Admit rate has ranged 14%–22% over the last 5 years. Source: IPEDS via Urban Institute.
Acceptance & SAT from Common Data Set / IPEDS; net price, earnings & graduation from the U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. Figures lag ~1–2 years — verify with the school.
Wellesley College isn't just a women's college—it's a powerhouse that consistently produces some of the most influential female leaders in the world. With a fiercely intellectual culture, a 7:1 student-faculty ratio, and a campus so picturesque it could double as a botanical garden, Wellesley offers an education that's as rigorous as it is transformative. Its graduates earn PhDs in STEM at higher rates than any other liberal arts college, and with a median debt at graduation of just $10,000, it delivers elite outcomes without the elite financial burden.
Admission requirements
Test-optional — scores considered if submitted
Required
High school transcript
Letters of recommendation
Considered (not required)
Grade point average
Class rank
Test scores (SAT/ACT)
College-prep program
Demonstrated competencies
TOEFL (non-native English)
Source: IPEDS Admissions survey (2022) via Urban Institute. Covers formal factors only — it does not reflect essays, extracurriculars, or other holistic criteria.
More details
Undergrad enrollment
2,300
In-state tuition
$67,176
Out-of-state tuition
$67,176
Campus Housing
91% of students live on campus
Acceptance Rate
13.7% (Class of 2029)
Notable Alumnae
Hillary Clinton, Madeleine Albright, Diane Sawyer
Student-Faculty Ratio
7:1
4-Year Graduation Rate
86%
Average Need-Based Aid
$66,603
Median Debt at Graduation
$10,000
Outcomes & value
Outcomes & value
Median earnings (10 yr)
$84,803
Value (earnings ÷ net price)
3.3×
Median debt at graduation
$10,000
Graduation rate
92%
First-year retention
97%
Reducing loan balance (3 yr)
90%
Pell (lower-income) share
50%
First-generation share
17%
Endowment / student
$1,300,532
Financial health
3.0 / 3.0Meets the federal financial-responsibility standard
U.S. Dept. of Education Financial Responsibility Composite Score (FY2022-23). Scale −1.0 to 3.0; ≥1.5 meets the standard. Reported for private nonprofit & for-profit institutions only — public universities are state-backed and not scored, so this is a stability signal, not a ranking.
Top-earning majors
Median earnings by field of study (highest credential), ~2 years after completion.
Computer and Information Sciences, General$86,867
Economics$76,460
History$41,937
Neurobiology and Neurosciences$38,289
Political Science and Government$36,852
Fine and Studio Arts$36,312
Area Studies
Campus & location
Campus safety
On-campus violent crimes (2024)
0
Per 1,000 students
0.00
On-campus criminal offenses classed as violent (murder/non-negligent manslaughter, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) for the most recent reported year. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education Campus Safety and Security (Clery Act). Counts reflect what’s reported to the school, and urban campuses often report more partly due to non-student incidents nearby — read alongside campus size and setting, not as a standalone safety verdict.
Climate
Pleasant days / yr
91
Summer high
82°F
Winter low
25°F
Annual rain
50"
Annual snow
33.1"
Natural-hazard risk
Relatively Moderate
Pleasant days counts days per year with a mean temperature of 55–75°F, a high at or below 90°F, a low at or above 45°F, and little precipitation — a transparent comfort measure, not a weighting we invented. Computed from Open-Meteo ERA5 daily history (2019–2023). Natural-hazard risk is the county’s composite rating from the FEMA National Risk Index.
Deep dive — research, future-scholar output & economic mobility▾
Research output
Institutional h-index
287
Scholarly works
12,350
Institutional research volume and impact from OpenAlex. The h-index reflects large research universities and will be low for teaching-focused liberal-arts colleges — not a measure of undergraduate quality.
Share of this school’s graduates who go on to earn research doctorates (2010–20), by national rank and per-capita yield (NSF institutional-yield ratio). A signal of a research-oriented student culture — not a causal promise, since it partly reflects who enrolls. Only top producers appear. Source: NSF NCSES, Baccalaureate Origins of U.S. Research Doctorate Recipients.
Economic mobility
Quick answers
What is the acceptance rate at Wellesley College?
Wellesley College's acceptance rate is approximately 14% (Wellesley, MA), based on the most recent figures we compiled from public and primary sources.
What SAT score do you need for Wellesley College?
Admitted students at Wellesley College typically score 1460–1560 on the SAT (the middle-50% range). Scores outside this band are still admitted, especially with strong applications.
How much does Wellesley College cost?
At Wellesley College, the average net price (after aid) is about $25,496 per year. Actual cost varies with financial aid and residency.
How many undergraduates attend Wellesley College?
Wellesley College enrolls approximately 2,300 undergraduate students.
Where is Wellesley College located?
Wellesley College is located in Wellesley, MA.
Admissions
Getting into Wellesley is a feat—only 13.7% of applicants were admitted to the Class of 2029, making it more selective than many Ivy League schools. The middle 50% SAT range for admitted students is 1470–1550 (EBRW: 730–770, Math: 730–790), though 58% of enrolling first-years submitted test scores. Waitlisted hopefuls face brutal odds: just 2.62% of the 1,299 students waitlisted in 2023 ultimately gained admission. The college draws applicants from all 50 states and internationally, with recent admits hailing from 47 U.S. states.
Wellesley's academic reputation is sterling—it's widely considered the top women's college in the U.S., with particular strength in economics and STEM. The 7:1 student-faculty ratio ensures intimate seminars (no hiding in lecture halls here), and the curriculum is unapologetically rigorous. A standout fact: Wellesley graduates earn PhDs in science and engineering at higher rates than women from any other liberal arts college. The college avoids grade inflation; as one student notes, 'They won't accept you if they don't think you can do the work.'
Earnings = median of students working ~10 years after entry; debt = median of graduates. Value divides 10-yr earnings by one year’s net price — read it as earnings per dollar of annual cost, not a full lifetime ROI; it favors lower-cost schools. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. Figures lag ~2 years and reflect all students, not your intended major.
$34,420
Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies$33,993
Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (field-of-study earnings). Figures cover graduates who received federal aid and lag ~2 years; not all programs report data.
Mobility rate
2.4%
Bottom → top quintile
44%
From bottom quintile
6%
Mobility rate = the share of students who both start in the bottom household-income quintile and reach the top quintile; bottom → top is that chance conditional on starting at the bottom. Source: Opportunity Insights Mobility Report Cards (Chetty, Friedman, Saez, Turner & Yagan). Reflects 1980–82 birth cohorts, so it’s directional, not current.
Life on Wellesley's 500-acre campus (complete with a private lake) balances New England charm with intellectual intensity. Ninety-one percent of students live on campus, creating a tight-knit community where traditions like Flower Sunday and Lake Day punctuate the academic year. Over 180 student organizations thrive here, from a cappella groups that collaborate with MIT and Harvard to cultural clubs that host vibrant events. The social scene leans more toward museum trips than frat parties—Boston's cultural offerings are just a 30-minute bus ride away.
Wellesley's outcomes are extraordinary by any measure: 92% graduate within six years, and alumni median earnings hit $72,500 within four years of graduation. The college's secret sauce? A combination of rigorous academics and unparalleled networking—the Wellesley Effect, as it's known, propels graduates into leadership roles across sectors. Remarkably, students achieve these results with minimal debt; the median debt at graduation is just $10,000, putting Wellesley in the top 1% of colleges for financial outcomes.
Wellesley's sticker price is steep, but its financial aid is transformative. The average need-based scholarship is $66,603, and 53% of first-years receive Need-based aidFinancial aid awarded based on your family's ability to pay, as measured by forms like the FAFSA, rather than on achievements.. After aid, the average net cost drops to $25,496—a bargain for an institution of this caliber. The college meets 100% of demonstrated need without loans for families earning under $60,000, and its MyinTuition calculator provides unusually transparent cost estimates. As one of the few elite colleges with a no-loan policy, Wellesley ensures students graduate with options, not burdens.
Wellesley isn't just another elite college—it's a launchpad for women who change the world. From Hillary Rodham Clinton '69 to Madame Chiang Kai-shek '17, its alumnae network is unmatched among women's colleges. The combination of a STEM powerhouse (with more science PhDs produced per capita than MIT) and a humanities stronghold creates uniquely versatile graduates. Add in the cross-registration opportunities with MIT, Olin, and Babson, and you've got an education that's both deeply traditional and radically forward-looking—all set on a campus that feels like a Jane Austen novel come to life.
