Academics
Majors and faculty
The most popular major is Econometrics and Quantitative Economics (11% of graduates). 7 students for every faculty member, fewer than at 92% of colleges. 80% of faculty are full-time. Spends $39,815 a year on instruction per student.
Most popular majors
573 bachelor's degrees, 2024–25 graduates
The top 5 programs account for 37% of graduates; 47 programs in 16 fields awarded at least one.
- Econometrics and Quantitative Economics 45.060311% 62Graduates in this field earn $121,787 4 years out
- Computer and Information Sciences, General 11.01019.6% 55Graduates in this field earn $177,213 4 years out
- Political Science and Government, General 45.10015.9% 34Graduates in this field earn $72,830 4 years out
- Research and Experimental Psychology, Other 42.27995.4% 31Graduates in this field earn $52,538 4 years out
- Biology/Biological Sciences, General 26.01015.2% 30Graduates in this field earn $58,285 4 years out
Fastest-growing field: Computer science, 6.6% → 15% of graduates since 2014–15 (84 graduates in 2024–25).
Source:IPEDS Completions survey (degrees awarded by field), 2014–15 to 2024–25About the data(built 2026-10-12; CPI retrieved 2026-10-12)
Bachelor's degrees awarded July through June, by federal program name (), which can differ from what the college calls a major. A double major counts once, under the ; its other field is a . Earnings are College Scorecard's median for graduates of the program's broader field (), 4 years after completion; see Top-earning majors below.
Top-earning majors here
By earnings 4 years after completion
Computer and Information Sciences, General$177,213 4 yrs out
1 year after completion: $100,644
4 years after completion$177,213National median: $92,374Above typical4 years out, Pell: Too few graduates to report · Non-Pell: $200,833(an older graduating class than the figure above — see the (i) for why)
Median federal debt: $13,350 · 124 graduates, two most recent years combined
Economics$121,787 4 yrs out
1 year after completion: $86,367
4 years after completion$121,787National median: $82,686Above typical4 years out, Pell: $99,904 · Non-Pell: Too few graduates to report(an older graduating class than the figure above — see the (i) for why)
Median federal debt: $11,190 · 189 graduates, two most recent years combined
Computer Software and Media Applications$98,816 4 yrs out
1 year after completion: Too few graduates to report
4 years after completion$98,816National median: $58,894Above typicalMedian federal debt: Too few graduates to report · 44 graduates, two most recent years combined
Political Science and Government$72,830 4 yrs out
1 year after completion: $50,214
4 years after completion$72,830National median: $63,293Above typical4 years out, Pell: Too few graduates to report · Non-Pell: $62,257(an older graduating class than the figure above — see the (i) for why)
Median federal debt: $11,820 · 87 graduates, two most recent years combined
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics$65,036 4 yrs out
1 year after completion: $36,776
4 years after completion$65,036National median: $55,000Above typical4 years out, Pell: $47,644 · Non-Pell: Too few graduates to report(an older graduating class than the figure above — see the (i) for why)
Median federal debt: $10,152 · 37 graduates, two most recent years combined
Bachelor's programs only, among graduates who received federal financial aid and were working (not enrolled in school) in the measurement year.
The college also reports 8 to 1 in its Common Data Set.
Not the average class size: faculty also teach graduate students and do research, and large lectures can sit alongside small seminars.
Class sizes
67%
of classes have fewer than 20 students; 0% have 50 or more
| Students | sections | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 2–9 | 71 | 14% |
| 10–19 | 260 | 52% |
| 20–29 | 138 | 28% |
| 30–39 | 23 | 5% |
| 40–49 | 2 | 0% |
| 50–99 | 2 | 0% |
| 100+ | 0 | 0% |
This counts class sections, not students: a lecture of 300 is one section, so a student is more likely to sit in a large class than the share of sections suggests. Labs and discussion sections are counted separately and left out here.
Programs & curriculum
- Cross-registration
- Distance learning
- Double major
- Domestic exchange program
- Honors program
- Independent study
- Internships
- Student-designed major
- Study abroad
- Undergraduate research
Requires coursework in arts, English composition, a foreign language, history, physical education, humanities, math, philosophy, a natural science, and social science.
$127,081
9-month equated, all ranks combined. Pay tracks local cost of living as much as a college's generosity.
Spending and endowment
Fiscal 2023–24. Compared only against other private nonprofit colleges: public and private colleges report finances on different accounting forms that aren't comparable.
Sources:IPEDS Completions survey (degrees awarded by field), 2024–25 graduates;College Scorecard Field of Study data, most recent release;IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part D), Fall 2024;IPEDS Salaries survey (SAL, instructional staff, all ranks), Fall 2024;College Scorecard, Fall 2024;IPEDS Finance survey, derived per-student figures, 2023–24;Wellesley College Common Data Set 2025–26, Fall 2025;Wellesley College Common Data Set 2025–26, 2025–26;IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey (athletics, programs, services, religious affiliation), 2025–26About the data(retrieved 2026-10-12)
