What types of campus tours does Wellesley College offer?

Wellesley College currently offers Campus Tour, Virtual Event. 10 upcoming dates are listed on this page.

Does Wellesley College offer self-guided or virtual tours?

Yes — Wellesley College offers a virtual tour (https://www.wellesley.edu/admission/visit).

What is the nearest airport to Wellesley College?

The nearest major airport is Boston Logan (BOS), about 16 miles away.

Where can I stay when visiting Wellesley College?

Hotels near campus include Check nearby hotels. See the visit-planning section on this page for details.

Wellesley College Campus Tours & Visits — Wellesley, MA

Highly selective — top graduate earnings

Wellesley College is a private institution in Wellesley with particular strength in biology and computer science. With an average SAT of 1513, the school attracts a competitive applicant pool.

A mid-sized campus of 2.3K undergraduates with a 7:1 student-faculty ratio. The suburban location offers a balance of campus life and nearby amenities.

91% of students graduate within four years, and graduates earn a median of $84,803 a decade after enrollment. Net price after aid averages $25,008.

Established

1870

Motto

Non Ministrari sed Ministrare

Mascot

The Blue

Type

Private women's liberal arts college

Division

Division III

14%

Acceptance

1513

SAT Avg

2,318

Undergrads

7:1

Student : Faculty

91%

Grad Rate (4yr)

$84,803

Earnings 10yr

$25,008

Avg Net Price

Rankings

U.S. News

2025

#7

Forbes

2025

#23

Wall Street Journal

2025

#29

Washington Monthly

2025

#20

More About This School

Varsity Sports

And menIntercollegiate rowingCollege wonTennis championshipsCollege tournamentTennis championshipCollegiate tennis

History & Fun Facts

•Its charter was signed on March 17, 1870, by Massachusetts governor William Claflin.
•The original name of the college was the "Wellesley Female Seminary"; its renaming to Wellesley College was approved by the Massachusetts legislature on March 7, 1873.
•Wellesley first opened its doors to students on September 8, 1875.
•Between 1875 and 1921, Wellesley employed more female scientists than any other U.
•In early 1896, Sarah Frances Whiting, the first professor of physics and astronomy, was among the first U.

Source: Wikipedia

Notable Alumni

•

Hillary Clinton '69

Former U.S. Secretary of State and Senator

•

Madeleine Albright '59

First female U.S. Secretary of State

•

Nora Ephron '62

Academy Award-nominated screenwriter and director

•

Diane Sawyer '67

Broadcast journalist

•

Cokie Roberts '64

Emmy Award-winning journalist

•

Mona Hanna-Attisha '95

Pediatrician who exposed Flint water crisis

•

Janet Yellen (honorary)

U.S. Secretary of the Treasury and economist

Schools Like This

Williams College

Williamstown, MA · Town · Private

10% accept1527 SAT$14,852 net

Amherst College

Amherst, MA · Urban · Private

10% accept1494 SAT$18,246 net

College of the Holy Cross

Worcester, MA · Urban · Private

21% accept1354 SAT$36,868 net

Smith College

Northampton, MA · Urban · Private

20% accept1480 SAT$26,181 net

Admissions

Acceptance Rate13.9%

SAT Score Ranges

Average: 1513

Reading & WritingMid: 735

720770

MathMid: 735

720780

ACT Score Range

CompositeMid: 33

3335

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard / IPEDS.

Admissions

Test-OptionalNo Demonstrated InterestHolistic ReviewOn-Campus Interviews

Application Platforms

Common AppCoalition

Early Decision (Binding)

November 1

Decision by Mid-December

Aid deadline: November 1

Early Decision II (Binding)

January 3

Decision by Mid-February

Regular Decision

January 3

Decision by Late March

Reply by May 1

Wellesley is test-optional, allowing students to choose whether to submit SAT or ACT scores

Wellesley requires several supplemental essays exploring why Wellesley and personal perspectives

Deadline Calendar

Get access to view details →

Typical Application Requirements

0/9 items complete

Common Application or Coalition Application

Verify at source →

Official High School Transcript

Verify at source →

School Report + Counselor Recommendation

Verify at source →

Two Teacher Recommendations

Verify at source →

SAT or ACT Scores (test-optional)Optional

Check current test policy

Verify at source →

Wellesley College Supplemental EssaysNon-standard

1-3 supplemental essays required

Verify at source →

CSS Profile / FAFSA

Required for financial aid consideration

Verify at source →

Arts Portfolio (if applicable)Non-standardOptional

Required for arts programs

Verify at source →

Interview (recommended)Optional

Verify at source →

Get access to view details →

Decision Notifications

Get access to view details →

Transfer Admission

Fall Transfer

March 1

Minimum credits

24 semester hours

Common App

International Students

✓ Meets 100% Need

International students

0.14%

English Proficiency Requirements

TOEFL100

IELTS7.0

Duolingo120

Cost & Financial Aid

Sticker Price

Tuition$64,320

Room & Board$19,920

Books & Supplies$800

Total Cost of Attendance$83,050

Average Net Price$25,008

Median Debt at Graduation$10,000

Monthly Payment (10yr)$106

Net Price by Family Income

$0–30K$5,695

$30–48K$634

$48–75K$15,511

$75–110K$24,314

$110K+$50,305

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Net price reflects most recent cohort of federally-aided undergraduates.

Financial Aid

✓ Need-Blind✓ Meets 100% Need✗ No-Loan Policy✓ Work-StudyNeed-Based Only

Students receiving aid

0.6%

Wellesley is need-blind for all applicants, including international students

Debt & Aid Detail

Net Price Trend

Tuition Trend

Graduate w/ Zero Debt

83.0%

Avg Tuition Increase

4.7%/yr

Median Debt at Grad

$8,700

Academics

Core/Distribution RequirementsSemesterPhi Beta KappaFirst-Year SeminarCustom MajorsDouble Major OK

Majors

50

Avg class size

17

Student-faculty ratio

8:1

Study abroad

50%

Wellesley has distributional requirements across nine areas including literature, fine arts, natural sciences, social sciences, and quantitative reasoning

Research: Extensive research opportunities including Wellesley's Summer Research Program

Thesis: Honors thesis option available across departments

Cross-Registration with MIT

Wellesley CollegeMIT

Cross-registration

Yes

Wellesley students can cross-register for courses at MIT and participate in joint programs

Programs (42)

Outcomes

4-Year Graduation Rate91.2%

Freshman Retention96.3%

Median Earnings After Graduation

6 Years$65,961

10 Years$84,803

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Earnings reflect federally-aided students 6 and 10 years after entry.

Student Life

Student Satisfaction

Retention Rate

96%

Very Positive

Campus Life

Campus size

500 acres

Organizations

180+

Varsity teams

13

Division IIINEWMACNo Greek Life

Housing & Residential Life

4-Year Housing Guarantee

On campus

0.97%

Housing Styles

residence halls

Student Body

Undergrads

2,318

Gender Split

100% / 0%

Women / Men

First Generation

17%

Pell Grant Recipients

21%

Race & Ethnicity

White 31%

Black 8%

Hispanic 16%

Asian 24%

Two+ 7%

Int'l 14%

Campus Safety

Total Incidents (2024)

17

Peer Average

13

3-Year Trend

Emergency System

Campus police, emergency alert system, blue-light phones

Incident Breakdown (2024)

4

Burglary

1

Aggravated Assault

1

Robbery

1

Motor Vehicle Theft

2

Sex Offenses

0

Arson

5

Drug Arrests

3

Liquor Arrests

Source: U.S. Department of Education Campus Safety & Security data (Clery Act, 2024 reporting year).

Location & Lifestyle

Cost of Living

136Very High

Estimated from MA state average + suburban adjustment

Climate (School Year)

Snowfall: 60"Sunny days: 200Rainy days: 125

Nearest Cities

Bostonpop. 675K

14 mi(24 min)

New Yorkpop. 8.3M

177 mi(307 min)

Philadelphiapop. 1.6M

258 mi(447 min)

Getting There

Nearest Airports

BOSBoston Logan16 mi

PVDProvidence TF Green40 mi

MHTManchester-Boston45 mi

Distance to Cities

Boston, MA14 mi

~24 min drive

Providence, RI33 mi

~57 min drive

Hartford, CT79 mi

~2h 17m drive

Central (cold winters, warm summers)

Getting Around

Walkability

Beautiful, highly walkable campus with shuttle service to Boston and MIT

Visit Planning

Nearby Hotels

Mid-Range

Check nearby hotels

$100-180/night

< 5 mi

Plan Your Visit

Admission Office

106 Central Street, Wellesley, MA 02481

(781) 283-2270[email protected]

Virtual Tour →

Nearby Attractions

•

Wellesley Villagewalkable

Charming downtown with shops and restaurants

•

Lake Wabanwalkable

Campus lake for kayaking, running, and skating

•

Davis Museumwalkable

Campus art museum with diverse collections

•

Boston

Major city accessible via bus or commuter rail

•

Natick Mall

Large shopping center nearby

Wellesley College

Rankings

More About This School

Varsity Sports

History & Fun Facts

Notable Alumni

Schools Like This

Williams College

Amherst College

College of the Holy Cross

Smith College

Admissions

SAT Score Ranges

ACT Score Range

Admissions

Deadline Calendar

Typical Application Requirements

Decision Notifications

Transfer Admission

International Students

Cost & Financial Aid

Sticker Price

Net Price by Family Income

Financial Aid

Debt & Aid Detail

Academics

Cross-Registration with MIT

Programs (42)

Outcomes

Median Earnings After Graduation

Student Life

Student Satisfaction

Campus Life

Housing & Residential Life

Student Body

Race & Ethnicity

Campus Safety

Incident Breakdown (2024)

Location & Lifestyle

Cost of Living

Climate (School Year)

Nearest Cities

Getting There

Nearest Airports

Distance to Cities

Getting Around

Visit Planning

Nearby Hotels

Plan Your Visit

Nearby Attractions

Days out near Wellesley

Explore