Wellesley College & Smith College Research
wellesley_smith.md
Wellesley College & Smith College Research
Data Sources
- Wellesley Common Data Set 2024-2025
- Smith Common Data Set 2024-2025
- College Scorecard (collegescorecard.ed.gov)
- Official institutional websites and press releases
- CollegeData, CollegeFactual demographic breakdowns
Wellesley College
Overview
- Location: Wellesley, MA (13 miles west of Boston)
- Type: Private women's liberal arts college
- Founded: 1870
- Conference: NEWMAC (NCAA Division III)
- Seven Sisters: Yes (founding member)
- Gender policy: Admits women, trans women, and non-binary students
Admissions (Class of 2029)
- Total applicants: ~8,700 (second-largest in history)
- Overall acceptance rate: 13.7% (down from 14.1% for Class of 2028)
- ED acceptance rate: 29.8% (Class of 2028 data; 308 admitted from 1,033 ED applicants)
- RD acceptance rate: ~11.9% (Class of 2028)
- Early round: ED I (Nov 1) and ED II (Jan 5), both binding
- Class size: ~598 enrolled
- Yield rate: 49%
- Testing policy: Test-optional (5th consecutive year, since 2020)
Academic Profile
- SAT middle 50%: 1460-1560 (Math 730-790, EBRW 730-770)
- ACT middle 50%: 33-35
- Avg GPA (unweighted est.): ~3.9
- Top 10% of HS class: 90%
- First-generation: 20%
Demographics (2024-2025)
| Group | Percentage |
|---|---|
| White | 35.1% |
| Asian | 22.8% |
| Hispanic | 13.9% |
| International | 13.5% |
| Black | 7.1% |
| Multiracial | 6.4% |
| Women | 100% |
Financial Aid / Net Cost by Income
| Income Bracket | Net Cost |
|---|---|
| $0-$30,000 | $5,695 |
| $30,001-$48,000 | $634 |
| $48,001-$75,000 | $15,511 |
| $75,001-$110,000 | $24,314 |
| Over $110,000 | $50,305 |
- Total cost of attendance: $92,260
- Average net cost: $21,501
- 100% of demonstrated need met
- 53% of first-years receive need-based aid
Athletics
- Division: NCAA DIII (NEWMAC)
- Varsity sports: 13
- Total athletes: ~266 (11.7% of student body)
- Sports: Basketball, crew, cross country, fencing, field hockey, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming & diving, tennis, track & field, volleyball
Notable for Simulation
- Wellesley is significantly more selective than other top LACs in the sim (13.7% vs Amherst ~7%, Williams ~8%)
- High Asian representation (22.8%) compared to peer LACs
- Very high yield (49%) for a LAC, suggesting strong demonstrated interest
- ED boost is substantial (~2.2x overall rate)
- Notable anomaly in net cost: $30,001-$48,000 bracket is extremely low ($634)
Smith College
Overview
- Location: Northampton, MA (Pioneer Valley, western MA)
- Type: Private women's liberal arts college
- Founded: 1871
- Conference: NEWMAC (NCAA Division III)
- Seven Sisters: Yes
- Gender policy: Admits women and transgender students
- Curriculum: Open curriculum (no distribution requirements)
Admissions (Class of 2029)
- Total applicants: 8,102
- Admitted: 1,816
- Overall acceptance rate: 22%
- ED acceptance rate: ~38% (estimated; sub-40% first reached for Class of 2028)
- RD acceptance rate: ~18% (estimated)
- Early round: ED I and ED II, both binding
- Class size: 703 enrolled (+ 31 transfer, 7 Ada Comstock)
- Yield rate: 39%
- Testing policy: Test-optional (since 2009, longest-running among elite LACs)
Academic Profile
- SAT middle 50%: 1420-1540 (Math 700-780, EBRW 720-760)
- ACT middle 50%: 32-35
- Avg GPA (unweighted est.): ~3.88
- Top 10% of HS class: 79%
- First-generation: 20%
- Pell Grant recipients: 22%
Demographics (2024-2025)
| Group | Percentage |
|---|---|
| White | 48.8% |
| International | 13.3% |
| Hispanic | 12.8% |
| Asian | 9.5% |
| Black | 6.8% |
| Multiracial | 5.0% |
| Women | 100% |
- Domestic students of color: 40%
- Total enrollment: 2,549 undergrad + 308 grad = 2,857
Financial Aid / Net Cost by Income
| Income Bracket | Net Cost |
|---|---|
| $0-$30,000 | $7,033 |
| $30,001-$48,000 | $9,382 |
| $48,001-$75,000 | $12,149 |
| $75,001-$110,000 | $17,628 |
| Over $110,000 | $39,722 |
- Total cost of attendance: $85,176
- Average net cost: $27,823
- 66% receive institutional aid
Athletics
- Division: NCAA DIII (NEWMAC)
- Varsity sports: 11
- Total athletes: ~250 (est. 10% of student body)
- First women's college to join NCAA (1981)
Geographic Distribution (Class of 2029)
- States: 45 + DC
- Countries: 38
- Regional: New England 22.3%, Middle Atlantic 25.6%, Midwest 9.2%, South/SW 13.5%, West 17.8%, Abroad 11.5%
- Top states: NY, MA, CA, NJ, CT, TX, ME, MD, PA, IL, NC
- Top countries: China, Canada, Nigeria, Rwanda, Hong Kong, India
High School Background (Class of 2029)
- Public/charter: 69%
- Private: 24%
- Religious/homeschooled: 7%
Notable for Simulation
- Less selective than Wellesley (22% vs 13.7%) but still competitive
- Open curriculum is a notable draw factor
- Test-optional pioneer (since 2009)
- Ada Comstock Scholars program (non-traditional age students)
- Lower yield (39%) than Wellesley suggests more of a "choice" school
- Slightly lower SAT floor (1420 vs 1460)
Comparison: Wellesley vs Smith
| Metric | Wellesley | Smith |
|---|---|---|
| Acceptance rate | 13.7% | 22.0% |
| ED rate | 29.8% | ~38% |
| SAT middle 50% | 1460-1560 | 1420-1540 |
| ACT middle 50% | 33-35 | 32-35 |
| Class size | 598 | 703 |
| Yield rate | 49% | 39% |
| Top 10% HS | 90% | 79% |
| International % | 13.5% | 13.3% |
| Athlete % | 11.7% | ~10% |
| Net cost ($0-30K) | $5,695 | $7,033 |
Both are Seven Sisters, women-only, DIII NEWMAC, test-optional, private LACs in Massachusetts. Wellesley is notably more selective and has a higher yield. Smith has a larger class and more moderate selectivity.