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Harvard Yale Barnard Princeton Cornell Vassar UChicago NYU Tufts Stanford Brown Penn| Wellesley College | Columbia University in the City of New York | College 3 | College 4 | |
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Overview |
Wellesley | Columbia | ||
| Location | Wellesley, MA | New York, NY | ||
| Setting | Large Suburban | Large City | ||
| Enrollment | 2,418 | 35,279 | ||
| Type | Private 4 Year | Private 4 Year | ||
| National Ranking | #18 | #22 | ||
| Religious Affiliation | - | - | - | - |
| Status | Non-profit | Non-profit | ||
| Website | wellesley.edu | columbia.edu | ||
| Team Colors |
Costs |
Wellesley | Columbia | ||
| Tuition (In State) | $64,000 | $65,340 | ||
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| Tuition (Out of State) | $64,000 | $65,340 | ||
| Room & Board | $19,920 | $16,800 | ||
| Avg Net Price | $21,501 | $20,869 | ||
| Avg Grant Aid | $61,549 | $65,173 | ||
| % Receiving Grant Aid | 52% | 52% |
Admission |
Wellesley | Columbia | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Admission Chances | Calculate | Calculate | ||
| Applied | 8,184 | 57,613 | ||
| Admitted | 1,138 | 2,439 | ||
| Acceptance Rate | 13.9% | 4.2% | ||
| Enrolled % | 50.4% | 63.1% | ||
| Avg High School GPA | 3.86 | 3.91 | ||
| Typical High School Grades | A- | A- | ||
| Admissions Standards | Elite | Elite | ||
| Applicant Competition | Very High | Extreme | ||
| ACT Range | 33/35 | 34/35 | ||
| SAT Range | 1440/1550 | 1490/1570 | ||
| Submit Test Scores | Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) | Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) | ||
| Application Deadline | Jan 8, 2026 | Jan 1, 2026 |
Academics |
Wellesley | Columbia | ||
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| Student to Faculty Ratio | 7:1 | 6:1 | ||
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Outcomes |
Wellesley | Columbia | ||
| Graduation Rate | 92% | 93% | ||
| Median Earnings (After 10 years) | $68,100 | $107,600 | ||
| Making Student Loan Payments | 86% | 76% | ||
| Median Student Loan Debt | $8,900 | $21,500 | ||
| Median Loan Payment | $92 | $222 |
Diversity |
Wellesley | Columbia | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % Men | 1% | 33% | ||
| % Women | 3% | 42% | ||
| Racial Diversity | Very High | Very High | ||
| HBCU | No | No | ||
| % White | 40% | 38% | ||
| % Black | 6% | 8% | ||
| % Hispanic | 11% | 13% | ||
| % Native American | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Two or More Races | 6% | 5% | ||
| % International | 12% | 15% | ||
| % Unknown Race | 4% | 3% |
Students |
Wellesley | Columbia | ||
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| % In-State | 11% | 19% | ||
| % Out-of-State | 73% | 64% | ||
Campus |
Wellesley | Columbia | ||
| Campus Housing | Yes | Yes | ||
| Freshman Dorm Required | No | Yes | ||
| Meal Plan | Yes | Yes | ||
| Weekend/Evening Classes | No | No | ||
| Daycare Facility | No | No | ||
| Learn More | Details | Details |
Comparable Facts
- Columbia University in the City of New York is larger than than Wellesley based on total student enrollment (35,279 students vs. 2,418 students)
Wellesley vs. Columbia Cost Comparison
Which college is more expensive, Wellesley or Columbia?
- Columbia University in the City of New York is 2.1% more expensive to attend than Wellesley for in-state tuition ($65,340.00 vs. $64,000.00)
- Out of state tuition is 2.1% higher at Columbia than Wellesley College ($65,340.00 vs. $64,000.00)
- The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Columbia University in the City of New York than Wellesley ($20,869 vs. $21,501)
- Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Columbia University in the City of New York are 18.6% lower than costs at Wellesley College ($16,800 vs. $19,920)
- The same percent of students receive financial grant aid at Wellesley College as Columbia University in the City of New York (52% vs. 52%)
- The average total grant financial aid received by Columbia University in the City of New York students is 5.9% larger than aid received Wellesley College ($65,173 vs. $61,549)
Wellesley vs. Columbia Admissions Difficulty Comparison
Which college is harder to get into, Wellesley or Columbia? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Columbia or Wellesley .
- The average SAT score at Columbia University in the City of New York (1473) is 104 points higher than at Wellesley (1369)
- Incoming Columbia students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (33) than students at Wellesley (30)
- Accepted freshman Columbia students have a 0.05 point higher average high school GPA (3.91) than students at Wellesley (3.86)
- Wellesley has a higher acceptance rate (13.9%) than Columbia (4.2%)
Wellesley vs. Columbia Graduation Outcomes Comparison
Which is better, Wellesley or Columbia? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between Columbia and Wellesley.
- The graduation rate at Columbia is higher than Wellesley College (93% vs. 92%)
- Graduates from Columbia University in the City of New York earn on average $39,500 more per year than Wellesley graduates after ten years. ($107,600 vs. $68,100)
- Wellesley College students graduate with a $12,600 lower median federal student loan debt than Columbia graduates. ($8,900 vs. $21,500)
- Wellesley graduates are paying $130 less per month on federal student loans than Columbia graduates. ($92 vs. $222)
- More Wellesley graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Columbia students, three years after graduation. (86% vs. 76%)
Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/