At a Glance
Middletown, CT
Undergraduate Students: 3,380
Student to Faculty Ratio: 8:1
Acceptance Rate: 19%
Six Year Graduation Rate: 92%
Freshman Retention Rate: 95%
Notable Programs: Economics, Neuroscience, English, music, astronomy, Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, American Studies, Earth Sciences, Environmental Sciences
The Feel
The campus is located in Middletown, which is 2 hours from Boston and New York City. The buildings are mainly brown stone or red brick. Though located in Connecticut, only 7 percent of the students are actually from the state! The students mainly identify as progressive and are always seeking for ways to boost inclusion.
The curriculum is extremely flexible, though not quite an “open” curriculum. Students only need to take 3 courses in 3 specific categories to meet general education requirements.
Wesleyan is a liberal arts college, but ⅓ of their majors are science related.
Standout Points
With a near open curriculum, Wesleyan makes it easy to create your own major or double major.
The performing arts are a major part of campus life, with 300 performances a year. Many students who aren’t seeking art degrees are still involved in the arts, and many who choose to double major will declare one of them in the arts. For athletics, they offer DIII varsity sports, including football, and boast a $22 million dollar athletic complex.
Wesleyan has no Greek life, but does have 300 clubs with an $800,000 annual budget to help them function.
The Center for First Generation Low Income (FGLI), a multimillion dollar facility, provides multiple levels of support for underrepresented students.
Wesleyan meets 100% of demonstrated financial need, and aid for families with household incomes of $120,000 or less will not include loans! This puts them on a very short list.
Fun Fact
Wesleyan, for a school of its size, has an enormous volume of books spread out across 10 libraries!
Bottom Line Fit: For the progressive student looking for a slightly larger and more science oriented liberal arts environment compared to others in the region and who appreciates the arts as a major focus in campus life.