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Overall Score: 82.04

Babson College

Wellesley, MA http://www.babson.edu/
Babson specializes in curating business leaders and future entrepreneurs. Although the school offers only one undergraduate degree – a B.S. in business – half of the students' course loads are in the liberal arts and sciences. Upperclassmen can choose up to two "concentrations," akin to a major, in subjects as diverse as literary and visual arts, history and political studies, or environmental sustainability. Students get hands-on experience from the beginning, launching a startup business as part of a freshmen team (all profits go to a charity of the team's choosing) and, in later years, through continuing interaction with local companies and via internships. The result of all that real-world learning: Babson grads tend to stand out in the job market, with early career earnings topping $100,000. The list of ventures started by alums is impressive, including brands like Gerber, Home Depot and Zumba Fitness. The suburban Boston campus draws an international crowd. About 80% of undergraduates live on campus in one of 18 residence halls. Sports are an extremely popular pastime; Babson has 22 Division III teams, as well as more than 25 club and intramural teams. Monthly parties at Knight Auditorium and the annual spring concert, with headliners such as Kesha and Big Sean, also help students blow off steam.

Costs

Est. full price 2022-2023
$77,000
% of students who get any grants
43%
Est. price for students who receive aid
$33,300
Average price for low-income students
$21,450

Admissions

Acceptance rate
26%
Median SAT/ACT score
1360/30
SAT/ACT required?
No
Undergraduate enrollment
2,320

Financial Aid

% of students with need who get grants
97%
% of need met
96%
% of students who get merit grants
5%
Average merit grant
$21,910

Student Success

Graduation rate
91%
Average time to a degree
4 years
Median student debt
$22,750
Early career earnings
$106,600
% earning more than a high school grad
85%

Notes: Students who get merit grants are full-time undergraduates who had no financial need and were awarded grants. Graduation rate measures degree completion within six years for both transfer students and first-time students. Early career earnings are the median earnings for both graduates and non-completers, 10 years after they first enrolled.

Sources: U.S. Department of Education, Peterson’s, Money/Witlytic calculations.

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