Wellesley College vs Hillsdale College

Wellesley College and Hillsdale College, two esteemed institutions of higher learning, stand apart in their unique offerings and distinct academic environments. Wellesley, a prestigious liberal arts college for women, boasts a highly selective admissions process with an acceptance rate of 22%, while Hillsdale, a private liberal arts college, offers a more accessible admissions process with an acceptance rate of 80%. Wellesley's student body is predominantly female, while Hillsdale's student body is more evenly balanced between men and women. Both colleges offer a wide range of undergraduate programs, with Wellesley excelling in social sciences and biological sciences, and Hillsdale excelling in business and economics. With Wellesley's graduation rate at 89% and Hillsdale's at 86%, both institutions demonstrate a strong commitment to student success. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to delve deeper into the distinctions between these two exceptional colleges and discover which one aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.
Hillsdale College logo

Hillsdale College

Wellesley College logo

Wellesley College

Overview

Location Hillsdale, Michigan Wellesley, Massachusetts
Campus setting Town: Distant Suburb: Large
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
Students retention rate 94.0% 97.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation Undenominational

Admission

Acceptance rate 23.7% 16.2%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $35

Graduate: $25
SAT range 1340 - 1510 1400 - 1540
ACT range 30 - 34 31 - 34
Students submitting SAT score 22.0% 36.0%
Students submitting ACT score 38.0% 23.0%
Total number of applicants 2,994 7,663
Total number of admissions given out 709 1,240
Admitted students who chose to enroll 397 606
Yield rate 56.0% 48.9%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Required Not required
Recommendation letters Required Required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Not required Not required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $45,382 $64,602
Average net price $24,057 $21,862
Tuition $28,730 $60,424
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $6,020

Meal plan: $6,120
Room/dormitory: $9,704

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

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

100.0%
Average amount $20,535
60.0%
Average amount $55,483
Students receiving federal student loan 0.0%
Average amount $0
13.0%
Average amount $3,993
Students taking out private loans 34.0%
Average amount $10,497
13.0%
Average amount $5,043

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 1,515
Men 50.6% Women 49.4%
2,461
Men 1.2% Women 98.8%
Graduate students 87
Men 67.8% Women 32.2%
N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity N/A
Moderate
Out-of-state students N/A N/A
International students N/A 13.8%
Campus local/setting Town: Distant Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity 1,124 2,211
First year students are required to live on campus? No No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from N/A N/A

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Business
  • Social Sciences
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • Foreign Languages and Literatures
  • Kinesiology & Leisure Studies
  • Ethnic Studies
  • Foreign Languages and Literatures
  • Social Sciences
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • Physical Science
Students to faculty ratio 8:1 8:1
Institutional accreditation Higher Learning Commission New England Commission on Higher Education

Outcome

Graduation rate 87.6% 92.1%
Dropout rate 8.3% 7.8%
Transferred out 3.9% N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10) 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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