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 is still an elite institution, with an acceptance rate of 14%.
The school boasts personalized instruction, with a student-faculty ratio of 7:1, and a range of opportunities to get involved, with 180 student organizations. Available organizations include a Shakespeare society; the Botanistas, which support the campus’s botanic garden; and Cielito Lindo, a Latin dance group.
Wellesley has a high sticker price, hitting $92,060 for the 2024-2025 academic year. However, the college reported that nearly 60% of its students receive financial aid, with an average annual grant of $62,500.
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. Students go on to successful careers, with median early-career earnings of about $76,000.
