Wellesley College
A liberal arts college for women who will make a difference in the world
About Wellesley
Academics
Student Life
Ranked among the top liberal arts colleges in the U.S., Wellesley College has a long-time tradition of educating women who make a difference in the world. Living and learning on a campus full of self-directed, intellectually curious women helps students develop the skills needed to succeed in all professional fields, including those traditionally dominated by men.
Faculty • 8:1 student-to-faculty ratio
Students • 2,375 undergraduates
• 100% of professors teach at all levels
• 50% students of color
• 26% of faculty identify as people of color
• 30 languages spoken by students
• 93% of faculty hold a Ph.D. or the highest degree in their field
• 14% international citizens
On Wellesley’s lush 500-acre campus, 2,375 students enjoy a breathtaking setting and easy access to Boston and Cambridge—academic, medical, cultural, and historic hubs. Multiculturalism is a way of life at Wellesley. An exceptionally diverse community draws students from more than 80 countries and all 50 states. Wellesley courses develop critical thinking, an appreciation of varied approaches, and the power to communicate effectively. Classes are small, and all are taught by Wellesley professors—superbly talented people dedicated to their students’ success. They encompass everything from “the teacher who opened my mind” and “the person who wrote the recommendation that blew away the scholarship committee” to “the world-renowned neuroscientist who always has time to talk about my plans” and “the person who showed me what it means to love, really love, what you do.” Wellesley is known for its extraordinary alumnae network: Students have unmatched opportunities to cultivate leadership abilities and gain lifelong access to a legendary network of accomplished Wellesley alumnae— a global power supply dedicated to helping Wellesley women, past, present, and future.
• 63% of Wellesley faculty are women • By graduation, most students say three faculty members know them well enough to provide a letter of recommendation Classes • 1,000+ classes on campus (5,000+ classes through cross-registration) • 54+ majors and 15 foreign languages Additional Opportunities • Just under 50% of students study abroad with more than 180 approved programs
• Students from all 50 states, more than 80 countries • 19% of entering first-years are first-generation college students Life on Campus • 500 stunningly beautiful acres • 1 awesome lake, with a 2.4-mile trail around it for running, walking, boating • Botanic Gardens, Greenhouse, Arboretum, Collins Cinema, Davis Museum, Whitin Observatory, Jewett Arts Center, state-of-the-art Human Computer Interaction lab
• Cross-registration at Babson, Brandeis, MIT, & Olin College of Engineering,
• 98% of students live on campus
• Babson-Olin-Wellesley Sustainability Certificate and Olin Certificate in Engineering Studies
• 4 dining halls; unlimited meal plan; vegetarian, kosher, and halal options
• Hundreds of research opportunities available every year, often one-on-one with a professor, plus full access to MIT’s Undergraduate Research Program • 2 annual conferences on internships (Tanner) and research (Ruhlman) Fellowships & Internships • 100+ Wellesley students and alumnae won fellowships from Fulbright, Watson, National Science Foundation, and Soriano Curatorial Fellowships at the Musée du Louvre
• 21 residence halls
Random Cool Things • 4 cafés (2 student-run) • 1 student-run pub • 2 s’more pits • The Honor Code, a mutual system of trust and respect upon which we base our community
• 94% of the Class of 2021 had at least one internship during their time at Wellesley • $605,000+ awarded annually in Wellesley funded internships
Majors & Programs Africana Studies American Studies Anthropology Architecture Asian American Studies (minor) Astronomy Astrophysics Biochemistry Biological Sciences Chemical Physics Chemistry Cinema and Media Studies Classical Civilization Classical Studies
Cognitive & Linguistic Sciences Comparative Literature Comparative Race and Ethnicity (minor) Computer Science Data Science (Individual Structured)
Environmental Studies French French Cultural Studies Geosciences German Studies
(Individual Structured)
Global Portuguese East Asian Studies (minor) Languages & Studies History (Chinese, Japanese, & International Korean) Relations Economics Italian Studies Education Studies Jewish Studies English and Creative Latin American Writing Studies
Mathematics Media Arts and Sciences Medieval/ Renaissance Studies Middle Eastern Studies Music Neuroscience Peace and Justice Studies Philosophy Physics Political Science Prelaw
Premedical Professions Psychology Religion Russian Russian Area Studies Sociology South Asia Studies Spanish Studio Art Theatre Studies Women’s and Gender Studies
Sports, Recreation, Fitness • 13 Division III sports teams
After Wellesley
• 8 club sports from archery to rugby to water polo
Employment • 98% of 2021 graduates were employed, accepted to graduate school, participating in a service/volunteer program, or serving in the military within 6 months of graduation
• Recreational programs: Zumba, barre, dance, yoga • Physical education course offerings including salsa dancing, yoga, sailing, archery, golf, tai chi, couch to 5k training, badminton, swimming, Pilates Organizations & Activities • 180+ student organizations, including 45 multicultural organizations Some examples: Shakespeare Society, Debate Club, ASTRO Club, Classics Club, Wellesley African Students Association, Dead Serious (improv), Wellesley Women in Business, Zeta Alpha Literary Society • 1,020 student leaders (student life and student organization leaders) • Over 90% of students report participating in extracurricular activities including sports, clubs, and other organizations • Hundreds of service opportunities on- and off-campus; Wellesley provides free transportation to approved service sites Boston/Cambridge • 12 miles to Boston and Cambridge • 250,000 undergraduate college students in the Boston area from 80+ colleges • 17 daily free rides into Boston • Favorite Boston/Cambridge destinations: the Boston Common, the Esplanade, Faneuil Hall Marketplace, Fenway Park, Harvard Square, Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, the Museum of Fine Arts, the New England Aquarium, the North End, Symphony Hall
• Top employers include: MIT, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston Children’s Hospital, JP Morgan Chase Google, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, the Broade Institute, Citi, Amazon, Microsoft, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard University, Facebook • 68,500+ job, internship, fellowship, and volunteer opportunities posted on Handshake last year Graduate School • Top graduate schools: Columbia University, MIT, University of California, Berkeley, Boston University, Harvard University, Yale, Johns Hopkins University, Stanford University, Brandeis University, Tufts University, The University of Edinburgh, University of Pennsylvania • 80% of alumnae go to graduate school within 10 years, often in fields (economics, computer science, physics) underrepresented by women, many at top-ranked programs with full funding Extraordinary Alumnae Network • Over 35,000 alumnae and 85+ active Wellesley clubs worldwide • Noted alumnae: former U.S. Secretaries of State Madeleine Albright and Hillary Rodham Clinton (also Democratic Party Presidential Nominee 2016); Chinese writer Bing Xin; MacArthur Fellowship (Genius Grant) winner Nergis Mavalvala; NASA astronaut Pamela Melroy; journalist Diane Sawyer; executive director of Partners in Health Ophelia Dahl; architect and social justice advocate Liz Ogbu; Zipcar founder Robin Chase; and many others
Career Education: It starts day one and lasts a lifetime Wellesley’s individually tailored, holistic approach to career education prepares and inspires every Wellesley student to craft a lifetime of opportunity and reach her full potential. Each student is matched with a college career mentor, and later a personal advisory board made up of professors, alumnae in their fields, and others who will help her develop strategies, navigate her career journey, and access opportunities that will further her goals.
The Wellesley career education model illuminates the strength of the liberal arts education. Its objective is to encourage active participation in the full College ecosystem. Connections and communities form the heart of this model, whose vision is to be the leader in cultivating women leaders of the future. The Chronicle of Higher Education recently spotlighted Career Education at Wellesley as a model approach to “reinventing the career center.”
“I walked on to Wellelsey’s campus and it felt like home to me—I knew it was a place that I wanted to come back to. Wellesley has the right amount of academic enrichment and fun, as well as students who embrace the meaning of siblinghood. Once you find your space in our community you’ll know this is the place for you.”—Zaria ’23, theatre studies and women’s & gender studies, Asheville, NC “While I didn’t actively seek women’s colleges throughout my college search, it’s what truly sets Wellesley apart. Wellesley is a place where I am able to explore everything from classes to extracurriculars (realize that I either do or don’t like them), make plenty of mistakes but easily bounce back, and keep trying and discovering until I find what I enjoy most–all in a judgment-free environment. At the end of the day, everyone here is so eager to learn and is incredibly loyal to one another, which has provided me with a strong support system to fearlessly pursue a traditionally maledominated field like economics.” —Lisako ’23, economics and Spanish, New York, NY “One of the best things about a liberal arts education is that it really feels like you have the world your fingertips. You'll end up familiarizing yourself with topics you never could have seen coming, but that you also fall in love with. I never took a philosophy or neuro class before coming to college, but being able to gain confidence and skills in both, even being able to connect them, is something I attribute wholly to Wellesley. This confidence comes from the classes, as well as office hours with your professors (who often become mentors), and study groups with friends, but also internships and working experience. One day you sort of wake up and realize you can hold complex conversations about whatever it is you're passionate about–and that feeling is what will carry you forward!”—Julianna ’22, neuroscience and philosophy, Mexico City, Mexico
Admission Application Information • We accept the Common Application and QuestBridge Application. It’s free to apply! • SAT or ACT (testing is optional for firstyear applicants applying to the College for entry in the fall of 2023 and 2024). • Wellesley grants credit for some A-levels, AP, and IB higher-level exams
Application Deadlines Early Decision I: November 1 Early Decision II: January 1 Regular Decision: January 8 Admission Website: wellesley.edu/admission/apply
Financial Aid Our admission process is need-blind for U.S. citizens and permanent residents. In other words, we don’t consider your financial situation when we consider your application. We admit terrific people, and then we make sure Wellesley is possible for them. Our cost is not necessarily your cost. We charge a specific amount for tuition, room, and board. Yet most of our students pay far less than that amount. Why? Because we meet 100% of our students’ calculated need. Our students pay only what they can afford— nothing more. (Get an early indication of how true this is by using MyinTuition, Wellesley's Quick College Cost Estimator.) We’re known for low (or no) student debt. The average student loan debt for all four years for Wellesley students is $19,000—significantly less than the national average. Students from families with limited assets and incomes under $100,000 will have $0 in packaged student loans upon graduation. “Value” is tangible and intangible. Our scholarships, funded internships, programs supporting research, study abroad, and innovative projects on campus and in communities around the world have a tangible value. Our libraries, scientific equipment, playing fields, art museum, collaborative relationships with MIT and other fine colleges and universities— you could put a number on that. But it all adds up to something more, as does the active involvement of our alumnae—tens of thousands of extraordinarily accomplished, fiercely loyal women who are living proof of the value of a Wellesley education. Student Financial Services website: wellesley.edu/sfs
“I am a first-generation low-income student and there was no way I would be able to attend any college that did not give me financial aid. Wellesley gave me the most financial aid out of all the schools. What I found beneficial was Wellesley gave me no loans in my financial aid package and that helped because I knew I was not putting myself or my family in debt.” — Karissa ’23, political science and psychology, Springfield, MA
Could Wellesley cost less than your state school? Try MyinTuition, Wellesley’s eye-opening Quick College Cost Estimator, for an early estimate of the amount that both Wellesley and your family would contribute toward your first year at Wellesley. It’s not a guarantee, but it’s an excellent starting point. You will need to answer just six financial questions; it should take about three minutes.
wellesley.edu/costestimator
“The best things about Wellesley are the close connections you are able to develop with your professors and other faculty coupled with the resources you get for success after college.” —Emi ’24, economics and political science, Caracas,Venezuela
Financial Aid Statistics
100%
Wellesley will meet 100% of calculated financial need for all admitted students. You’ll pay what you can afford—nothing more.
Top 10
Wellesley is widely recognized as one of the top 10 colleges in the country for students graduating with the least amount of debt, and, in many cases, with no debt at all.
60%
60% of our students receive grant aid. Our admission process for U.S. citizens and permanent residents is need-blind.
$62,500
The average annual scholarship aid award is more than $62,500 (that is money that you *do not* have to repay!).
$83 million
Our annual financial aid budget is over $83 million, all dedicated to students with need.
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