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Highly selectiveReviewed for the 2026-2027 cycle

Wellesley College acceptance rate and your odds of getting in

With an acceptance rate near 14%, Wellesley College is a highly selective private college in Massachusetts. Because it turns away most applicants, admission turns on the strength of your whole profile rather than any one number.

Your odds at Wellesley College
Three numbers, no account, the same published model the full calculator runs.

Use this page to see what Wellesley College weighs, where it ranks among Massachusetts schools, and how a profile like yours is likely to land. Admitted students post a 75th-percentile SAT around 1500, a useful checkpoint for where your scores sit, though it is a reference range and not a cutoff.

Acceptance rate
14%
Highly selective
SAT middle 50%
1460-1560
of admitted students
Type
Private
Wellesley, MA
Average net price
$25,496
per year after aid

Wellesley College application deadlines, 2026-27 · Wellesley College supplemental essays, 2026-27

What do students study at Wellesley College?

Bachelor's degrees awarded by field in 2023 (IPEDS completions). Each field has its own page with the school's numbers, the model's major adjustment, and peers offering it.

Social Sciences · 147 (24.6%)Biological and Biomedical Sciences · 84 (14.1%)Computer and Information Sciences · 74 (12.4%)Psychology · 59 (9.9%)Physical Sciences · 45 (7.5%)Visual and Performing Arts · 28 (4.7%)Multi and Interdisciplinary Studies · 27 (4.5%)Area, Ethnic, Cultural and Gender Studies · 23 (3.9%)Natural Resources and Conservation · 22 (3.7%)English Language and Literature · 20 (3.4%)Foreign Languages and Linguistics · 16 (2.7%)Mathematics and Statistics · 15 (2.5%)

Will I get into Wellesley College?

Direct answers to what applicants ask about getting into Wellesley College, plus a free way to calculate your own odds.

What are my chances of getting into Wellesley College?

Wellesley College admits about 14% of applicants, but that overall rate is not your personal chance. Your real odds depend on how your GPA, course rigor, test scores, and activities compare to its admitted students. Run your profile through the free CollegeCalcAI calculator to get a personalized acceptance percentage for Wellesley College in about three minutes, with no account needed to start.

Is Wellesley College hard to get into?

Wellesley College is highly selective: it turns away most applicants, with about a 14% acceptance rate. Strong academics are expected here, so the rest of your profile usually decides the outcome.

What GPA do you need to get into Wellesley College?

There is no hard GPA cutoff at Wellesley College, but most admitted students present roughly a 3.8 to 4.0 GPA with a rigorous course load. Wellesley College reads your GPA alongside the rigor of your courses, so a challenging schedule matters as much as the number itself.

Calculate your chances at Wellesley College →

Your chances at Wellesley College by GPA and SAT

Estimated chance of admission at Wellesley College for plain profiles, from the same model as the calculator. Unweighted GPA, 6 AP courses, Regular Decision, no legacy, athletic or first-generation hook. The last column is test-optional (no score sent).

What are my chances at Wellesley College with a 3.9 GPA and a 1510 SAT?

About 26% (Target), by CollegeCalcAI's deterministic model, for an applicant with a 3.9 unweighted GPA and a 1510 SAT, the middle of Wellesley College's admitted range, applying Regular Decision without a hook. A 4.0 GPA with a 1560 SAT comes out near 29%. Courses, activities, essays and the application round move the number; the free calculator includes them.

Estimated admission chance at Wellesley College by unweighted GPA (rows) and SAT score (columns)
GPASAT 146025th pctSAT 1510middleSAT 156075th pctNo testtest-optional
3.620%Reach22%Reach23%Reach19%Reach
3.823%Reach25%Target26%Target22%Reach
3.924%Reach26%Target28%Target23%Reach
4.026%Target28%Target29%Target25%Target

Estimates, not guarantees. Get yours with your real courses and activities. Assistants and developers can fetch this table from the free API: /api/v1/colleges/wellesley-college.

Early Decision, Early Action and the waitlist at Wellesley College

From Wellesley College's own 2025-26 Common Data Set (fall 2025 entering class): sections C1, C2, C21-C22 and D2.

Early Decision admit rate
29.4%
301 of 1,023
Everyone else
~12.8%
applied another way
Class admitted early
23.9%
of all admits were ED
Admitted off the waitlist
59
5.3% of 1,121 who stayed on
Transfer admit rate
12.9%
44 of 340

What is the early decision acceptance rate at Wellesley College?

29.4%. Wellesley College admitted 301 of 1,023 Early Decision applicants for fall 2025, against 14.8% of all 8,506 first-year applicants (Wellesley College's 2025-26 Common Data Set).

Does applying early decision help at Wellesley College?

On the raw numbers, yes: Early Decision applicants were admitted at 29.4% versus about 12.8% for everyone who applied another way, 2.3x the rate, and Early Decision filled 23.9% of the admitted class. Part of that gap is who applies early (recruited athletes and legacy applicants often do), so it is not all the round itself. Early Decision is binding: apply only if Wellesley College is your clear first choice and the family can commit without comparing aid offers.

How many students get off the waitlist at Wellesley College?

59 for fall 2025. Wellesley College offered 2,214 applicants a waitlist spot, 1,121 accepted one, and 59 were admitted from it: 5.3% of those who stayed on (Wellesley College's 2025-26 Common Data Set).

What is the transfer acceptance rate at Wellesley College?

12.9%: 44 of 340 transfer applicants were admitted for fall 2025 (Wellesley College's 2025-26 Common Data Set).

Source: Wellesley College Common Data Set 2025-26. Every figure appears verbatim in the document. See how early rounds compare across colleges in the Early Decision rankings.

How to get into Wellesley College

Built from Wellesley College's admitted class and what it reports weighing. The typical-admit GPA and SAT are CollegeCalcAI's modeled figures, not published cutoffs.

Here is how to get into Wellesley College, built from what its admitted class actually looks like and what the school says it weighs.

Step 1
Match the typical admit on the transcript

CollegeCalcAI's modeled typical admit at Wellesley College carries about a 3.85 core GPA and a 1510 SAT, in the most rigorous schedule available. At this selectivity that is the entry ticket, not the deciding factor.

Step 2
Decide on scores with the real range

The admitted middle 50% is 1460 to 1560 SAT (33 to 35 ACT). Submit a score at 1510 or higher; below 1460, apply test-optional if the policy allows.

Step 3
Build the file around what Wellesley College weighs

Wellesley College rates rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and application essay highest in its own Common Data Set. Put your depth there: essays that sound like you and answer the actual prompt, and a transcript whose rigor rises through junior year.

Step 4
Apply in the round that helps

Selective private colleges admit a larger share of their class in binding Early Decision; if Wellesley College is your clear first choice and the net price works, ED is the single biggest lever an applicant controls. Most early deadlines fall on November 1 and Regular Decision on January 1 to 15; confirm Wellesley College's exact dates at www.wellesley.edu.

See your odds and your top moves at Wellesley College →Add it to your college list →Official site: www.wellesley.edu ↗

How many students apply to Wellesley College, and how many get in?

For the fall 2023 entering class, Wellesley College received 8,184 applications and admitted 1,138, an acceptance rate of 13.9%. 573 enrolled. Roughly 50% of admitted students enrolled, a typical yield for a school in this range. Wellesley College enrolls about 2,300 undergraduates in total, 100% of them women, with a student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1.

Applied
8,184
fall 2023
Admitted
1,138
13.9% of applicants
Enrolled
573
50% yield
Undergraduates
2,300
Wellesley, large suburb

Source: U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS 2023 admissions and enrollment.

What SAT and ACT scores do you need for Wellesley College?

Admitted students at Wellesley College post SAT scores of 1460 to 1560 in the middle 50%, with an average of 1520. On the ACT the middle 50% runs from 33 to 35. A score above 1560 puts you in the top quarter of admits and turns the test into an asset; a score below 1460 puts you in the bottom quarter, where the rest of the application has to carry more weight. Wellesley College is test-optional: scores are considered if you submit them but not required. Send a score at or above the middle of the admitted range; otherwise apply without one and let your transcript lead.

SAT middle 50%
1460-1560
average 1520
ACT middle 50%
33-35
of admitted students
Test scores
Test-optional
admissions policy

Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10.

What Wellesley College looks for

What Wellesley College weighs most heavily in its admissions review, informed by its reported Common Data Set.

In its review, Wellesley College leans most on rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and application essay. At this level of selectivity, the difference between admits is rarely the transcript alone; essays, recommendations, and a coherent story matter. These ratings come from Wellesley College's reported Common Data Set, so the full chart below reflects what the school itself says it values, not a generic guess.

Rigor of secondary school record
Very important
Academic GPA
Very important
Class rank
Considered
Standardized test scores
Considered
Application essay
Very important
Recommendations
Very important
Interview
Considered
Extracurricular activities
Very important
Talent / ability
Very important
Character / personal qualities
Very important
First-generation status
Considered
Alumni / legacy relation
Considered
Volunteer work
Very important
Work experience
Considered
Level of applicant interest
Very important

SAT score positioning at Wellesley College

How common SAT scores sit relative to the admitted middle. This is context, not a probability. Your full profile determines the real estimate.

SATWhere it sits at Wellesley College
1600Above the admitted 75th percentile
1500In the competitive admitted range
1400Below the middle, makes the rest of the profile matter more
1300Well below the admitted range
1200Well below the admitted range
1100Well below the admitted range
Colleges for a 1500 SAT →Colleges for a 34 ACT →See colleges by GPA →

How much does Wellesley College cost after financial aid?

The full sticker price at Wellesley College (tuition, fees, housing, food, books) is about $86,290 a year. Tuition and fees alone are $67,176. What families actually pay is different: the average net price after grants and scholarships is $25,496 a year, and it ranges from $2,546 for families earning under $30,000 to $54,188 for families earning over $110,000. 21% of undergraduates receive a federal Pell Grant.

Sticker price
$86,290
per year, before aid
Average net price
$25,496
after grants and scholarships
Pell recipients
21%
of undergraduates
Family incomeAverage net price per year
$0 to $30k$2,546
$30k to $48k$2,836
$48k to $75k$6,587
$75k to $110k$11,551
Over $110k$54,188

Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10. Net price is what students receiving aid paid after grants, by family income.

What do Wellesley College graduates earn, and how many graduate?

Median earnings for Wellesley College students ten years after entry are $84,803 ($65,961 at the six-year mark). 92% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 97% return for a second year. Among graduates who borrowed, median federal debt at graduation is $10,000; 16% of undergraduates take federal loans.

Median earnings
$84,803
10 years after entry
Graduation rate
92%
within six years
Retention
97%
return for year two
Median debt
$10,000
at graduation, borrowers

Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10. Earnings cover students who received federal aid.

How Wellesley College compares in Massachusetts

Wellesley College ranks #8 most selective of 36 schools in Massachusetts in our database.

Among the 36 Massachusetts schools we track, Wellesley College ranks #8 most selective by acceptance rate. Schools like Harvard University (4%) and Northeastern University (5%) sit nearby, which makes Massachusetts a useful frame for calibrating a balanced list.

Harvard University
4%acceptance · MA
Northeastern University
5%acceptance · MA
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
5%acceptance · MA
Williams College
8%acceptance · MA
Amherst College
9%acceptance · MA
Boston University
11%acceptance · MA
Tufts University
11%acceptance · MA
Boston College
16%acceptance · MA
See all Massachusetts schools →

Similar to Wellesley College

Schools with a similar selectivity profile, worth comparing as you build a balanced list.

Build around Wellesley College with peers at a comparable selectivity, such as Colgate University, Tulane University, and Hamilton College. Running the same profile against each one in the free calculator is the fastest way to see where you are a reach, a match, or a likely.

Colgate University
14%acceptance · NY
Tulane University
14%acceptance · LA
Hamilton College
14%acceptance · NY
Washington and Lee University
14%acceptance · VA
Grinnell College
15%acceptance · IA
Davidson College
13%acceptance · NC

Frequently asked questions

What is Wellesley College's acceptance rate?

Wellesley College admitted 1,138 of 8,184 applicants for the fall 2023 entering class, an acceptance rate of 13.9% (U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS). 50% of admitted students enrolled.

What SAT score do you need for Wellesley College?

The middle 50% of admitted students scored 1460 to 1560 on the SAT and 33 to 35 on the ACT. A score above 1560 is in the top quarter of admits. Wellesley College is test-optional, so only submit a score that helps.

Is Wellesley College test-optional?

Yes. Wellesley College reports that test scores are considered but not required. Submit a score at or above the middle of the admitted range; otherwise apply without one.

How much does Wellesley College cost after financial aid?

The average net price at Wellesley College, what students receiving aid paid after grants and scholarships, is $25,496 a year against a sticker price of about $86,290. Families earning under $30,000 paid about $2,546 on average.

What do Wellesley College graduates earn?

Median earnings ten years after entering Wellesley College are $84,803 a year among students who received federal aid, and 92% of students graduate within six years (College Scorecard).

What does Wellesley College value most in applicants?

Based on its admissions profile, Wellesley College weighs rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and application essay most heavily. The full factor breakdown is on this page.

Does Wellesley College consider legacy or demonstrated interest?

Many private colleges weigh legacy relationships and demonstrated interest. Wellesley College's full factor profile is charted on this page, and CollegeCalcAI models a legacy effect scaled to a school's selectivity.

How can I improve my chances at Wellesley College?

Focus on the highest-leverage parts of your application: course rigor and GPA trajectory first, then test scores, then a focused leadership or activity spike. CollegeCalcAI's Power-Ups quantify how much each change would move your odds at Wellesley College specifically.

What makes an application stand out at Wellesley College?

Beyond strong academics, Wellesley College rewards a clear, specific story: focused activities with real impact, essays in an authentic voice, and recommendations that corroborate it. Depth beats a long list of unrelated activities.

Acceptance rate, application counts, admitted test ranges, cost, and outcomes reflect publicly reported federal data (U.S. Department of Education: IPEDS 2023 and the College Scorecard) and each school's Common Data Set; figures are rounded and lag the current cycle by one to two years, so confirm deadlines and policies on the school's own site. The typical-admit GPA and SAT are CollegeCalcAI's modeled estimates. Estimates from CollegeCalcAI are a planning tool computed by a fixed, transparent model, not a guarantee of any admission decision.