Bennington College vs Wesleyan University

Bennington College and Wesleyan University, both esteemed liberal arts institutions, offer distinct educational experiences. Bennington, known for its progressive approach, boasts a 67% acceptance rate, while Wesleyan's selectivity is reflected in its 15% acceptance rate. Bennington's student body is predominantly female (70%), while Wesleyan's is more gender-balanced (52% female). In terms of majors, Bennington emphasizes the arts, with popular choices including visual and performing arts, while Wesleyan offers a wider range of options, including social sciences, natural sciences, and engineering. Both institutions boast impressive graduation rates, with Bennington at 82% and Wesleyan at 93%. Explore the detailed comparison table to discover more about these institutions' unique offerings and determine which aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Bennington College	Wesleyan University
Overview
Location	Bennington, Vermont	Middletown, Connecticut
Campus setting	Town: Distant	City: Small
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	84.0%	95.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	66.9%	19.4%
Application fees	$85	$55
SAT range	N/A	1300 - 1510
ACT range	N/A	31 - 34
Students submitting SAT score		51.0%
Students submitting ACT score		27.0%
Total number of applicants	1,726	13,067
Total number of admissions given out	1,155	2,540
Admitted students who chose to enroll	249	910
Yield rate	21.6%	35.8%
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	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$80,648	$82,245
Average net price	$35,569	$20,535
Tuition	$58,848	$61,449
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $9,350 Meal plan: $7,860	$17,531
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	99.0% Average amount $43,739	40.0% Average amount $58,925
Students receiving federal student loan	60.0% Average amount $5,083	18.0% Average amount $3,834
Students taking out private loans	4.0% Average amount $33,561	2.0% Average amount $27,881

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	771 Men 35.5% Women 64.5%	3,385 Men 43.8% Women 56.2%
Graduate students	113 Men 20.4% Women 79.6%	196 Men 42.3% Women 57.7%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	90.3%
International students	15.5%	11.3%
Campus local/setting	Town: Distant	City: Small
Dormitory capacity	769	3,063
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	Yes
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	New York California Connecticut New Jersey Pennsylvania

Academics
Popular study areas	Visual & Performing Arts Social Sciences Foreign Languages and Literatures English Language and Literature Public Administration and Social Service	Social Sciences Psychology Ethnic Studies Visual & Performing Arts Physical Science
Students to faculty ratio	10:1	8:1
Institutional accreditation	New England Commission on Higher Education	New England Commission on Higher Education

Outcome
Graduation rate	67.8%	91.0%
Dropout rate	7.5%	3.6%
Transferred out	24.8%	5.3%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	English Language and Literature/Letters, Other (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $41,354 Year 2: $29,685 Year 3: $33,127 Visual and Performing Arts, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $14,867 Year 2: $17,950 Year 3: $15,066 English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $21,964 Year 3: N/A Literature (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $20,202 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $15,302 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Music (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $21,599 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A	Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $53,775 Year 3: $53,847 Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $38,232 Year 2: $36,334 Year 3: $45,541

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Bennington College vs Wesleyan University

Bennington College

Wesleyan University

Overview

Admission

Tuition and Fees

Financial Aid

Students and Campus

Academics

Outcome

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