Wellesley vs. Davidson

Should I go to Wellesley College or Davidson College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Wellesley or Davidson is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.

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Wellesley College vs. Davidson College comparison
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Wellesley College Davidson College
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Overview

Wellesley Davidson
Location Wellesley, MA Davidson, NC
Setting Large Suburban Large Suburban
Enrollment 2,447 1,927
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #17 #37
Religious Affiliation - Presbyterian Church (USA) - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website wellesley.edu davidson.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Wellesley Davidson
Tuition (In State) $61,584 $56,550
Tuition (Out of State) $61,584 $56,550
Room & Board $19,080 $15,750
Avg Net Price $21,362 $26,704
Avg Grant Aid $61,328 $46,496
% Receiving Grant Aid 59% 65%

Admission

Wellesley Davidson
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 8,491 6,479
Admitted 1,152 1,098
Acceptance Rate 13.6% 16.9%
Enrolled % 50.8% 49.4%
Avg High School GPA 3.86 3.81
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Elite Exceptional
Applicant Competition Very High Very High
ACT Range 33/35 31/33
SAT Range 1430/1550 1350/1500
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, 2025 Jan 7, 2025

Academics

Wellesley Davidson
Student to Faculty Ratio 7:1 9:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (28%)
  • Biology (9%)
  • Ethnic Studies (9%)
  • Foreign Languages (9%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • Social Sciences (28%)
  • Biology (11%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • Foreign Languages (11%)
  • English and Literature (11%)

Outcomes

Wellesley Davidson
Graduation Rate 92% 92%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $68,100 $63,500
Making Student Loan Payments 86% 89%
Median Student Loan Debt $8,900 $17,000
Median Loan Payment $92 $175

Diversity

Wellesley Davidson
% Men 1% 47%
% Women 99% 53%
Racial Diversity Very High Medium
HBCU No No
% White 40% 68%
% Black 6% 7%
% Hispanic 11% 8%
% Native American 0% 1%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 6% 4%
% International 12% 6%
% Unknown Race 4% 1%

Students

Wellesley Davidson
% In-State 11% 17%
% Out-of-State 73% 71%

Campus

Wellesley Davidson
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility No No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Wellesley College is larger than than Davidson based on total student enrollment (2,447 students vs. 1,927 students)

Wellesley vs. Davidson Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Wellesley or Davidson?

  • Wellesley College is 8.9% more expensive to attend than Davidson for in-state tuition ($61,584.00 vs. $56,550.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 8.9% higher at Wellesley than Davidson College ($61,584.00 vs. $56,550.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Wellesley College than Davidson ($21,362 vs. $26,704)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Davidson College are 21.1% lower than costs at Wellesley College ($15,750 vs. $19,080)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Davidson College than Wellesley College (65% vs. 59%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Wellesley College students is 31.9% larger than aid received Davidson College ($61,328 vs. $46,496)

Wellesley vs. Davidson Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Wellesley or Davidson? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Davidson or Wellesley .

  • The average SAT score at Wellesley College (1369) is 14 points higher than at Davidson (1355)
  • Incoming Davidson students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (31) than students at Wellesley (30)
  • Accepted freshman Wellesley students have a 0.05 point higher average high school GPA (3.86) than students at Davidson (3.81)
  • Davidson has a higher acceptance rate (16.9%) than Wellesley (13.6%)

Wellesley vs. Davidson Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Wellesley or Davidson? 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 Davidson and Wellesley.

  • The graduation rate at Wellesley is the same as at Davidson College (92% vs. 92%)
  • Graduates from Wellesley College earn on average $4,600 more per year than Davidson graduates after ten years. ($68,100 vs. $63,500)
  • Wellesley College students graduate with a $8,100 lower median federal student loan debt than Davidson graduates. ($8,900 vs. $17,000)
  • Wellesley graduates are paying $83 less per month on federal student loans than Davidson graduates. ($92 vs. $175)
  • More Davidson graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Wellesley students, three years after graduation. (89% vs. 86%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/