Wellesley vs. Reed

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

Wellesley Reed
Location Wellesley, MA Portland, OR
Setting Large Suburban Large City
Enrollment 2,447 1,534
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #17 #77
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website wellesley.edu reed.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Wellesley Reed
Tuition (In State) $61,584 $64,450
Tuition (Out of State) $61,584 $64,450
Room & Board $19,080 $15,950
Avg Net Price $21,362 $33,106
Avg Grant Aid $61,328 $47,864
% Receiving Grant Aid 59% 60%

Admission

Wellesley Reed
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 8,491 9,023
Admitted 1,152 2,779
Acceptance Rate 13.6% 30.8%
Enrolled % 50.8% 14.2%
Avg High School GPA 3.86 4.0
Typical High School Grades A- A/A+
Admissions Standards Elite Exceptional
Applicant Competition Very High High
ACT Range 33/35 30/33
SAT Range 1430/1550 1320/1500
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

Academics

Wellesley Reed
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 (20%)
  • Foreign Languages (15%)
  • Biology (10%)
  • Psychology (10%)
  • English and Literature (9%)

Outcomes

Wellesley Reed
Graduation Rate 92% 80%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $68,100 $47,200
Making Student Loan Payments 86% 84%
Median Student Loan Debt $8,900 $16,000
Median Loan Payment $92 $165

Diversity

Wellesley Reed
% Men 1% 42%
% Women 99% 58%
Racial Diversity Very High Medium
HBCU No No
% White 40% 60%
% Black 6% 2%
% Hispanic 11% 11%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 6% 8%
% International 12% 7%
% Unknown Race 4% 5%

Students

Wellesley Reed
% In-State 11% 6%
% Out-of-State 73% 87%

Campus

Wellesley Reed
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 Reed based on total student enrollment (2,447 students vs. 1,534 students)

Wellesley vs. Reed Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Wellesley or Reed?

  • Reed College is 4.7% more expensive to attend than Wellesley for in-state tuition ($64,450.00 vs. $61,584.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 4.7% higher at Reed than Wellesley College ($64,450.00 vs. $61,584.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Wellesley College than Reed ($21,362 vs. $33,106)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Reed College are 19.6% lower than costs at Wellesley College ($15,950 vs. $19,080)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Reed College than Wellesley College (60% vs. 59%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Wellesley College students is 28.1% larger than aid received Reed College ($61,328 vs. $47,864)

Wellesley vs. Reed Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Reed College (1383) is 14 points higher than at Wellesley (1369)
  • Incoming Reed students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (31) than students at Wellesley (30)
  • Accepted freshman Reed students have a 0.14 point higher average high school GPA (4.0) than students at Wellesley (3.86)
  • Reed has a higher acceptance rate (30.8%) than Wellesley (13.6%)

Wellesley vs. Reed Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at Wellesley is higher than Reed College (92% vs. 80%)
  • Graduates from Wellesley College earn on average $20,900 more per year than Reed graduates after ten years. ($68,100 vs. $47,200)
  • Wellesley College students graduate with a $7,100 lower median federal student loan debt than Reed graduates. ($8,900 vs. $16,000)
  • Wellesley graduates are paying $73 less per month on federal student loans than Reed graduates. ($92 vs. $165)
  • More Wellesley graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Reed students, three years after graduation. (86% vs. 84%)

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