Wheaton College (Massachusetts)

Private · Moderately Selective · MA

Photo: Daderot (CC0)

School data & stats

TypePrivate

LocationMA · Northeast

SettingSuburban

Undergrads1,773

Student:faculty11:1

Outcomes

4-yr grad rate68.2%

6-yr grad rate72.8%

Drop-out rate17.8%

Study abroad—

Cost

In-state tuition$64k

Out-of-state tuition$64k

Application fee—

Community

Racial diversity29.8%

Gender diversity65.4%

International4.1%

Identity—

Overview

Wheaton College in Norton, Massachusetts is a liberal arts college that was historically a women's college and became coeducational in the late 1980s. It sits between Boston and Providence on a New England campus centered around a pond, known for a curriculum designed to connect coursework across disciplines rather than leaving students to find those connections on their own.

Academics

Wheaton's signature academic feature is its "connections" curriculum, which pairs courses from different departments so students explicitly study how disciplines inform one another. Strong advising is a consistent theme in how the college describes itself, with faculty mentorship emphasized from the first year. The sciences, English, and studio art all carry solid reputations for a college this size.

Campus & student life

The pond at the center of campus is a defining physical feature, and the overall setting is quiet and traditionally New England in character. The location between Boston and Providence gives students access to two cities without being embedded in either. Athletics compete at the Division III level, and most students live on campus for all four years.

Getting in

Wheaton's review is holistic, with essays and fit for the connections curriculum genuinely considered rather than treated as boilerplate. As a small liberal arts college competing with better-known New England peers, it is known for meaningful merit aid to strong applicants.

After graduation

Graduates move into a broad range of fields typical of a liberal arts education, business, education, and communications among them, along with graduate and professional school, aided by close faculty relationships that translate into strong letters of recommendation. The alumni network is concentrated in the Boston-Providence corridor.

Worth knowing

The college's history as a women's college and relatively recent coeducation is part of its institutional identity, and its small size means the connections curriculum and close advising are genuinely lived experiences rather than marketing language.

wheatoncollege.edu ↗

Admissions

Acceptance rate67.7%

Enrolled mid-50%SAT 1220–1390 · ACT 29–33

Test policyoptional

Rec letters1

Deadlines (2026–27 cycle)

Early actionNov 15

Early decisionNov 15

Regular decisionFeb 15

Verified from the school’s admissions page ↗

Applying