• Universities

Wellesley College, one of the most academically challenging institutions of higher education in the country and widely acknowledged as the nation's top women's college, provides its students with an array of opportunities that create the richest possible educational environment. Wellesley prepares women to realize their own highest ambitions and compete in any setting. Offering more than 1,000 courses in 54 established majors, the College also supports more than 100 student clubs and organizations (as well as 14 varsity teams) that serve a wide range of interests. It is this broad-based educational and experiential excellence, along with its dedicated faculty, small class size (averaging 17-20, with a student/faculty ratio of 7:1), and strong sense of community--that distinguishes Wellesley.As an institution that focuses solely on the ideals of a liberal arts education, Wellesley is able to dedicate all of its academic resources--faculty, facilities, and research support to its undergraduate students. Admission policy is need-blind for U.S. citizens and permanent residents, admitting applicants without regard to their ability to pay, and making Wellesley one of the few colleges to meet 100 percent of demonstrated financial need; additionally, its generous policies eliminate loans for students with the greatest need, creating one of the most socioeconomically diverse colleges in the country. In fact, Wellesley awards financial aid over 50 percent of its students. Each year several hundred women spend a semester (or year) studying abroad, where their financial aid applies; cross-registration is available with MIT, Olin College of Engineering, Babson, and Brandeis. The Wellesley career education model illuminates the strengths of the liberal arts education and encourages active participation of the full College ecosystem in order to support every Wellesley woman from the moment she arrives on campus through her alumnae years. Students proactively engage in the process of exploring the intersection between self and society, engaging and testing their curiosities, and forming meaningful connections within career communities that cover a broad array of industries and career fields.Twenty-one residence halls house students from all four classes and from 87 countries and 50 states including Washington D.C., making Wellesley one of the most diverse colleges in the nation. Celebrated for the many extraordinary facilities on its beautiful 500-acre campus, Wellesley is home to the Lulu Chow Wang Campus Center; the Science Center; the Knapp Media & Technology Center; the Margaret Clapp Library; the Davis Museum & Collins Cinema; the Keohane Sports Center; the Hunnewell Arboretum & Alexandra Botanic Garden and Ferguson Greenhouses; the Jewett Arts Center; the Newhouse Center for the Humanities; the Slater International Center; the Wellesley Centers for Women; the Whitin Observatory; and the Albright Institute for Global Affairs, which educates women for leadership in the world. Alumnae commitment to the College and its mission is renown, and the connections among the 32,000 active alums--including former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton '69--are strong. Wellesley is just outside of Boston, a city rich in theatre, art, sports, and entertainment, and populated with tens of thousands of college students.