Wellesley vs. Penn

Should I go to Wellesley College or University of Pennsylvania? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Wellesley or Penn 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.

Add a college to compare up to four schools

Frequently compared to these colleges. Click a college to add to the comparison. 

Princeton Duke Barnard Cornell Harvard Johns Hopkins Georgetown Stanford Vassar Brown Northwestern Dartmouth
Wellesley College vs. University of Pennsylvania comparison
Wellesley College University of Pennsylvania College 3 College 4
Wellesley College University of Pennsylvania
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

Wellesley Penn
Location Wellesley, MA Philadelphia, PA
Setting Large Suburban Large City
Enrollment 2,447 28,201
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #17 #23
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website wellesley.edu upenn.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Wellesley Penn
Tuition (In State) $61,584 $56,212
Tuition (Out of State) $61,584 $56,212
Room & Board $19,080 $17,888
Avg Net Price $21,362 $26,123
Avg Grant Aid $61,328 $57,175
% Receiving Grant Aid 59% 46%

Admission

Wellesley Penn
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 8,491 54,588
Admitted 1,152 3,549
Acceptance Rate 13.6% 6.5%
Enrolled % 50.8% 67.9%
Avg High School GPA 3.86 3.95
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Elite Elite
Applicant Competition Very High Extreme
ACT Range 33/35 34/35
SAT Range 1430/1550 1500/1570
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, 2025 Jan 5, 2025

Academics

Wellesley Penn
Student to Faculty Ratio 7:1 8:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (28%)
  • Biology (9%)
  • Ethnic Studies (9%)
  • Foreign Languages (9%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • Business (26%)
  • Social Sciences (16%)
  • Biology (8%)
  • Engineering (7%)
  • Health Professions (7%)

Outcomes

Wellesley Penn
Graduation Rate 92% 96%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $68,100 $123,600
Making Student Loan Payments 86% 84%
Median Student Loan Debt $8,900 $20,633
Median Loan Payment $92 $213

Diversity

Wellesley Penn
% Men 1% 44%
% Women 99% 56%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 40% 45%
% Black 6% 7%
% Hispanic 11% 10%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 6% 4%
% International 12% 11%
% Unknown Race 4% 3%

Students

Wellesley Penn
% In-State 11% 16%
% Out-of-State 73% 67%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • University of Pennsylvania is larger than than Wellesley based on total student enrollment (28,201 students vs. 2,447 students)

Wellesley vs. Penn Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Wellesley or Penn?

  • Wellesley College is 9.6% more expensive to attend than Penn for in-state tuition ($61,584.00 vs. $56,212.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 9.6% higher at Wellesley than University of Pennsylvania ($61,584.00 vs. $56,212.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Wellesley College than Penn ($21,362 vs. $26,123)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Pennsylvania are 6.7% lower than costs at Wellesley College ($17,888 vs. $19,080)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Wellesley College than University of Pennsylvania (59% vs. 46%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Wellesley College students is 7.3% larger than aid received University of Pennsylvania ($61,328 vs. $57,175)

Wellesley vs. Penn Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of Pennsylvania (1457) is 88 points higher than at Wellesley (1369)
  • Incoming Penn students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (33) than students at Wellesley (30)
  • Accepted freshman Penn students have a 0.09 point higher average high school GPA (3.95) than students at Wellesley (3.86)
  • Wellesley has a higher acceptance rate (13.6%) than Penn (6.5%)

Wellesley vs. Penn Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at Penn is higher than Wellesley College (96% vs. 92%)
  • Graduates from University of Pennsylvania earn on average $55,500 more per year than Wellesley graduates after ten years. ($123,600 vs. $68,100)
  • Wellesley College students graduate with a $11,733 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn graduates. ($8,900 vs. $20,633)
  • Wellesley graduates are paying $121 less per month on federal student loans than Penn graduates. ($92 vs. $213)
  • More Wellesley graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn 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/