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Wellesley College

Wellesley College

Wellesley College was chartered in 1870 as the Wellesley Female Seminary. It was given its present name on March 7, 1873. However, classes began to be offered only from the year 1875. It is now a private women's liberal arts institute located on more than 450 acres of land in Wellesley, Massachusetts.

Wellesley College's recent enrollments have been more than 2,000 students every year. The college offers baccalaureates degrees in over 50 majors. One can choose from programs in the fields of art, architecture, classical studies, cinema and media studies, English, geosciences, peace and justice studies, religion, and women’s studies, among others.

Wellesley College’s sports teams participate in basketball, cross country, fencing, field hockey, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, squash, swimming and diving, tennis, and volleyball. Students are also members of clubs and organizations such as the À la Mode, Alianza, Art Club, Blue Notes, Cafe Hoop, Glee Club, and Phi Sigma.

Overview of Wellesley College

Wellesley College can be found in Wellesley, MA (a large suburb). The school is a private, not-for-profit institution. The Bachelor's degree is the highest degree at Wellesley College.

Areas of Study

The school offers a wide range of choices in programs of study. The range of program offerings available from Wellesley College is especially impressive compared to its number of students. The most common majors at the school are in science, mathematics, fine arts, and liberal arts.

Wellesley College Selectivity

Wellesley College does not have an open admissions system. Not everyone who applies is accepted. The school turned down 64% of potential students in 2007. Only 25% of students scored 660 or lower in 2007 on the verbal SAT test. Math SAT scores at Wellesley College centered around 640 to 730, but ranged both higher and lower.

Faculty

Classes at the school are less crowded than at many schools. A tenure system is one way Wellesley College works to keep a high-quality staff. Instructors at the school are well-paid.

Student Body

In 2007, 2,380 students were enrolled in Wellesley College. A very high share of students at the school are female.

Student Life

Wellesley College has a residential or campus feel. Student dorms or apartments are common at the school. Wellesley College offers students meal plans. The school student athletes compete in New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference competitions.

More complete details are provided below.

Contacting Wellesley College

Wellesley College
106 Central St
Wellesley, MA 02481-8203
General Phone: (781) 283-1000
http://www.wellesley.edu

Wellesley College Programs and Degrees (2007)

General CategoryDegreesMost Common Majors [see all]
Liberal Arts354economics, political science, English, international relations, Spanish language, history, French language, sociology, ...
Science61biology, biochemistry, physics, chemistry, astrophysics
Therapy And Counseling55psychology, cognitive psychology
Fine Arts29art history and criticism, fine arts
Architecture And Planning14architecture
Medicine14neuroscience
Mathematics13mathematics
Photography And Commercial Art13film studies, film and photography
Religion And Philosophy12philosophy, religion, Jewish studies
Computer Science And Engineering7computer and info science
Drama And Performing Arts6drama
Conservation And Resource Management5environmental studies, environmental science
Music1music
Engineering1archeology

Number of programs and degrees for Wellesley College in 2007:

Degree LevelTotal
Awarded
Number of
Programs
Bachelor's degree58552

Student Body

In 2007, Wellesley College had a total enrollment of 2,380 students (2,294 full-time equivalent).

Students in the Freshman Class:

GroupPercent
Men0%
Women100%
Full-Time100%
Part-Time0%

Students By Class:

GroupPercent
Undergraduate100%

Racial Diversity:
RacePercent
White44%
Black5%
Hispanic7%
Asian24%
American Indian0%
Unknown11%
(Foreign Students)8%

Students by Age:

AgePercent
Under 183%
18-1947%
20-2143%
22-245%
25-291%
30-340%
35-390%
40-490%
50-640%

Incoming (Freshman) Students by Place of Residence:
(From available data sampling)

ResidencePercent
New York13%
California13%
Massachusetts12%
(International Students)11%
New Jersey5%
Connecticut4%
Florida4%
Maryland3%
Texas3%
Illinois3%
Pennsylvania3%
Ohio2%
New Hampshire2%
Michigan2%
Minnesota2%
Maine2%
Virginia2%
Washington1%
Oregon1%
Wisconsin1%
Georgia1%
Oklahoma1%
Missouri1%
Nebraska1%
New Mexico1%
Tennessee1%
Colorado1%
North Carolina1%
Idaho1%
Rhode Island1%
Washington, DC1%
Vermont1%
Arizona1%

Wellesley College Graduation, Retention, and Transfers

Retention Rates (2007):

GroupReturning From
Previous Year
Full-Time96 %

Wellesley College Room and Board (2007)

Wellesley College offers campus housing for 2,195 of its 2,294 (full-time) students.

(Please refer to our profile of Wellesley, Massachusetts for details about the area surrounding the campus. Also see our list of other Massachusetts Colleges).

The school offers students a meal plan with 19 meals per week.

Wellesley College Admissions and Selectivity (2007)

Acceptances:

GroupApplicantsAcceptedPercent
Accepted
EnrolledPercent of
Accepted Enrolled
Total4,0171,43436%59041%
Women4,0171,43436%59041%

Standardized Test Scores:

Test25th Percentile75th Percetile
SAT Verbal660750
SAT Math640730
SAT Writing660730
ACT Composite2832

Application Requirements:

ItemRequirement
GPArecommended
Class Rankrecommended
High School Recordrequired
College Prep Programrecommended
Recommendationsrequired
Formal Demonstration of Competencerecommended
Standardized Tests (SAT and/or ACT)required
Percent of Applicants Submitting SAT90%
Percent of Applicants Submitting ACT35%
TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language)recommended
Other Standardized Testsnot required

Wellesley College Expenses and Financial Aid (2007)

Expenses and Financial Aid:

ExpenseAmount
In-state tuition and fees$ 34,994
Out-of-state tuition and fees$ 34,994
Room and board$ 10,826
Room charge$ 5,494
Board (meal plan) charge$ 5,332
Books and supplies$ 800
Other expenses$ 1,250

Financial Aid:
Wellesley College participates in Federal Title IV financial aid programs. (The school's OPE ID is 222400)

Wellesley College Faculty

Wellesley College has a tenure system for faculty.

Tenure Status of Faculty (2007):

Full-Time Faculty LevelMenWomen
Tenured7576
Non-tenured, but on tenure track2133
Non-tenured and not on tenure track1221

Salaries for full-time faculty:

Full-Time Faculty (2007):

Full-Time Faculty LevelContract LengthNumber MenAvg Salary MenNumber WomenAvg Salary Women
Professoracademic year52$142,82049$135,710
Associate professoracademic year23$96,47231$97,641
Assistant professoracademic year29$75,54142$72,610
Instructoracademic year2*2*
Lectureracademic year2*6$94,032
No academic rankacademic year8$67,74328$66,018
All faculty totalacademic year116$109,313158$96,471

*: salaries are not displayed where there are fewer than 3 professors in the category.

Wellesley College Athletics

Athletic Conferences:

SportConference
BasketballNew England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference
TrackNew England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference

Wellesley College Degree Programs (2007)

ARCHITECTURE AND PLANNING
Architecture (BArch, BA/BS, MArch, MA/MS, PhD)

COMPUTER SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
Computer and Information Sciences, General

CONSERVATION AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Environmental Science
Environmental Studies

DRAMA AND PERFORMING ARTS
Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General

ENGINEERING
Archeology

FINE ARTS
Art History, Criticism and Conservation
Fine/Studio Arts, General

LIBERAL ARTS
African-American/Black Studies
American/United States Studies/Civilization
Ancient Studies/Civilization
Anthropology
Chinese Language and Literature
Comparative Literature
East Asian Studies
Economics, General
English Language and Literature, General
French Language and Literature
French Studies
German Language and Literature
German Studies
History, General
International Relations and Affairs
Italian Studies
Japanese Language and Literature
Latin American Studies
Medieval and Renaissance Studies
Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other
Near and Middle Eastern Studies
Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution
Political Science and Government, General
Russian Language and Literature
Russian Studies
Sociology
Spanish Language and Literature
Urban Studies/Affairs
Women's Studies

MATHEMATICS
Mathematics, General

MEDICINE
Neuroscience

MUSIC
Music, General

PHOTOGRAPHY AND COMMERCIAL ART
Film/Cinema Studies
Film/Video and Photographic Arts, Other

RELIGION AND PHILOSOPHY
Jewish/Judaic Studies
Philosophy
Religion/Religious Studies

SCIENCE
Astrophysics
Biochemistry
Biology/Biological Sciences, General
Chemistry, General
Physics, General

THERAPY AND COUNSELING
Cognitive Psychology and Psycholinguistics
Psychology, General

Wellesley College Highlights

(Details are provided further down on this page.)

What Sets Wellesley College Apart:

CategoryTrophy 
Salaries of full-time faculty
(vs. all colleges)
Top 1%Wellesley College Salaries of full-time faculty
Student SAT scores
(vs. all colleges)
Top 2%Wellesley College Student SAT scores
Dorm rooms per full-time student
(vs. all colleges)
Top 3%Wellesley College Dorm rooms per full-time student
Faculty/student ratio (full-time)
(vs. all colleges)
Top 3%Wellesley College Faculty/student ratio (full-time)
% of degrees in liberal arts
(vs. all colleges)
Top 4%Wellesley College % of degrees in liberal arts
Number of degree programs
(vs. all colleges)
Top 6%Wellesley College Number of degree programs
Female % of student body
(vs. all colleges)
Top 7%Wellesley College Female % of student body
% of degrees in mathematics
(vs. all colleges)
Top 8%Wellesley College % of degrees in mathematics
Selectivity (based on % of applicants accepted)
(vs. all colleges)
Top 8%Wellesley College Selectivity (based on % of applicants accepted)
% of degrees in fine arts
(vs. all colleges)
Top 12%Wellesley College % of degrees in fine arts
Number of students
(vs. colleges with similar degree levels)
Top 13%Wellesley College Number of students
Minority % of student body
(vs. colleges of similar size)
Top 19%Wellesley College Minority % of student body
% of degrees in science
(vs. all colleges)
Top 19%Wellesley College % of degrees in science
% of degrees in therapy and counseling
(vs. colleges of similar size)
Top 20%Wellesley College % of degrees in therapy and counseling
Explanation of the Highlights categories

Notable:
Accepts some high school credits
Grants credits for AP courses
Career counseling
Career services
Student employment services
Option to study abroad
Offers part-time study
On-campus library
Offers campus housing
Offers a board (meal) plan
Tenure system for quality teaching
Has ROTC (army, air force)
NCAA athletic conference member

Online Degree Alternatives

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