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Wesleyan University

Overview

At a Glance

School type

Private, not-for-profit, 4-year or above

School Size & Setting

Small | Urban

Students-to-Faculty Ratio

8:1

Religious affliation

Not applicable

Mission Statement

Wesleyan has reviewed its curriculum, facilities, finances and competitive position. Our purpose is to assure that Wesleyan offers an extraordinary education, that Wesleyan's preeminence is firmly established and that we meet the challenges of the next century in a flexible and self-defined way. This Strategy for Wesleyan brings together principles, plans and major pending decisions.

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cost & financial aid

Annual tuition & fees

Undergraduate

In state

$64,022

Out of state

$64,022
Graduate

In state

$63,742

Out of state

$63,742

Financial Aid: Undergraduates

Received financial aid
49%
Type of aid % of students receiving aid Average amount
Federal grants 29.0% $5,594
State/local grants 1.0% $2,593
Institutional grants 42.0% $58,780
Loans 20.0% $9,716

Other Estimated Costs

Housing

$18,180 per year

Books & Supplies

$1,200 per year

Personal Expenses

$1,470 per year

Pay For College with ROTC

Reserve Officers Training Corp (ROTC) is a college scholarship program that prepares students to become military officers

Learn More About ROTC

Financial aid resources

Paying for college

Learn about different ways to cover costs, incluing financial aid, GI Bills, grants and scholarships

Applying for financial Aid

Review this step-by-step guide on everything you need to do to complete your application.

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Academics

Most Popular Undergraduate majors

  • Psychology, General
  • Econometrics and Quantitative Economics
  • Political Science and Government, General
  • English Language and Literature, General
  • Behavioral Neuroscience
Full List of Majors

Undergraduate Majors X

  • BIOLOGICAL AND BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES
    • Biology/Biological Sciences, General
      • A general program of biology at the introductory, basic level or a program in biology or the biological sciences that is undifferentiated as to title or content. Includes instruction in general biology and programs covering a variety of biological specializations. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Molecular Biochemistry
      • A program that focuses on the scientific relationship of physiological function to the structure and actions of macromolecules and supramolecular assemblies such as multienzyme complexes, membranes, and viruses. Includes instruction in the chemical mechanisms of regulation and catalysis, protein synthesis and other syntheses, and biomolecular chemical reactions. See other colleges that offer this major
  • COMPUTER AND INFORMATION SCIENCES AND SUPPORT SERVICES
    • Computer Science
      • A program that focuses on computer theory, computing problems and solutions, and the design of computer systems and user interfaces from a scientific perspective. Includes instruction in the principles of computational science, computer development and programming, and applications to a variety of end-use situations. See other colleges that offer this major
  • EDUCATION
    • Social and Philosophical Foundations of Education
      • A program that focuses on the systematic study of education as a social and cultural institution, and the educational process as an object of humanistic inquiry. Includes instruction in such subjects as the philosophy of education, history of education, educational literature, educational anthropology, sociology of education, economics and politics of education, educational policy studies, and studies of education in relation to specific populations, issues, social phenomena, and types of work. See other colleges that offer this major
  • ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE/LETTERS
    • English Language and Literature, General
      • A general program that focuses on the English language, including its history, structure and related communications skills; and the literature and culture of English-speaking peoples. See other colleges that offer this major
    • English Language and Literature/Letters, Other
  • FOREIGN LANGUAGES, LITERATURES, AND LINGUISTICS
    • Russian Language and Literature
      • A program that focuses on the Russian language. Includes instruction in philology; dialects; literature; and applications to business, science/technology, and other settings. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
    • Spanish Language and Literature
      • A program that focuses on the Spanish language and related dialects. Includes instruction in philology; Modern Castillan; Latin American and regional Spanish dialects; and applications in business, science/technology, and other settings. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
  • HISTORY
    • History, General
      • A program that focuses on the general study and interpretation of the past, including the gathering, recording, synthesizing and criticizing of evidence and theories about past events. Includes instruction in historiography; historical research methods; studies of specific periods, issues and cultures; and applications to areas such as historic preservation, public policy, and records administration. See other colleges that offer this major
  • LIBERAL ARTS AND SCIENCES, GENERAL STUDIES AND HUMANITIES
    • Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies
      • A program that is a structured combination of the arts, biological and physical sciences, social sciences, and humanities, emphasizing breadth of study. Includes instruction in independently designed, individualized, or regular programs. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Humanities/Humanistic Studies
      • A program that focuses on combined studies and research in the humanities subjects as distinguished from the social and physical sciences, emphasizing languages, literatures, art, music, philosophy and religion. See other colleges that offer this major
  • MATHEMATICS AND STATISTICS
    • Mathematics, General
      • A general program that focuses on the analysis of quantities, magnitudes, forms, and their relationships, using symbolic logic and language. Includes instruction in algebra, calculus, functional analysis, geometry, number theory, logic, topology and other mathematical specializations. See other colleges that offer this major
  • MULTI/INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES
    • Biological and Physical Sciences
      • A program that is either a general synthesis of one or more of the biological and physical sciences, or a specialization which draws from the biological and physical sciences. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Science, Technology and Society
      • A program that focuses on the contemporary social and public policy ramifications of science and technology, the interrelationship of science and engineering with the public policy process, and the social and ethical dimensions of scientific and technological enterprises. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Ancient Studies/Civilization
      • A program that focuses on Western and Non-Western cultures and related topics in the periods of Pre-history and Antiquity. Includes such disciplines as ancient languages, archeology, history, art history, geography, population studies, environmental studies, religious studies, and the social sciences. See other colleges that offer this major
  • PHILOSOPHY AND RELIGIOUS STUDIES
    • Philosophy
      • A program that focuses on ideas and their logical structure, including arguments and investigations about abstract and real phenomena. Includes instruction in logic, ethics, aesthetics, epistemology, metaphysics, symbolism, and history of philosophy, and applications to the theoretical foundations and methods of other disciplines. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Religion/Religious Studies
      • A program that focuses on the nature of religious belief and specific religious and quasi-religious systems. Includes instruction in phenomenology; the sociology, psychology, philosophy, anthropology, literature and art of religion; mythology; scriptural and textual studies; religious history and politics; and specific studies of particular faith communities and their behavior. See other colleges that offer this major
  • PHYSICAL SCIENCES
    • Physical Sciences, General
      • A program that focuses on the major topics, concepts, processes, and interrelationships of physical phenomena as studied in any combination of physical science disciplines. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Astronomy
      • A general program that focuses on the planetary, galactic, and stellar phenomena occurring in outer space. Includes instruction in celestial mechanics, cosmology, stellar physics, galactic evolution, quasars, stellar distribution and motion, interstellar medium, atomic and molecular constituents of astronomical phenomena, planetary science, solar system evolution, and specific methodologies such as optical astronomy, radioastronomy, and theoretical astronomy. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Chemistry, General
      • A general program that focuses on the scientific study of the composition and behavior of matter, including its micro- and macro-structure, the processes of chemical change, and the theoretical description and laboratory simulation of these phenomena. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Physics, General
      • A general program that focuses on the scientific study of matter and energy, and the formulation and testing of the laws governing the behavior of the matter-energy continuum. Includes instruction in classical and modern physics, electricity and magnetism, thermodynamics, mechanics, wave properties, nuclear processes, relativity and quantum theory, quantitative methods, and laboratory methods. See other colleges that offer this major
  • PSYCHOLOGY
    • Psychology, General
      • A general program that focuses on the scientific study of individual and collective behavior, the physical and environmental bases of behavior, and the analysis and treatment of behavior problems and disorders. Includes instruction in the principles of the various subfields of psychology, research methods, and psychological assessment and testing methods. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Behavioral Neuroscience
      • A program that focuses on the scientific study of the biological bases of behavior and psychological functioning, and their application to experimental and therapeutic research problems. Includes instruction in functional neuroanatomy, neural system development, biochemical neural regulatory mechanisms, neurological biophysics, memory storage and retrieval, physiology of cognition and perception, physiological bases of psychopathology and behavioral disorders, psychopharmacology, comparative psychobiology, molecular and cellular neuroscience, brain science, anatomy and physiology of the central nervous system, and specialized experimental design and research methods. See other colleges that offer this major
  • SOCIAL SCIENCES
    • Anthropology, General
      • A program that focuses on the systematic study of human beings, their antecedents and related primates, and their cultural behavior and institutions, in comparative perspective. Includes instruction in biological/physical anthropology, primatology, human paleontology and prehistoric archeology, hominid evolution, anthropological linguistics, ethnography, ethnology, ethnohistory, socio-cultural anthropology, psychological anthropology, research methods, and applications to areas such as medicine, forensic pathology, museum studies, and international affairs. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Archeology
      • A program that focuses on the systematic study of extinct societies, and the past of living societies, via the excavation, analysis and interpretation of their artifactual, human, and associated remains. Includes instruction in archeological theory, field methods, dating methods, conservation and museum studies, cultural and physical evolution, and the study of specific selected past cultures. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Economics, General
      • A general program that focuses on the systematic study of the production, conservation and allocation of resources in conditions of scarcity, together with the organizational frameworks related to these processes. Includes instruction in economic theory, micro- and macroeconomics, comparative economic systems, money and banking systems, international economics, quantitative analytical methods, and applications to specific industries and public policy issues. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Econometrics and Quantitative Economics
      • A program that focuses on the systematic study of mathematical and statistical analysis of economic phenomena and problems. Includes instruction in economic statistics, optimization theory, cost/benefit analysis, price theory, economic modeling, and economic forecasting and evaluation. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Political Science and Government, General
      • A general program that focuses on the systematic study of political institutions and behavior. Includes instruction in political philosophy, political theory, comparative government and politics, political parties and interest groups, public opinion, political research methods, studies of the government and politics of specific countries, and studies of specific political institutions and processes. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Sociology, General
      • A program that focuses on the systematic study of human social institutions and social relationships. Includes instruction in social theory, sociological research methods, social organization and structure, social stratification and hierarchies, dynamics of social change, family structures, social deviance and control, and applications to the study of specific social groups, social institutions, and social problems. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Social Sciences, Other
  • VISUAL AND PERFORMING ARTS
    • Dance, General
      • A general program that prepares individuals to express ideas, feelings, and/or inner visions through the performance of one or more of the dance disciplines, including but not limited to ballet, modern, jazz, ethnic, and folk dance, and that focuses on the study and analysis of dance as a cultural phenomenon. Includes instruction in technique, choreography, Laban notation, dance history and criticism, and dance production. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General
      • A program that focuses on the general study of dramatic works and their performance. Includes instruction in major works of dramatic literature, dramatic styles and types, and the principles of organizing and producing full live or filmed productions. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Film/Cinema/Media Studies
      • A program in the visual arts that focuses on the study of the history, development, theory, and criticism of the film/media arts, as well as the basic principles of filmmaking and film production. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Fine/Studio Arts, General
      • A program that prepares individuals to generally function as creative artists in the visual and plastic media. Includes instruction in the traditional fine arts media (drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking, CAD/CAM) and/or modern media (ceramics, textiles, intermedia, photography, digital images), theory of art, color theory, composition and perspective, anatomy, the techniques and procedures for maintaining equipment and managing a studio, and art portfolio marketing. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Art History, Criticism and Conservation
      • A program that focuses on the study of the historical development of art as social and intellectual phenomenon, the analysis of works of art, and art conservation. Includes instruction in the theory of art, art history research methods, connoisseurship, the preservation and conservation of works of art, and the study of specific periods, cultures, styles, and themes. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Music, Other

Most Popular Graduate programs

  • Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies
  • Behavioral Neuroscience
  • Physics, General
  • Mathematics, General
  • Chemistry, General
Full List of Programs

Graduate ProgramsX

  • BIOLOGICAL AND BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES
    • Biology/Biological Sciences, General
      • A general program of biology at the introductory, basic level or a program in biology or the biological sciences that is undifferentiated as to title or content. Includes instruction in general biology and programs covering a variety of biological specializations. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Molecular Biology
      • A program that focuses on the scientific study of the structure and function of biological macromolecules and the role of molecular constituents and mechanisms in supramolecular assemblies and cells. Includes instruction in such topics as molecular signaling and transduction, regulation of cell growth, enzyme substrates and mechanisms of enzyme action, DNA-protein interaction, and applications to fields such as biotechnology, genetics, cell biology, and physiology. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Molecular Biochemistry
      • A program that focuses on the scientific relationship of physiological function to the structure and actions of macromolecules and supramolecular assemblies such as multienzyme complexes, membranes, and viruses. Includes instruction in the chemical mechanisms of regulation and catalysis, protein synthesis and other syntheses, and biomolecular chemical reactions. See other colleges that offer this major
  • COMPUTER AND INFORMATION SCIENCES AND SUPPORT SERVICES
    • Computer Science
      • A program that focuses on computer theory, computing problems and solutions, and the design of computer systems and user interfaces from a scientific perspective. Includes instruction in the principles of computational science, computer development and programming, and applications to a variety of end-use situations. See other colleges that offer this major
  • EDUCATION
    • Social and Philosophical Foundations of Education
      • A program that focuses on the systematic study of education as a social and cultural institution, and the educational process as an object of humanistic inquiry. Includes instruction in such subjects as the philosophy of education, history of education, educational literature, educational anthropology, sociology of education, economics and politics of education, educational policy studies, and studies of education in relation to specific populations, issues, social phenomena, and types of work. See other colleges that offer this major
  • FOREIGN LANGUAGES, LITERATURES, AND LINGUISTICS
  • HISTORY
    • History, General
      • A program that focuses on the general study and interpretation of the past, including the gathering, recording, synthesizing and criticizing of evidence and theories about past events. Includes instruction in historiography; historical research methods; studies of specific periods, issues and cultures; and applications to areas such as historic preservation, public policy, and records administration. See other colleges that offer this major
  • LIBERAL ARTS AND SCIENCES, GENERAL STUDIES AND HUMANITIES
    • Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies
      • A program that is a structured combination of the arts, biological and physical sciences, social sciences, and humanities, emphasizing breadth of study. Includes instruction in independently designed, individualized, or regular programs. See other colleges that offer this major
  • MATHEMATICS AND STATISTICS
    • Mathematics, General
      • A general program that focuses on the analysis of quantities, magnitudes, forms, and their relationships, using symbolic logic and language. Includes instruction in algebra, calculus, functional analysis, geometry, number theory, logic, topology and other mathematical specializations. See other colleges that offer this major
  • PHILOSOPHY AND RELIGIOUS STUDIES
    • Philosophy
      • A program that focuses on ideas and their logical structure, including arguments and investigations about abstract and real phenomena. Includes instruction in logic, ethics, aesthetics, epistemology, metaphysics, symbolism, and history of philosophy, and applications to the theoretical foundations and methods of other disciplines. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Religion/Religious Studies
      • A program that focuses on the nature of religious belief and specific religious and quasi-religious systems. Includes instruction in phenomenology; the sociology, psychology, philosophy, anthropology, literature and art of religion; mythology; scriptural and textual studies; religious history and politics; and specific studies of particular faith communities and their behavior. See other colleges that offer this major
  • PHYSICAL SCIENCES
    • Physical Sciences, General
      • A program that focuses on the major topics, concepts, processes, and interrelationships of physical phenomena as studied in any combination of physical science disciplines. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Astronomy
      • A general program that focuses on the planetary, galactic, and stellar phenomena occurring in outer space. Includes instruction in celestial mechanics, cosmology, stellar physics, galactic evolution, quasars, stellar distribution and motion, interstellar medium, atomic and molecular constituents of astronomical phenomena, planetary science, solar system evolution, and specific methodologies such as optical astronomy, radioastronomy, and theoretical astronomy. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Chemistry, General
      • A general program that focuses on the scientific study of the composition and behavior of matter, including its micro- and macro-structure, the processes of chemical change, and the theoretical description and laboratory simulation of these phenomena. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Geology/Earth Science, General
      • A program that focuses on the scientific study of the earth; the forces acting upon it; and the behavior of the solids, liquids and gases comprising it. Includes instruction in historical geology, geomorphology, and sedimentology, the chemistry of rocks and soils, stratigraphy, mineralogy, petrology, geostatistics, volcanology, glaciology, geophysical principles, and applications to research and industrial problems. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Physics, General
      • A general program that focuses on the scientific study of matter and energy, and the formulation and testing of the laws governing the behavior of the matter-energy continuum. Includes instruction in classical and modern physics, electricity and magnetism, thermodynamics, mechanics, wave properties, nuclear processes, relativity and quantum theory, quantitative methods, and laboratory methods. See other colleges that offer this major
  • PSYCHOLOGY
    • Psychology, General
      • A general program that focuses on the scientific study of individual and collective behavior, the physical and environmental bases of behavior, and the analysis and treatment of behavior problems and disorders. Includes instruction in the principles of the various subfields of psychology, research methods, and psychological assessment and testing methods. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Behavioral Neuroscience
      • A program that focuses on the scientific study of the biological bases of behavior and psychological functioning, and their application to experimental and therapeutic research problems. Includes instruction in functional neuroanatomy, neural system development, biochemical neural regulatory mechanisms, neurological biophysics, memory storage and retrieval, physiology of cognition and perception, physiological bases of psychopathology and behavioral disorders, psychopharmacology, comparative psychobiology, molecular and cellular neuroscience, brain science, anatomy and physiology of the central nervous system, and specialized experimental design and research methods. See other colleges that offer this major
  • SOCIAL SCIENCES
    • Anthropology, General
      • A program that focuses on the systematic study of human beings, their antecedents and related primates, and their cultural behavior and institutions, in comparative perspective. Includes instruction in biological/physical anthropology, primatology, human paleontology and prehistoric archeology, hominid evolution, anthropological linguistics, ethnography, ethnology, ethnohistory, socio-cultural anthropology, psychological anthropology, research methods, and applications to areas such as medicine, forensic pathology, museum studies, and international affairs. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Economics, General
      • A general program that focuses on the systematic study of the production, conservation and allocation of resources in conditions of scarcity, together with the organizational frameworks related to these processes. Includes instruction in economic theory, micro- and macroeconomics, comparative economic systems, money and banking systems, international economics, quantitative analytical methods, and applications to specific industries and public policy issues. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Econometrics and Quantitative Economics
      • A program that focuses on the systematic study of mathematical and statistical analysis of economic phenomena and problems. Includes instruction in economic statistics, optimization theory, cost/benefit analysis, price theory, economic modeling, and economic forecasting and evaluation. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Political Science and Government, General
      • A general program that focuses on the systematic study of political institutions and behavior. Includes instruction in political philosophy, political theory, comparative government and politics, political parties and interest groups, public opinion, political research methods, studies of the government and politics of specific countries, and studies of specific political institutions and processes. See other colleges that offer this major
  • VISUAL AND PERFORMING ARTS
    • Dance, General
      • A general program that prepares individuals to express ideas, feelings, and/or inner visions through the performance of one or more of the dance disciplines, including but not limited to ballet, modern, jazz, ethnic, and folk dance, and that focuses on the study and analysis of dance as a cultural phenomenon. Includes instruction in technique, choreography, Laban notation, dance history and criticism, and dance production. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General
      • A program that focuses on the general study of dramatic works and their performance. Includes instruction in major works of dramatic literature, dramatic styles and types, and the principles of organizing and producing full live or filmed productions. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Musicology and Ethnomusicology
      • A program that focuses on the systematic study of the forms and methods of music art, and the functions of music, in Western and non-Western societies and cultures. Includes instruction in music theory, musicological research methods, and studies of specific cultural styles such as jazz, folk music, rock, ethnic musical traditions, and the music of non-Western cultures. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Music, Other
    • Fine and Studio Arts Management
      • A program that prepares individuals to organize and manage fine and studio art organizations, operations, and facilities. Includes instruction in business and financial management; marketing and fundraising; personnel management and labor relations; event promotion and management; public relations and arts advocacy; arts law; and applications to specific arts activities such as galleries, museums, studios, foundations, and community organizations. See other colleges that offer this major
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Admissions

Undergraduate acceptance rate

Acceptance rate
14.43%
  • Apply 14,521
  • Accepted 2,096
  • Attend 743

Application Fee

Undergraduate
$65
Graduate
$0

Undergraduate application requirements

  • High school transcript

    Required
  • High school GPA

    Not applicable
  • Recommendation letter

    Required
  • Admissions test
    (SAT or ACT)

    Not applicable
  • TOEFL
    (international students)

    Required
  • Completion of college
    prep program

    Not applicable
  • Demonstration of
    competencies

    Not applicable

Average Test Scores

SAT Math
660-760
ACT Composite
31-34
SAT Reading
660-750
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Student Life

Student Demographics

Female Students
54%
Male Students
46%

Student Ethnicities
  1. Caucasian53.64%
  2. Two Or More Ethnicities18.29%
  3. Hispanic/Latino10.79%
  4. Asian8.79%
  5. Black5.63%
  6. Not Specified2.77%
  7. Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander0.06%
  8. American Indian/Alaska Native0.03%

Student body breakdown

Total students enrolled

3,904

Undergraduate students

3,631

Graduate students

273

Full Time Students
97%
Part Time Students
3%

Student services

  • Meal plan
  • Counseling services
  • Remedial services
  • Work-study
  • Placement services
  • Study abroad
  • Weekend/evening classes
  • On-campus day care for student's children

Top five largest sports teams

Male sports:
  • Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)
  • Football
  • Lacrosse
  • Baseball
  • Swimming and Diving (combined)
Female sports:
  • Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)
  • Swimming and Diving (combined)
  • Rowing
  • Lacrosse
  • Soccer
Full List of Athletics

Full List of Athletics X

    • Male

    • Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)
    • Football
    • Lacrosse
    • Baseball
    • Swimming and Diving (combined)
    • Rowing
    • Wrestling
    • Soccer
    • Ice Hockey
    • Basketball
    • Squash
    • Golf
    • Tennis
    • Female

    • Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)
    • Swimming and Diving (combined)
    • Lacrosse
    • Soccer
    • Rowing
    • Field Hockey
    • Ice Hockey
    • Volleyball
    • Basketball
    • Softball
    • Tennis
    • Squash
    • Golf
No Information for this section