Wheaton College vs Colby College

Wheaton College and Colby College, both esteemed liberal arts institutions, offer distinct educational experiences. Wheaton, nestled in Norton, Massachusetts, boasts a smaller student body, fostering a close-knit community feel. Colby, located in Waterville, Maine, offers a more diverse student body and a wider range of academic programs. With acceptance rates of 33% and 14%, respectively, admission to these colleges is competitive. While Wheaton's popular majors include English, Psychology, and Biology, Colby's strengths lie in Government, Economics, and Biology. Explore the detailed comparison table to discover further distinctions, including graduation rates, financial aid opportunities, and campus life, to determine which college aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Colby College	Wheaton College
Overview
Location	Waterville, Maine	Wheaton, Illinois
Campus setting	Town: Remote	Suburb: Large
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	4-1-4	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	95.0%	89.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation		Undenominational

Admission
Acceptance rate	8.9%	86.3%
Application fees		Undergraduate: $50 Graduate: $30
SAT range	1400 - 1530	1250 - 1430
ACT range	32 - 34	27 - 32
Students submitting SAT score	40.0%	32.0%
Students submitting ACT score	28.0%	25.0%
Total number of applicants	15,857	1,993
Total number of admissions given out	1,407	1,719
Admitted students who chose to enroll	667	546
Yield rate	47.4%	31.8%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Not required	Required
Recommendation letters	Required	Required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Not required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$68,825	$54,700
Average net price	$17,912	$28,319
Tuition	$58,640	$40,570
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $8,150 Meal plan: $7,595	Room/dormitory: $6,640 Meal plan: $4,660
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	39.0% Average amount $58,513	91.0% Average amount $23,469
Students receiving federal student loan	8.0% Average amount $5,140	52.0% Average amount $5,169
Students taking out private loans	1.0% Average amount $18,242	5.0% Average amount $15,404

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	2,262 Men 47.1% Women 52.9%	2,341 Men 44.9% Women 55.1%
Graduate students	N/A	706 Men 34.6% Women 65.4%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	N/A
International students	9.5%	5.9%
Campus local/setting	Town: Remote	Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity	2,242	2,153
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	Social Sciences Psychology Multidisciplinary Studies Mathematics and Statistics Natural Resources and Conservation	Psychology Theology Education Health Professions Social Sciences
Students to faculty ratio	10:1	11:1
Institutional accreditation	New England Commission on Higher Education	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	86.6%	87.6%
Dropout rate	5.7%	3.1%
Transferred out	7.5%	9.1%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Economics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $58,540 Year 2: $57,995 Year 3: $83,980 Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $43,972 Year 2: $47,118 Year 3: $55,529 International/Global Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $44,350 Year 2: $42,682 Year 3: $53,638 Area Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $33,993 Year 3: $42,883 Natural Resources Conservation and Research (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $37,156 Year 2: N/A Year 3: $40,423 Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $44,612 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $41,193 Year 3: N/A Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $30,771 Year 3: N/A Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $38,289 Year 3: N/A Anthropology (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $44,971 Year 3: N/A	Business/Managerial Economics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $47,492 Year 2: $48,667 Year 3: $61,559 Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $34,982 Year 2: $37,748 Year 3: $48,761 Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $37,694 Year 2: $39,009 Year 3: $48,539 Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $30,613 Year 2: $33,459 Year 3: $41,661 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $42,251 Year 2: $37,856 Year 3: $41,339 Theological and Ministerial Studies (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $38,767 Year 2: $39,049 Year 3: $38,775 Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $35,864 Year 3: $36,928 English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $26,471 Year 2: $27,126 Year 3: $34,682 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $24,825 Year 2: $20,140 Year 3: $32,867 Religious Education (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $25,194 Year 3: $31,289

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