Liberal arts college
#6 Best small colleges in MassachusettsWheaton College (Massachusetts)
Norton, MA · Private nonprofit · 4-year
Your real cost
Average price after aid $29,822 a year
Median debt at graduation: $26,000 (all students)
Estimate your own price · the college’s net price calculator
Rankings
Where this college places on our top lists. Lists are worked out from official data and our own research; places in the top quarter of each list are shown. See every list
In America
- Best small colleges in America#101 of 906
- Colleges with the biggest discount off the sticker price in America#78 of 690
- Best colleges for business in America#203 of 1,563
- Best colleges for education in America#176 of 1,318
- Best colleges for psychology in America#231 of 1,418
- Best colleges in America#298 of 1,829
Show 12 more
- Best colleges for English in America#219 of 1,283
- Best colleges for biology and pre-med in America#232 of 1,358
- Best test-optional colleges in America#259 of 1,481
- Colleges with the highest graduation rates in America#321 of 1,829
- Best colleges for history in America#230 of 1,247
- Best colleges for art and design in America#219 of 1,187
- Best colleges for mathematics in America#230 of 1,215
- Best colleges for chemistry in America#232 of 1,162
- Best colleges for music in America#215 of 1,063
- Best colleges for political science and pre-law in America#229 of 1,116
- Best colleges for computer science in America#164 of 750
- Best colleges for NCAA Division III athletes in America#101 of 430
In Massachusetts
Academic Excellence
Each measure counts for the share shown.
- Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.73%
- First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.82%
- Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.SAT 1,308 · ACT 31
- Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.11 to 1
- Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$17,319
Bars show points on each measure’s scale. How Academic Excellence is computed.
Source: College Scorecard (College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026))
What families pay, by income
Average yearly price after grants and scholarships, for students who receive federal aid.
| Family income | Price after aid |
|---|---|
| Up to $30,000 | |
| $30,001–$48,000 | |
| $48,001–$75,000 | |
| $75,001–$110,000 | |
| Over $110,000 |
Full cost of attendance before aid: $79,311 a year.
Use the college’s net price calculator for your own estimate.
Cost and value
Federal data: what families pay after aid, what graduates earn, and what they owe.
| Undergraduate students Fall enrollment (IPEDS) | 1,778 |
|---|---|
| Men and women College Scorecard, fall 2023 | Men 35% · Women 65% |
| First-generation students College Scorecard | 15% |
| Total students | 1,778 |
| Average net price (per year) After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid | $29,822 |
| Cost of attendance (per year) | $79,311 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $26,000 |
| Graduation rate First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time | 73% |
| Graduation rate for Pell grant recipients College Scorecard, within 6 years | 77% |
| Graduation rate for first-generation students College Scorecard, within 6 years | 74% |
| Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years College Scorecard, within 3 years | 80% |
| First-year retention | 82% |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry | $67,725 |
| Admission rate | 68% |
| Application fee IPEDS, 2023–24 | No application fee |
| Typical rent HUD fair market rent, FY2026 | About $1,402 a month for a one-bedroom |
| Students receiving Pell grants | 22% |
| Average SAT | 1308 |
|---|---|
| SAT reading & writing | 640–720 |
| SAT math | 580–670 |
| ACT composite | 29–33 |
| Test policy | Considered but not required |
Value: Good (how it’s computed)
Sources: College Scorecard · IPEDS College Navigator · Net price calculator
College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026); IPEDS 2024-25 directory and institutional characteristics; fall 2023 enrollment.
Earnings by major
Median earnings of bachelor’s graduates a few years after finishing, by major (College Scorecard).
| Major | Median earnings |
|---|---|
| Business administration | |
| Ethnic and gender studies | |
| Neuroscience | |
| English | |
| Psychology | |
| Film and video | |
| Political science | |
| History | |
| Biology | |
| Fine arts |
Also offered (no earnings published yet): Anthropology, Area studies, Astronomy and Astrophysics, Biochemistry, Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology, Chemistry, Classical and Ancient Studies, Classics, Computer science, Design, Economics, German, Interdisciplinary studies, International relations, Mathematics, Mathematics and Computer Science, Music, Natural resources and conservation, Other philosophy and religious studies, Philosophy, Physics, Public health, Religious studies, Romance languages, Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Sociology, Teacher education, Theatre, Writing and rhetoric.
What students study most
Share of bachelor’s degrees by field, first majors in 2023–24 (IPEDS).
| Field | Share of degrees |
|---|---|
| Biology | |
| Business | |
| Visual and performing arts | |
| Psychology | |
| Social sciences |
Campus life
| Setting | Suburb |
|---|---|
| Part-time undergraduates | 0% |
| Undergraduates aged 25 and older | 1% |
| On-campus room and board (per year) | $16,200 |
| Sports | NCAA Division III · New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference |
| Study abroad | Offered |
| Students per faculty member | 11 to 1 |
| Undergraduates registered with the disability office | About 17%IPEDS, 2023–24 |
| Faculty who are full-time | 74%College Scorecard, fall 2023 |
| Endowment per student | $145,661IPEDS, 2023, per student |
| Dorm space | For about 93% of studentsBeds per undergraduate; not who lives on campus |
| Nearest airport with airline service | Rhode Island T. F. Green International Airport (PVD)About 21 miles away · about 45 minutes by car |
| Nearest major airport | Boston Logan International Airport (BOS)About 29 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000 people or more | BostonAbout 27 miles away · about 50 minutes by car |
| Typical weather | 27°F in January · 72°F in JulyNOAA, 1991–2020, from Norton West, MA |
Federal data (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Campus safety reports
On-campus crimes reported in 2024, per 1,000 students.
| Category | This campus | U.S. rate |
|---|---|---|
| Rape | 1.68 | 0.07 |
| Robbery | 0.00 | 0.01 |
| Aggravated assault | 0.00 | 0.04 |
| Burglary | 0.56 | 0.08 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 0.00 | 0.15 |
Numbers reflect what each campus reported. They differ with campus size and how reporting is done, so compare with care. U.S. rate: total reported offenses divided by total students at every institution in the report.
Questions families ask
- What is Wheaton College (Massachusetts)’s Compass Score?
- Excellent (grade A-). It ranks in the top 17% of rated colleges. The grade comes from outcomes (40%: graduation, retention and earnings), entering students (40%: test scores and selectivity), cost (15%: debt and price after aid) and teaching (5%: class size), all from federal data.
- How much does Wheaton College (Massachusetts) cost after financial aid?
- The average net price is $29,822 a year for students who receive federal aid, after grants and scholarships. What your family pays depends on income; the college’s net price calculator gives your own estimate.
- How hard is it to get into Wheaton College (Massachusetts)?
- Wheaton College (Massachusetts) admitted 68% of applicants in the most recent federal data.
- How do Wheaton College (Massachusetts)’s graduates do?
- 73% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $67,725; the median federal debt at graduation is $26,000.
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About this school’s data
- IPEDS unit ID 168281
- Carnegie classification: Baccalaureate college (arts & sciences)
- Accreditation: New England Commission of Higher Education (U.S. Department of Education DAPIP)
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