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Summary
Wesleyan University is a private institution that was founded in 1831. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 2,882, its setting is city, and the campus size is 316 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. Wesleyan University's ranking in the 2013 edition of Best Colleges is National Liberal Arts Colleges, 17. Its tuition and fees are $45,628 (2012-13).
Wesleyan University is located in Middletown, Conn., overlooking the Connecticut River. The school offers about 200 student organizations, including several a cappella groups. Greek life has a long history at Wesleyan, with several fraternities and sororities on campus, including the coed fraternity Eclectic Society, as well as secret societies like the Skull and Serpent. Wesleyan’s athletic teams compete in the NCAA Division III New England Small College Athletic Conference. The college is also part of the unofficial Little Three athletic conference with Amherst and Williams. Freshmen are required to live on campus, along with the majority of students who live in campus residence halls, apartments, or houses.
Wesleyan University’s Graduate Liberal Studies Program offers students a Master of Arts in Liberal Studies. Wesleyan also grants other graduate degrees through its Master of Arts, Master of Science, and Doctor of Philosophy programs. Wesleyan was one of the first colleges to attempt coeducation by admitting female students from 1872 to 1912; however, after 1912, women were not officially admitted again until 1970. Students of color were first admitted in the 1960s. Wesleyan is also among the oldest of the originally Methodist colleges in the country. Nearly 50 percent of student study abroad through 150 programs located in 50 countries worldwide. Notable alumni include Robert Allbritton, CEO of Allbritton Communications; Michael Bay, who directed Armageddon and Pearl Harbor; and actor Bradley Whitford of the TV series The West Wing and film Billy Madison.
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We believe that liberal education should instill capacities for critical and creative thinking that can address unfamiliar and changing circumstances, engender a moral sensibility that can weigh consequence beyond self, and establish an enduring love of learning for its own sake. With the help of our faculty, Wesleyan students develop their own unique programs of study, which reflect their own interests and address capabilities we believe are essential to effective participation in a global society. Our faculty are active, well-known scholars, and the community is intellectually lively, so students have resources and support for accomplishing serious scholarly work as undergraduates. |
General Information
| School type | private, coed college |
| Year founded | 1831 |
| Religious affiliation | N/A |
| Academic calendar | semester |
| Setting | city |
| 2011 Endowment | $601,478,000 |
Applying
When applying to Wesleyan University, it's important to note the application deadline is January 1, and the early decision deadline is November 15. Scores for either the ACT or SAT test are due February 15. The application fee at Wesleyan University is $55. It is most selective, with an acceptance rate of 24.2 percent.
For more information about the tests, essays, interviews, and admissions process, visit the Applying to College knowledge center.
| Selectivity | most selective |
| Fall 2011 acceptance rate | 24.2% |
| Application deadline | January 1 |
| SAT/ACT scores must be received by | February 15 |
Academic Life
The student-faculty ratio at Wesleyan University is 9:1, and the school has 67.7 percent of its classes with fewer than 20 students. The most popular majors at Wesleyan University include: Political Science and Government, General; Psychology, General; Economics, General; English Language and Literature, General; and Sociology. The average freshman retention rate, an indicator of student satisfaction, is 95.5 percent.
Student Life
Wesleyan University has a total undergraduate enrollment of 2,882, with a gender distribution of 48.8 percent male students and 51.2 percent female students. At this school, 98.0 percent of the students live in college-owned, -operated, or -affiliated housing and 1.0 percent of students live off campus. Wesleyan University is part of the NCAA III athletic conference.
See what students are saying about life at Wesleyan University.
| Total enrollment | 3,202 |
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| Undergraduate women who are members of a sorority | N/A |
| Collegiate athletic association | NCAA III |
Campus Info & Services
Wesleyan University offers a number of student services including nonremedial tutoring, women's center, placement service, health service, and health insurance. Wesleyan University also offers campus safety and security services like 24-hour foot and vehicle patrols, late night transport/escort service, 24-hour emergency telephones, lighted pathways/sidewalks, and controlled dormitory access (key, security card, etc). Of the students at Wesleyan University, 35 percent have cars on campus. Alcohol is permitted for students of legal age at Wesleyan University.
| Students who have cars on campus | 35% |
| Health insurance offered | Yes |
| Students required to own/lease a computer | No |
More About Campus Info & Services
Paying for School
At Wesleyan University, 49.2 percent of full-time undergraduates receive some kind of need-based financial aid and the average need-based scholarship or grant award is $36,316.
Paying for college doesn't have to be difficult or devastating. Go to the Paying for College knowledge center to get advice on raising cash and reducing costs.
| Tuition and fees | $45,628 (2012-13) |
| Room and board | $13,434 (2012-13) |
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* Overview details based on 2011 data
