Barnard College vs Wellesley College

Barnard College and Wellesley College, two prestigious liberal arts colleges for women, offer distinct educational experiences. Barnard, located in the heart of New York City, boasts an acceptance rate of 12%, while Wellesley, situated in a vibrant Boston suburb, has an acceptance rate of 20%. Both colleges excel in academics, with Barnard's popular majors including Economics, Psychology, and English, and Wellesley's strengths lying in Biological Sciences, Economics, and English. Barnard's student body is more diverse, with 53% of students identifying as students of color, compared to Wellesley's 44%. Both institutions boast impressive graduation rates, with Barnard's at 92% and Wellesley's at 94%. To help you make an informed decision, we've compiled a comprehensive comparison table highlighting key differences between these two exceptional colleges. Dive in to discover which one aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.
Barnard College logo

Barnard College

Wellesley College logo

Wellesley College

Overview

Location New York, New York Wellesley, Massachusetts
Campus setting City: Large Suburb: Large
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Private (Non Profit) Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system Semester Semester
Degrees offered Undergraduate Undergraduate
Students retention rate 97.0% 97.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 11.5% 16.2%
Application fees $75
SAT range 1425 - 1550 1400 - 1540
ACT range 32 - 34 31 - 34
Students submitting SAT score 30.0% 36.0%
Students submitting ACT score 21.0% 23.0%
Total number of applicants 10,395 7,663
Total number of admissions given out 1,192 1,240
Admitted students who chose to enroll 769 606
Yield rate 64.5% 48.9%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Not required Not required
Recommendation letters Required Required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Required Not required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $80,693 $64,602
Average net price $28,366 $21,862
Tuition $57,734 $60,424
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $11,206

Meal plan: $7,280
Room/dormitory: $9,704

Meal plan: $8,584
Available payment plans
  • Prepaid tuition plan
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Prepaid tuition plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

36.0%
Average amount $44,482
60.0%
Average amount $55,483
Students receiving federal student loan 32.0%
Average amount $1,946
13.0%
Average amount $3,993
Students taking out private loans 7.0%
Average amount $13,974
13.0%
Average amount $5,043

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 3,043
Men 0.3% Women 99.7%
2,461
Men 1.2% Women 98.8%
Graduate students N/A N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity
Moderate
Moderate
Out-of-state students 70.3% N/A
International students 12.6% 13.8%
Campus local/setting City: Large Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity 2,411 2,211
First year students are required to live on campus? No No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from New York California New Jersey Mississippi Texas N/A

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Social Sciences
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • Visual & Performing Arts
  • Ethnic Studies
  • Public Administration and Social Service
  • Ethnic Studies
  • Foreign Languages and Literatures
  • Social Sciences
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • Physical Science
Students to faculty ratio 10:1 8:1
Institutional accreditation Middle States Commission on Higher Education New England Commission on Higher Education

Outcome

Graduation rate 92.8% 92.1%
Dropout rate 2.7% 7.8%
Transferred out 4.3% N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Economics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $65,217
  • Year 2: $70,456
  • Year 3: $87,791
Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $48,807
  • Year 2: $47,846
  • Year 3: $67,484
Sociology (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $43,701
  • Year 2: $50,856
  • Year 3: $60,852
Urban Studies/Affairs (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $47,271
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: $55,821
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $49,646
  • Year 3: $53,521
English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $41,937
  • Year 3: $52,302
Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $38,848
  • Year 2: $48,432
  • Year 3: $50,891
Area Studies (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $42,983
  • Year 2: $39,648
  • Year 3: N/A
Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $40,340
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: N/A
Neurobiology and Neurosciences (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $28,675
  • Year 2: $37,568
  • Year 3: N/A
Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $110,380
  • Year 2: $86,867
  • Year 3: $124,973
Economics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $70,781
  • Year 2: $76,460
  • Year 3: $80,094
Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $38,289
  • Year 3: $62,505
Area Studies (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $36,749
  • Year 2: $34,420
  • Year 3: $47,043
Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $37,693
  • Year 2: $36,852
  • Year 3: $46,471
English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $37,849
  • Year 2: $31,314
  • Year 3: $45,061
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $37,002
  • Year 2: $33,281
  • Year 3: $39,658
Natural Resources Conservation and Research (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $29,685
  • Year 3: N/A
Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $50,587
  • Year 2: $33,993
  • Year 3: N/A
Computer Software and Media Applications (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $70,490
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: N/A

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