Wellesley College
Wellesley, Massachusetts · Private · 2,300 undergraduates · wellesley.edu
Test policy (fall 2027)
Test optional
Sending scores is your choice
Admit rate
15%
of 8,506 applicants
SAT (middle 50%)
1460 to 1540
of enrolled freshmen
Annual cost (2027-28)
$102,120Est.Estimate
before aid
Your chances and merit aid at Wellesley College
See where you stand for admission, how much merit aid you could get, and what you'd pay after it.
We started you at a typical enrolled freshman here. Move the sliders to match you.
Your admission chances
15% of applicants admitted
Reach
It admits only 15% of applicants, so it's a reach for everyone.
Estimated merit aid
a year
Your cost after merit aid
$102,120
a year in 2027-28, from a $102,120 sticker price
What to do with your 1500
Send your score
About 42% of freshmen here didn't send a score. We estimate their typical SAT at about 1390, and yours is above it.
Reach, target and likely are a rough guide from your test score and how selective the college is. Admissions also weigh your courses, grades, essays and activities. Merit aid figures are estimates, before any need-based aid.
Admissions
Test policy for fall 2027
Test optional
You choose whether to send an SAT or ACT score. If you send one, it's considered.
- You can type your scores into the application; official reports come later.
Source: Wellesley - Apply · Checked October 16, 2026
Application deadlines
- Nov1Early Decision · November 1, 2026Binding: if admitted, you commit to enroll.
- Jan5Early Decision II · January 5, 2027A second binding round, after Early Decision.
- Jan8Regular Decision · January 8, 2027The standard deadline.
Source: Wellesley - Apply
Who gets in
15%
of applicants were admitted: 1,258 of 8,506 for fall 2025.
Early Decision
Binding. 29% of early applicants were admitted.
Wait list
2,214 students were offered a spot; 59 were later admitted.
Test scores of enrolled freshmen (fall 2025)
The shaded part shows the middle half of enrolled freshmen who sent scores: a quarter scored below it and a quarter above. 44% of them sent SAT scores and 18% sent ACT scores.
SAT total 1460 to 1540
Reading and Writing 730 to 760
Math 720 to 790
ACT composite 33 to 35
How enrolled freshmen scored on the SAT
- 1400 to 160093%
- 1200 to 13995.9%
- 1000 to 11991.2%
- 800 to 9990%
- 600 to 7990%
- 400 to 5990%
Source: Common Data Set 2025-2026
Cost and financial aid
The sticker price is what a year costs before any aid. Most students pay less after grants and scholarships.
Sticker price for 2027-28Estimate
$102,120
a year
- Tuition$75,850
What families actually pay
What a year cost on average after grants and scholarships, for freshmen who got federal aid in 2023-24, by family income.
- $0 to $30,000$11,253
- $30,001 to $48,000$2,791
- $48,001 to $75,000$5,535
- $75,001 to $110,000$12,053
- Over $110,000$46,438
Financial aid
100%
of a student's financial need is covered, on average
$71,018
average need-based grant to freshmen, money you don't repay
0.7%
of freshmen got merit aid without financial need, $55,716 on average
- FAFSA
- Required for need-based aid. It's the free federal aid form.
- CSS Profile
- Required. It's a second, more detailed aid form some colleges use for their own grants.
- Aid priority date: 1/15
- Send your aid forms by this date to be first in line for the college's grant money.
- Also asks for
- Parent and student tax return(s) or statement of earnings, as well as Parent and student W2 forms
Source: Common Data Set 2025-2026
AP credit
AP exams that earn credit can replace college courses, so you pay for fewer of them and may graduate sooner.
AP exams that earn credit
35 of 36
Earn credit with a score of 3
None
You need a 4 or 5 for credit here.
A 3-credit course is worth
about $7,590Est.Estimate
at 2027-28 tuition
Credit for each AP exam
| Exam | Score needed | Credits | Counts as |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2-D Art and Design | 5 | 1 | |
| 3-D Art and Design | 5 | 1 | |
| Art History | 5 | 1 | ARTH 100 or 101 |
| Biology | 5 | 1 | |
| Calculus AB | 4 | 1 | MATH 115 |
| Calculus BC | 4 | 2 | MATH 115 & 116 or MATH 115 & 120 |
| Chemistry | 4 | 1 | CHEM 105 or 205 |
| Chinese Language and Culture | 5 | 1 | |
| Comparative Government and Politics | 5 | 1 | |
| Computer Science A | 5 | 1 | CS 111 |
| Computer Science Principles | 5 | ||
| Drawing | 5 | 1 | |
| English Language and Composition | 5 | 1 | |
| English Literature and Composition | 5 | 1 | |
| Environmental Science | 5 | 1 | |
| European History | 5 | 1 | |
| French Language and Culture | 5 | 1 | FREN 202 |
| German Language and Culture | 5 | 1 | GER 202 |
| Human Geography | 5 | 1 | |
| Italian Language and Culture | 5 | 1 | ITAS 202 |
| Japanese Language and Culture | 5 | 1 | |
| Latin | 5 | 1 | LAT 201 |
| Macroeconomics | 5 | 1 | ECON 102 |
| Microeconomics | 5 | 1 | ECON 101 |
| Music Theory | 5 | 1 | |
| Physics 1 | 5 | 1 | |
| Physics 2 | 5 | 1 | |
| Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism | 5 | 1 | PHYS 106 OR 108 |
| Physics C: Mechanics | 5 | 1 | PHYS 104 OR 107 |
| Psychology | 5 | 1 | PSYC 101 |
| Spanish Language and Culture | 5 | 1 | SPAN 202 |
| Spanish Literature and Culture | 5 | 1 | SPAN 202 |
| Statistics | 5 | 1 | QR 150 / STAT 150 |
| United States Government and Politics | 5 | 1 | |
| United States History | 5 | 1 | |
| World History: Modern | 5 | 1 |
Source: AP credit policy
After college
Graduate within 6 years
91%
Come back for a second year
97%
Typical earnings
$90,458
a year, 10 years after starting here
- Wellesley College$144,876
- All colleges$89,628
Median yearly earnings of graduates five years after finishing a bachelor's in this major. 11 majors here have earnings data.
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Figures marked Estimate are our estimates, not numbers the college published. Check each college's own site before you apply. SAT is a trademark of College Board, and ACT is a trademark of ACT, Inc. Sharp is not affiliated with either, or with Wellesley College. The Wellesley College logo is a trademark of the college.