Wells College vs Bennington College

Wells College and Bennington College, both esteemed liberal arts institutions, offer distinct educational experiences. Wells, with an acceptance rate of 75%, fosters a close-knit community where students receive personalized attention. Bennington, with a more selective admissions process (35% acceptance rate), emphasizes experiential learning and artistic expression. While Wells is known for its strengths in the social sciences and humanities, Bennington excels in the arts, design, and writing. Both colleges boast diverse student bodies, with Wells having a slightly higher proportion of female students (63%) compared to Bennington's gender-balanced population. With graduation rates of 68% and 75% respectively, both institutions ensure that their students are well-prepared for their post-collegiate endeavors. Explore the detailed comparison table below to discover more about these two exceptional colleges and determine which one aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Bennington College	Wells College
Overview
Location	Bennington, Vermont	Aurora, New York
Campus setting	Town: Distant	Rural: Distant
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate
Students retention rate	84.0%	46.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	66.9%	68.3%
Application fees	$85
SAT range	N/A	N/A
ACT range	N/A	N/A
Students submitting SAT score
Students submitting ACT score
Total number of applicants	1,726	2,167
Total number of admissions given out	1,155	1,480
Admitted students who chose to enroll	249	140
Yield rate	21.6%	9.5%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Not required	Not required
Recommendation letters	Required	Not required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$80,648	$49,100
Average net price	$35,569	$19,963
Tuition	$58,848	$30,950
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $9,350 Meal plan: $7,860	Room/dormitory: $11,800 Meal plan: $3,000
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	99.0% Average amount $43,739	100.0% Average amount $27,321
Students receiving federal student loan	60.0% Average amount $5,083	83.0% Average amount $5,847
Students taking out private loans	4.0% Average amount $33,561	19.0% Average amount $13,131

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	771 Men 35.5% Women 64.5%	342 Men 39.5% Women 60.5%
Graduate students	113 Men 20.4% Women 79.6%	N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Moderate
Out-of-state students	N/A	N/A
International students	15.5%	1.2%
Campus local/setting	Town: Distant	Rural: Distant
Dormitory capacity	769	442
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Visual & Performing Arts Social Sciences Foreign Languages and Literatures English Language and Literature Public Administration and Social Service	Business Biological and Biomedical Sciences Natural Resources and Conservation Education History
Students to faculty ratio	10:1	9:1
Institutional accreditation	New England Commission on Higher Education	Middle States Commission on Higher Education

Outcome
Graduation rate	67.8%	55.0%
Dropout rate	7.5%	45.0%
Transferred out	24.8%	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	English Language and Literature/Letters, Other (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $41,354 Year 2: $29,685 Year 3: $33,127 Visual and Performing Arts, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $14,867 Year 2: $17,950 Year 3: $15,066 English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $21,964 Year 3: N/A Literature (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $20,202 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $15,302 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Music (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $21,599 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A	Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $23,774 Year 2: $17,560 Year 3: $31,573 Natural Resources Conservation and Research (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $26,353 Year 3: N/A Sociology (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $26,353 Year 3: N/A Visual and Performing Arts, Other (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $21,964 Year 3: N/A Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $27,629 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A

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