Class of 2023
It is not possible to fully convey the individual strengths and differences among students selected for Wesleyan in a statistical profile. What we hope to suggest with these facts is what we value in the admission process. No specific high school program is prescribed for admission, but admitted students have taken advantage of the specific curricular offerings of their high school to get the most out of their education, whether through AP courses, International Baccalaureate Diploma, local college courses, or simply the most challenging teachers. Their curiosity and love of learning travel with them. Rank in Class and ACT or SAT I & II are generally quite strong, but more telling in our assessment are the rigor of academic program and teacher recommendations. The admitted students are diverse in nationality, region, first language, race, ethnicity and socio-economic status. The variety of talents and commitments to school groups, civic and religious organizations, politics and the arts makes successful candidates more likely to contribute to the life of this vibrant community called Wesleyan.
Profile of Students Offered Admissions for Fall 2019
13,358 Applications Received | 2,187 Admitted (16.4%)
- Class size: 781
- 45% of admits are male, 55% female
- 82% of admits live outside New England; 16.5% live in 58 other countries including Brunei, China, Guyana, India, Jamaica, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kosovo, Mongolia, Nepal, Oman, Rwanda, Saint Lucia, Saudi Arabia, Slovakia, The United Kingdom and Zimbabwe
- English is a second language for 17% of the admitted students
- 279 international students admitted (13% of all admits)
- 49% of the admits are students of color (including international)
- 13% of admits are the first generation in family to attend college
- 11% of admits have a Wesleyan alumni or student relative
- 50% of admits applied for need-based aid (Wesleyan meets full demonstrated need for all those admitted)
- 1,102 applied in Early Decision (8% of applicants) and 403 were admitted (18% of admission offers)
- 22 admitted/enrolled QuestBridge Match Scholars
- 9 Veterans in Wesleyan’s sixth Posse
- HS Preparation:
- 90% have taken calculus
- 84% have taken biology, chemistry and physics
- 83% have a fourth year (or equivalent) of one foreign language
ACT and SAT scores
| ACT Comp | SAT ERW | SAT M | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Admit 75th %ile: | 35 | 770 | 790 | |
| Admit Median: | 34 | 740 | 780 | |
| Admit 25th %ile: | 33 | 710 | 740 | |
| 79% of admits asked to have test scores considered in the admission process | ||||
Profile of First Year Students
| Class Year | 2019* | 2020* | 2021* | 2022* | 2023* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Applicants | 9,905 | 12,030 | 12,453 | 12,788 | 13,358 |
| Admitted | 2,181 | 2,129 | 2,014 | 2,219 | 2,187 |
| Matriculants | 762 | 782 | 775 | 810 | 781 |
| Men | 45% | 46% | 46% | 44% | 45% |
| Women | 55% | 54% | 54% | 56% | 55% |
| Geography (Residence) | |||||
| New England | 19% | 19% | 20% | 20% | 21% |
| Mid-Atlantic | 35% | 33% | 31% | 34% | 32% |
| Mid-West | 6% | 7% | 5% | 5% | 4% |
| South | 7% | 6% | 8% | 7% | 6% |
| West | 19% | 19% | 20% | 19% | 19% |
| Outside the USA | 14% | 16% | 16% | 15% | 18% |
| Secondary School: | |||||
| Public | 50% | 52% | 52% | 52% | 52% |
| Other | 50% | 48% | 48% | 48% | 48% |
| Admitted in Early Decision | 48% | 48% | 51% | 50% | 51% |
| Students of Color (including international) | 42% | 40% | 44% | 39% | 44% |
| Asian/Asian-American | 20% | 21% | 23% | 20% | 24% |
| Black/African-American | 11% | 9% | 11% | 10% | 11% |
| Latino/Hispanic | 12% | 12% | 13% | 11% | 12% |
| Native American/Alaskan or Native Hawaiian/ Pac Island | 0.9% | 1.2% | 1.5% | 2.3% | 2% |
| International Students | 11% | 13% | 15% | 13% | 14% |
| Wesleyan Relatives | 13% | 16% | 14% | 15% | 16% |
| Alumni Children | 7% | 7% | 7% | 7% | 8% |
| First Generation to Four-Year College | 17% | 15% | 15% | 14% | 15% |
| Financial Aid | |||||
| Financial Aid | 51% | 46% | 47% | 47% | 48% |
| Grant Aid | 46% | 43% | 41% | 40% | 41% |
| Academic Program in HS | |||||
| Math through Calculus | 82% | 82% | 83% | 82% | 83% |
| Biology, Chemistry and Physics | 81% | 81% | 84% | 82% | 81% |
| Foreign Language IV | 79% | 79% | 81% | 79% | 80% |
| Class Ranking | |||||
| Class Rank Reported | 28% | 40% | 40% | 43% | 33% |
| Top 10% | 72% | 69% | 60% | 57% | 68% |
| Top 20% | 88% | 86% | 87% | 83% | 84% |
| ACT Median | 32 | 32 | 33 | 33 | 33 |
| SAT Medians: | |||||
| ERW (old Verbal/Critical Reading) | 710 | 730 | 730 | 730 | 730 |
| Math | 710 | 720 | 740 | 750 | 760 |
| Writing | 710 | 730 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Transfer Matriculants, Fall | 47 | 62 | 52 | 44 | 52 |
| Total New Students Enrolling | 809 | 844 | 827 | 854 | 833 |
Note: Class of 2018 and forward records all race responses; students can appear in more than one category
*as of August 1st