Wellesley vs. Lehigh

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

Wellesley Lehigh
Location Wellesley, MA Bethlehem, PA
Setting Large Suburban Small City
Enrollment 2,447 7,394
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #17 #54
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website wellesley.edu lehigh.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Wellesley Lehigh
Tuition (In State) $61,584 $58,970
Tuition (Out of State) $61,584 $58,970
Room & Board $19,080 $15,890
Avg Net Price $21,362 $30,453
Avg Grant Aid $61,328 $44,116
% Receiving Grant Aid 59% 55%

Admission

Wellesley Lehigh
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 8,491 15,163
Admitted 1,152 5,607
Acceptance Rate 13.6% 37%
Enrolled % 50.8% 26.9%
Avg High School GPA 3.86 3.81
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Elite Exceptional
Applicant Competition Very High High
ACT Range 33/35 30/33
SAT Range 1430/1550 1340/1490
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 1, 2025

Academics

Wellesley Lehigh
Student to Faculty Ratio 7:1 10:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (28%)
  • Biology (9%)
  • Ethnic Studies (9%)
  • Foreign Languages (9%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • Business (34%)
  • Engineering (24%)
  • Social Sciences (9%)
  • Biology (5%)
  • Psychology (5%)

Outcomes

Wellesley Lehigh
Graduation Rate 92% 87%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $68,100 $89,200
Making Student Loan Payments 86% 89%
Median Student Loan Debt $8,900 $24,256
Median Loan Payment $92 $250

Diversity

Wellesley Lehigh
% Men 1% 54%
% Women 99% 46%
Racial Diversity Very High Medium
HBCU No No
% White 40% 66%
% Black 6% 4%
% Hispanic 11% 9%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 6% 3%
% International 12% 8%
% Unknown Race 4% 3%

Students

Wellesley Lehigh
% In-State 11% 21%
% Out-of-State 73% 71%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Lehigh University is larger than than Wellesley based on total student enrollment (7,394 students vs. 2,447 students)

Wellesley vs. Lehigh Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Wellesley or Lehigh?

  • Wellesley College is 4.4% more expensive to attend than Lehigh for in-state tuition ($61,584.00 vs. $58,970.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 4.4% higher at Wellesley than Lehigh University ($61,584.00 vs. $58,970.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Wellesley College than Lehigh ($21,362 vs. $30,453)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Lehigh University are 20.1% lower than costs at Wellesley College ($15,890 vs. $19,080)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Wellesley College than Lehigh University (59% vs. 55%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Wellesley College students is 39% larger than aid received Lehigh University ($61,328 vs. $44,116)

Wellesley vs. Lehigh Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Wellesley College (1369) is 31 points higher than at Lehigh (1338)
  • Incoming Lehigh 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 Lehigh (3.81)
  • Lehigh has a higher acceptance rate (37%) than Wellesley (13.6%)

Wellesley vs. Lehigh Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at Wellesley is higher than Lehigh University (92% vs. 87%)
  • Graduates from Lehigh University earn on average $21,100 more per year than Wellesley graduates after ten years. ($89,200 vs. $68,100)
  • Wellesley College students graduate with a $15,356 lower median federal student loan debt than Lehigh graduates. ($8,900 vs. $24,256)
  • Wellesley graduates are paying $158 less per month on federal student loans than Lehigh graduates. ($92 vs. $250)
  • More Lehigh 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/