Quad

Head-to-head

Colby
Wesleyan

Key differences

The biggest gaps between these schools, largest first.

  1. 1

    Colby is 2.3× more selective than Wesleyan

    Acceptance rate
  2. 2

    Colby's yield is 12 pts higher than Wesleyan's

    Yield rate
  3. 3

    Colby costs about $7.4K less per year on average than Wesleyan ($53,965 vs. $61,339, all students)

    Average cost, all students
  4. 4

    Wesleyan has 9 pts more first-gen students than Colby (20% vs. 11%)

    First-generation students
  5. 5

    Colby grads earn $6.6K more ten years out than Wesleyan's ($80,490 vs. $73,897)

    Median earnings, 10 yrs
  6. 6

    Colby's grants cover 37% of its full price on average, vs. 31% at Wesleyan

    Aid generosity

The shape of each school

Each axis is a national rank among 4-year colleges; further out = more of it.

SelectivityTest scoresSizePell shareFirst-genDiversity

Who's hardest to get into

Colby admits 7.1%, Wesleyan 16%; Colby's yield is higher, at 46%.

Acceptance rate
Colby7.1%
Wesleyan16%
Quad's selectivity
  • ColbyHighly selective
  • WesleyanHighly selective
SAT middle 50%Axis 1300–1600
Colby
1460–1550
Wesleyan
1415–1540
How they read a recordfirst-years at 3.75+
  • ColbySchool record required
  • WesleyanSchool record required

Who's on each campus

Wesleyan is a bit larger than Colby (3,067 vs. 2,407 undergrads); both have the same Pell share, 14%.

Undergrads
Colby2.4K
Wesleyan3.1K
Pell Grant share
Colby14%
Wesleyan14%

Majors and faculty

Econometrics and Quantitative Economics leads at both; Wesleyan has 8 students per faculty member to Colby's 9.

Students per faculty member
Colby9 to 1
Wesleyan8 to 1
Most popular majorshare of graduates
  • ColbyEconometrics and Quantitative Economics17%
  • WesleyanEconometrics and Quantitative Economics12%

What each costs

Colby costs about $7.4K less a year than Wesleyan on average, and its grants cover the larger share of its price.

Average cost, all students
Colby$54K
Wesleyan$61.3K
Aid generosity
Colby37%
Wesleyan31%

What each pays off

Colby's former students earn more, a median $80.5K ten years after enrolling; both graduate more than 80% within six years.

Median earnings, 10 years
Colby$80.5K
Wesleyan$73.9K
Graduation rate
Colby88%
Wesleyan93%

How each has changed

Applications grew at both; both got more selective.

Applications, 10-year change
  • ColbyGrowing+273%
  • WesleyanGrowing+53%
All the numbersEvery figure for these colleges in one table, with differences highlighted.
Sources for this comparisonEvery dataset and year behind the numbers in this comparison; tap any ⓘ for one number's source

Sources:IPEDS Admissions survey, Fall 2024;College Scorecard, Fall 2024;College Scorecard, most recent release;IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey, 2023–24;IPEDS Student Financial Aid survey, 2023–24;College Scorecard, Entered fall 2023;IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part D), Fall 2024;IPEDS Completions survey (degrees awarded by field), 2024–25 graduates;College Scorecard, 2023–24;IPEDS Graduation Rates survey (Pell Grant and subsidized loan recipients), Entered fall 2018;Wesleyan University (Fall 2025), Fall 2025About the data(retrieved 2026-10-12)

Figures are the newest each college has published; years can differ between colleges. Each value's ⓘ shows its source and year. Why