Wellesley College: Acceptance Rate and Admissions Statistics

Wellesley College is a private women's liberal arts college with an acceptance rate of 21.6%. Founded in 1870, and one of the original Seven Sisters Colleges, Wellesley College is located in a beautiful town outside of Boston. Wellesley offers small classes taught exclusively by full-time faculty and academic exchange programs with Harvard and M.I.T. The college boasts of an 8-to-1 student/faculty ratio, an average class size below 20, and a chapter of the prestigious Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society.

Considering applying to this highly selective school? Here are the Wellesley College admissions statistics you should know.

Acceptance Rate

During the 2018-19 admissions cycle, Wellesley College had an acceptance rate of 21.6%. This means that for every 100 students who applied, 21 students were admitted, making Wellesley's admissions process highly competitive.

SAT Scores and Requirements

Wellesley College requires that all applicants submit either SAT or ACT scores. During the 2018-19 admissions cycle, 72% of admitted students submitted SAT scores.

This admissions data tells us that most of Wellesley's admitted students fall within the top 20% nationally on the SAT. For the evidence-based reading and writing section, 50% of students admitted to Wellesley College scored between 680 and 750, while 25% scored below 680 and 25% scored above 750. On the math section, 50% of admitted students scored between 680 and 780, while 25% scored below 680 and 25% scored above 780. Applicants with a composite SAT score of 1530 or higher will have particularly competitive chances at Wellesley.

Requirements

Wellesley does not require the optional SAT essay section or SAT Subject tests. Note that Wellesley participates in the scorechoice program, which means that the admissions office will consider your highest score from each individual section across all SAT test dates.

ACT Scores and Requirements

Wellesley College requires that all applicants submit either SAT or ACT scores. During the 2018-19 admissions cycle, 38% of admitted students submitted ACT scores.

This admissions data tells us that most of Wellesley's admitted students fall within the top 5% nationally on the ACT. The middle 50% of students admitted to Wellesley received a composite ACT score between 31 and 34, while 25% scored above 34 and 25% scored below 31.

Requirements

Wellesley College participates in the scorechoice program, meaning that the admissions office will consider your highest score from each individual section across all ACT test dates. Wellesley does not require the optional ACT writing section.

GPA

Wellesley College does not provide data about admitted students' high school GPAs. According to 2019 admissions statistics, 31% of admitted students provided class rank, and of those, 79% reported being in the top tenth of their high school class.

Self-Reported GPA/SAT/ACT Graph

The admissions data in the graph is self-reported by applicants to Wellesley College. GPAs are unweighted. Find out how you compare to accepted students, see the real-time graph, and calculate your chances of getting in with a free Cappex account.

Admissions Chances

Wellesley College has a highly competitive admissions pool with a low acceptance rate and high average SAT/ACT scores. However, Wellesley also has a holistic admissions process involving other factors beyond your grades and test scores. A strong application essay, Wellesley-specific essay, and glowing letters of recommendation can strengthen your application, as can participation in meaningful extracurricular activities and a rigorous course schedule. The college is looking for students who will contribute to the campus community in meaningful ways, not just those who show promise in the classroom. While not required, Wellesley recommends optional interviews for interested applicants. Students with particularly compelling stories or achievements can still receive serious consideration even if their grades and scores are outside of Wellesley's average range.

In the graph above, the blue and green dots represent accepted students, and you can see that most students who were accepted to Wellesley had averages of A- or higher, SAT scores (ERW+M) above 1300, and ACT composite scores of 28 or better. Good numbers, however, aren't all that is needed to get accepted. If you look at the red on the graph (rejected students), you'll see that some students with high grades and test scores were rejected from Wellesley.

If You Like Wellesley College, You May Also Like These Schools

• Mount Holyoke
• Brown University
• Tufts University 
• Boston College
• Yale University
• Bowdoin College
• Claremont McKenna College
• Princeton University

All admissions data has been sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics and Wellesley College Undergraduate Admissions Office.