Wellesley vs. Vanderbilt

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

Wellesley Vanderbilt
Location Wellesley, MA Nashville, TN
Setting Large Suburban Large City
Enrollment 2,447 13,710
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #17 #14
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website wellesley.edu vanderbilt.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Wellesley Vanderbilt
Tuition (In State) $61,584 $58,130
Tuition (Out of State) $61,584 $58,130
Room & Board $19,080 $19,862
Avg Net Price $21,362 $25,606
Avg Grant Aid $61,328 $53,932
% Receiving Grant Aid 59% 65%

Admission

Wellesley Vanderbilt
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 8,491 46,377
Admitted 1,152 3,093
Acceptance Rate 13.6% 6.7%
Enrolled % 50.8% 52.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.86 3.89
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 1490/1570
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 1, 2025

Academics

Wellesley Vanderbilt
Student to Faculty Ratio 7:1 7:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (28%)
  • Biology (9%)
  • Ethnic Studies (9%)
  • Foreign Languages (9%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • Social Sciences (27%)
  • Engineering (13%)
  • General Studies (9%)
  • Foreign Languages (6%)
  • Psychology (6%)

Outcomes

Wellesley Vanderbilt
Graduation Rate 92% 92%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $68,100 $83,100
Making Student Loan Payments 86% 83%
Median Student Loan Debt $8,900 $14,000
Median Loan Payment $92 $144

Diversity

Wellesley Vanderbilt
% Men 1% 44%
% Women 99% 56%
Racial Diversity Very High High
HBCU No No
% White 40% 55%
% Black 6% 8%
% Hispanic 11% 8%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 6% 5%
% International 12% 7%
% Unknown Race 4% 5%

Students

Wellesley Vanderbilt
% In-State 11% 9%
% Out-of-State 73% 79%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Vanderbilt University is larger than than Wellesley based on total student enrollment (13,710 students vs. 2,447 students)

Wellesley vs. Vanderbilt Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Wellesley or Vanderbilt?

  • Wellesley College is 5.9% more expensive to attend than Vanderbilt for in-state tuition ($61,584.00 vs. $58,130.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 5.9% higher at Wellesley than Vanderbilt University ($61,584.00 vs. $58,130.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Wellesley College than Vanderbilt ($21,362 vs. $25,606)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Wellesley College are 4.1% lower than costs at Vanderbilt University ($19,080 vs. $19,862)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Vanderbilt University than Wellesley College (65% vs. 59%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Wellesley College students is 13.7% larger than aid received Vanderbilt University ($61,328 vs. $53,932)

Wellesley vs. Vanderbilt Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Vanderbilt University (1498) is 129 points higher than at Wellesley (1369)
  • Incoming Vanderbilt students have a 4 point higher average ACT score (34) than students at Wellesley (30)
  • Accepted freshman Vanderbilt students have a 0.03 point higher average high school GPA (3.89) than students at Wellesley (3.86)
  • Wellesley has a higher acceptance rate (13.6%) than Vanderbilt (6.7%)

Wellesley vs. Vanderbilt Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at Wellesley is the same as at Vanderbilt University (92% vs. 92%)
  • Graduates from Vanderbilt University earn on average $15,000 more per year than Wellesley graduates after ten years. ($83,100 vs. $68,100)
  • Wellesley College students graduate with a $5,100 lower median federal student loan debt than Vanderbilt graduates. ($8,900 vs. $14,000)
  • Wellesley graduates are paying $52 less per month on federal student loans than Vanderbilt graduates. ($92 vs. $144)
  • More Wellesley graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Vanderbilt students, three years after graduation. (86% vs. 83%)

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