Wellesley College is one of the Seven Sisters, the prestigious consortium of East Coast women's colleges once seen as the female equivalent of the predominantly male Ivy League. Decades later, the Massachusetts-based Wellesley still attracts an impressive group of applicants: In the class of 2026, 9 out of 10 students were ranked in the top 10% of their high school class.
The average class has fewer than 20 students, and professors teach only two courses per semester, allowing them time for one-on-one work with the school's nearly 2,400 students. Wellesley prides itself on educating future leaders, and students don't have to look far for examples, since women make up the bulk of senior leadership on campus. Some of its most well-known alumnae include former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, author Nora Ephron and broadcast journalist Diane Sawyer.
The college provides internships stipends of up to $4,000 for hundreds of students a year to ensure finances aren’t a barrier to getting some on-the-job learning experience, something more than 90% of students do while enrolled.
Among the school's 180 student organizations are a Shakespeare society; the Botanistas, which support the campus’s botanic garden; and Cielito Lindo, a Latin dance group.
