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Summary
Wheaton College is a private institution that was founded in 1860. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 2,433, its setting is suburban, and the campus size is 80 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. Wheaton College's ranking in the 2013 edition of Best Colleges is National Liberal Arts Colleges, 56. Its tuition and fees are $30,120 (2012-13).
Based in Wheaton, Ill., Wheaton College is a Christian liberal arts school where it says “the pursuit of faith and learning is taken seriously.” The college believes academic excellence, Christian commitment, and leadership are the essential ingredients to a liberal arts education. Freshmen are welcomed into the school with an orientation that includes multiple lunches with current students, a formal event with the faculty, and a sightseeing trip to Chicago, which is 25 miles east of the campus. Wheaton College believes in four building blocks for an education: attending classes, going to chapel, participating in extracurricular activities, and living on campus. Students are required to live on campus during their career at Wheaton and can choose to live in residence halls, campus apartments, or campus houses. The Wheaton College Thunder are members of the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin in the NCAA Division III.
Wheaton College offers students multiple off-campus study opportunities. The college sponsors study abroad programs in Asia, England, France, and Spain, among others. It houses a Science Station in Rapid City, S.D. for students interested in field instruction in the natural sciences. For students interested in music, the Conservatory of Music at Wheaton College is internationally recognized and is fully accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music. In honor of one of its most notable alumni, Christian evangelist Billy Graham, the Billy Graham Center is the primary location for a majority of Bible and theology classes and the site of multiple museums and auditoriums. The college uses this center to share its faith and beliefs with campus visitors. Other notable alumni of the school include horror film director Wes Craven, symphony conductor John Nelson, and former Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert.
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Established in 1860 as a co-ed institution, Wheaton College is a private, residential and interdenominational Christian liberal arts college, where the pursuit of faith and learning is taken seriously. With a mission to "develop whole and effective Christians," Wheaton is committed to being a community that fearlessly pursues God's Truth, invests in developing well-rounded students, and prepares graduates to make a difference in the world. The influence of Wheaton is seen in fields ranging from government (former Speaker of the US House of Representatives), to sports (two NBA coaches), to business (the CEO of John Deere), to the arts (Metropolitan Opera National Competition winners), to education (30-plus college presidents or provosts), to global ministry (Billy Graham). Wheaton seeks students who want to make a difference and are passionate about their Christian faith and rigorous academic pursuit. |
General Information
| School type | private, coed college |
| Year founded | 1860 |
| Religious affiliation | Christian nondenominational |
| Academic calendar | semester |
| Setting | suburban |
| 2011 Endowment | $322,602,852 |
Applying
When applying to Wheaton College, it's important to note the application deadline is January 10, and the early action deadline is November 1. Scores for either the ACT or SAT test are due January 10. The application fee at Wheaton College is $50. It is more selective, with an acceptance rate of 64.7 percent and an early acceptance rate of 57.3 percent.
For more information about the tests, essays, interviews, and admissions process, visit the Applying to College knowledge center.
| Selectivity | more selective |
| Fall 2011 acceptance rate | 64.7% |
| Application deadline | January 10 |
| SAT/ACT scores must be received by | January 10 |
Academic Life
The student-faculty ratio at Wheaton College is 12:1, and the school has 58.3 percent of its classes with fewer than 20 students. The most popular majors at Wheaton College include: Social Sciences; Theology and Religious Vocations; English Language and Literature/Letters; Health Professions and Related Programs; and Visual and Performing Arts. The average freshman retention rate, an indicator of student satisfaction, is 95.2 percent.
Student Life
Wheaton College has a total undergraduate enrollment of 2,433, with a gender distribution of 49.7 percent male students and 50.3 percent female students. At this school, 90.0 percent of the students live in college-owned, -operated, or -affiliated housing and 10.0 percent of students live off campus. Wheaton College is part of the NCAA III athletic conference.
See what students are saying about life at Wheaton College.
| Total enrollment | 3,005 |
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| Undergraduate men who are members of a fraternity | N/A |
| Undergraduate women who are members of a sorority | N/A |
| Collegiate athletic association | NCAA III |
Campus Info & Services
Wheaton College offers a number of student services including health service and health insurance. Wheaton College 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, student patrols, and controlled dormitory access (key, security card, etc). Of the students at Wheaton College, 30 percent have cars on campus. Alcohol is not permitted for students of legal age at Wheaton College.
| Students who have cars on campus | 30% |
| Health insurance offered | Yes |
| Students required to own/lease a computer | No |
More About Campus Info & Services
Paying for School
At Wheaton College, 53.2 percent of full-time undergraduates receive some kind of need-based financial aid and the average need-based scholarship or grant award is $17,027.
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 | $30,120 (2012-13) |
| Room and board | $8,560 (2012-13) |
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* Overview details based on 2011 data
