked Questions about Wellesley College
The questions families ask most about Wellesley College, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.
Is Wellesley College hard to get into?
Wellesley College is highly selective. Its acceptance rate is 14.1%, so admitted students generally have strong grades, competitive test scores, and a well-rounded application.
What is the acceptance rate at Wellesley College?
14.1% of applicants are admitted. Fewer than a third of applicants get in, so treat it as a stretch rather than a safe bet. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What SAT score do you need for Wellesley College?
Aim for 1560 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 1460 and 1560 (Reading plus Math), so anything above the top of that range makes you competitive and anything below the bottom means the rest of your application has to carry more weight. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What ACT score do you need for Wellesley College?
Aim for 35 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 33 and 35 on the composite, so the upper half of that band is where you want to land. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
How much does Wellesley College cost?
Budget around $25,496 a year. That is the net price, what families typically pay once grants and scholarships come off, not the sticker price. Your own figure depends on household income, so treat this as a midpoint rather than a quote. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Wellesley College worth it?
On the numbers, yes: solid return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $84,803 a year against a net price of $25,496, about 3.3 dollars of earnings for every dollar of annual cost. That ratio ignores whether you finish and what you study, which matter just as much. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is Wellesley College known for?
Mostly Economics, Experimental Psychology, Information Systems. Those are the fields where it awards the most degrees, which is a better guide to where the teaching strength sits than any reputation ranking. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What do Wellesley College graduates earn?
About $84,803 a year, measured ten years after students first enrolled. Half earn more and half earn less, and what you study moves that figure far more than where you study. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Wellesley College accredited?
Yes. Wellesley College is accredited by the New England Commission on Higher Education.
How many students attend Wellesley College?
2,300 students. Big enough for a wide course catalogue without feeling anonymous. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at Wellesley College?
93% finish within six years. Most people who start here graduate, which is the signal you want. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is Wellesley College a public or private college?
It is Private Nonprofit. Private nonprofit, so the sticker price is higher but institutional aid is often larger too.
Where is Wellesley College located?
Wellesley College is located in Wellesley, Massachusetts.
What programs does Wellesley College offer?
39 different programs, most commonly Economics, Experimental Psychology, Information Systems. If the subject you want is not among them, check the full list before applying rather than assuming it is offered.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at Wellesley College?
7 students per instructor. Low enough that staff are likely to know who you are. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
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Free, data-backed guides to help you decide, built on the same federal data as this profile.
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