Wellesley College
Wellesley College is a private women's liberal-arts college in Wellesley, Massachusetts, just outside Boston, long regarded as one of the most prestigious of the historic Seven Sisters and the alma mater of leaders from Hillary Clinton to Madeleine Albright. Admission is highly selective: Wellesley admitted about 15% of more than 8,500 applicants for its most recent class, and enrolled first-years who submitted scores posted middle-50% SAT results of 1460–1540 and 33–35 on the ACT. With an 8-to-1 student-faculty ratio and a near-entirely residential campus, the social sciences are the most-conferred field, followed by computer science and the biological sciences. Wellesley is test-optional and meets 100% of demonstrated financial need, with a typical first-year aid package near $72,300.
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Wellesley admissions statistics
Acceptance Rate
Total applicants, admitted students, and enrolled students for the most recent admission cycle.
Early Decision
Wellesley offers binding Early Decision. Applying early can meaningfully change your odds — but ED commits you to enroll if admitted.
Admit rate by application plan
% admitted~2.3× higher admit rate applying early.
Standardized Tests
Wellesley is currently test-optional — you may apply without submitting scores.
SAT Accepted?
ACT Accepted?
Test Optional?
SAT Scores
ACT Scores
Class Rank
Where Wellesley's enrolled first-years placed in their high school graduating class.
Based on the 25% of enrolled students who reported a class rank. Wellesley does not publish an average GPA.
Admissions Factors
How Wellesley weighs each part of your application.
Rigor of High School Record
Academic GPA
Standardized Test Scores
Application Essay
Recommendations
Extracurricular Activities
Character / Personal Qualities
Talent / Ability
First Generation
Level of Applicant's Interest
Class Rank
Volunteer Work
Work Experience
Geographical Residence
State Residency
Alumni Relation
Racial / Ethnic Status
Religious Affiliation
Cost of Attendance
Estimated full-time annual cost from Wellesley's Common Data Set.
Private universities charge the same tuition regardless of state residency.
Financial Aid
Need-based aid statistics for full-time first-year students.
Major Distribution
Bachelor's degrees awarded in the past year by academic major.
Student Diversity
Racial and ethnic breakdown of enrolled undergraduate students.
Student-Faculty Ratio
The number of students for every one faculty member, indicating the average level of access students have to instructional staff.
Campus Life
On-campus housing and Greek life participation rates.
Enrollment by Gender
Since some students did not report gender, totals may not fully reflect the student body.
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Frequently asked questions about Wellesley admissions
Is Wellesley all women, and can men attend?＋
Wellesley is a women's college, and its undergraduate student body is almost entirely women — about 98.7% of enrolled students (2,329 of roughly 2,360). A small number of students report a different gender, but Wellesley admits and educates women, so a typical male applicant would not apply for degree-seeking admission. The residential experience is built around that women's-college community, with every first-year living on campus.
What is Wellesley's acceptance rate?＋
Wellesley admitted about 14.8% of applicants in the most recent cycle, offering admission to roughly 1,258 of more than 8,500 applicants and enrolling about 576 first-years. It is a highly selective liberal-arts college, and as a women's college it also offers binding Early Decision I and II rounds.
Does Early Decision improve your chances at Wellesley?＋
It can help at the margin. Wellesley's binding Early Decision rounds (ED I and ED II) drew 1,023 applications and admitted 301, an early admit rate of roughly 29% — well above the school's overall 14.8% rate. ED is a binding commitment, so it suits applicants certain Wellesley is their first choice; the rest of the class is filled through Regular Decision.
Does Wellesley require the SAT or ACT?＋
No. Wellesley is test-optional, so you may apply without submitting scores, and standardized test scores are only 'considered' in the review rather than a deciding factor. Among enrolled students who did submit, the middle 50% scored between 1460 and 1540 on the SAT and 33–35 on the ACT, with the 50th-percentile SAT around 1500.
What GPA do you need to get into Wellesley?＋
Wellesley does not publish an average admitted GPA, but admitted students cluster near the top of their high school class — among enrolled first-years who reported class rank, about 88% were in the top tenth and 99% in the top quarter. There is no hard cutoff, but academic GPA and the rigor of your high school record are both weighed as very important factors.
How much does Wellesley cost, and is financial aid available?＋
Tuition and required fees run about $70,144 per year, with housing and food adding roughly $22,296 before books and personal expenses. Wellesley meets 100% of demonstrated financial need — about 54% of first-years receive need-based scholarship or grant aid, and the average first-year aid package is near $72,294.
What are the most popular majors at Wellesley?＋
The social sciences are the single most popular area at about 23% of degrees, followed by computer science at roughly 13% and the biological sciences near 10%. Psychology, the physical sciences, and interdisciplinary programs each account for about 7%, rounding out the most-conferred fields at this liberal-arts college.
What does Wellesley look for in applicants?＋
Wellesley reviews applications holistically and weighs four factors as very important: the rigor of your high school record, academic GPA, recommendations, and character or personal qualities. Class rank, the application essay, extracurricular activities, and talent or ability are important, while standardized test scores are only considered — so a thoughtful, well-revised essay is one place to stand out.
Source: Wellesley College Common Data Set 2025-2026. Figures transcribed 2026-06-25. In-State Cost and Out-of-State Cost are from the 2024-2025 edition. Esslo aggregates publicly reported data and is not affiliated with Wellesley. Banner photo by Jared and Corin, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0).