Wellesley vs. Lafayette College

Should I go to Wellesley College or Lafayette College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Wellesley or Lafayette College 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. Lafayette College comparison
Wellesley College Lafayette College College 3 College 4
Wellesley College Lafayette College
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Overview

Wellesley Lafayette College
Location Wellesley, MA Easton, PA
Setting Large Suburban Large Suburban
Enrollment 2,447 2,729
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #17 #65
Religious Affiliation - Presbyterian Church (USA) - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website wellesley.edu lafayette.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Wellesley Lafayette College
Tuition (In State) $61,584 $58,110
Tuition (Out of State) $61,584 $58,110
Room & Board $19,080 $17,336
Avg Net Price $21,362 $37,186
Avg Grant Aid $61,328 $24,981
% Receiving Grant Aid 59% 98%

Admission

Wellesley Lafayette College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 8,491 10,500
Admitted 1,152 3,531
Acceptance Rate 13.6% 33.6%
Enrolled % 50.8% 21.4%
Avg High School GPA 3.86 3.53
Typical High School Grades A- B+
Admissions Standards Elite Exceptional
Applicant Competition Very High High
ACT Range 33/35 30/33
SAT Range 1430/1550 1330/1480
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 15, 2025

Academics

Wellesley Lafayette College
Student to Faculty Ratio 7:1 10:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (28%)
  • Biology (9%)
  • Ethnic Studies (9%)
  • Foreign Languages (9%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • Social Sciences (33%)
  • Engineering (19%)
  • Biology (10%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • English and Literature (8%)

Outcomes

Wellesley Lafayette College
Graduation Rate 92% 88%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $68,100 $81,000
Making Student Loan Payments 86% 91%
Median Student Loan Debt $8,900 $26,000
Median Loan Payment $92 $268

Diversity

Wellesley Lafayette College
% Men 1% 50%
% Women 99% 50%
Racial Diversity Very High Medium
HBCU No No
% White 40% 67%
% Black 6% 5%
% Hispanic 11% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 6% 2%
% International 12% 9%
% Unknown Race 4% 7%

Students

Wellesley Lafayette College
% In-State 11% 16%
% Out-of-State 73% 76%

Campus

Wellesley Lafayette College
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

  • Lafayette College is larger than than Wellesley based on total student enrollment (2,729 students vs. 2,447 students)

Wellesley vs. Lafayette College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Wellesley or Lafayette College?

  • Wellesley College is 6% more expensive to attend than Lafayette College for in-state tuition ($61,584.00 vs. $58,110.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 6% higher at Wellesley than Lafayette College ($61,584.00 vs. $58,110.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Wellesley College than Lafayette College ($21,362 vs. $37,186)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Lafayette College are 10.1% lower than costs at Wellesley College ($17,336 vs. $19,080)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Lafayette College than Wellesley College (98% vs. 59%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Wellesley College students is 145.5% larger than aid received Lafayette College ($61,328 vs. $24,981)

Wellesley vs. Lafayette College Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Wellesley College (1369) is 75 points higher than at Lafayette College (1294)
  • Incoming Wellesley students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (30) than students at Lafayette College (29)
  • Accepted freshman Wellesley students have a 0.33 point higher average high school GPA (3.86) than students at Lafayette College (3.53)
  • Lafayette College has a higher acceptance rate (33.6%) than Wellesley (13.6%)

Wellesley vs. Lafayette College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Wellesley or Lafayette College? 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 Lafayette College and Wellesley.

  • The graduation rate at Wellesley is higher than Lafayette College (92% vs. 88%)
  • Graduates from Lafayette College earn on average $12,900 more per year than Wellesley graduates after ten years. ($81,000 vs. $68,100)
  • Wellesley College students graduate with a $17,100 lower median federal student loan debt than Lafayette College graduates. ($8,900 vs. $26,000)
  • Wellesley graduates are paying $176 less per month on federal student loans than Lafayette College graduates. ($92 vs. $268)
  • More Lafayette College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Wellesley students, three years after graduation. (91% vs. 86%)

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