Smith vs Wellesley
What each college publishes, side by side. Cost, admission, graduation, earnings and debt come from federal data.
ACompass Score: Exceptional (grade A): the top 10% of rated colleges. Letters are set by rank, so no college gets a D or an F.Smith CollegeNorthampton, MACompass Score: Exceptional · Top 4%A+Compass Score: Exceptional (grade A+): the top 3% of rated colleges. Letters are set by rank, so no college gets a D or an F.Wellesley CollegeWellesley, MACompass Score: Exceptional · Top 1%
At a glance
- Wellesley has the higher graduation rate: 92% against 89% at Smith.
- Wellesley has the lower average price after aid: $25,496 a year, against $27,579 at Smith.
- Median earnings ten years after entry are higher at Wellesley: $84,803, against $64,027 at Smith.
Scores
Compass Score
ACompass Score: Exceptional (grade A): the top 10% of rated colleges. Letters are set by rank, so no college gets a D or an F. Top 4%
A+Compass Score: Exceptional (grade A+): the top 3% of rated colleges. Letters are set by rank, so no college gets a D or an F. Top 1%
Academic Excellence
A+Academic Excellence: Exceptional (grade A+): the top 3% of rated colleges. Letters are set by rank, so no college gets a D or an F. Top 2%
A+Academic Excellence: Exceptional (grade A+): the top 3% of rated colleges. Letters are set by rank, so no college gets a D or an F. Top 1%
Value
BValue: Good (grade B): the top 55% of rated colleges. Letters are set by rank, so no college gets a D or an F. Top 43%
AValue: Exceptional (grade A): the top 10% of rated colleges. Letters are set by rank, so no college gets a D or an F. Top 7%
The college
Category
Liberal arts colleges
Liberal arts colleges
Location
Northampton, MA
Wellesley, MA
Setting
City
Suburb
Students
2,830
2,418
Sports
NCAA Division III · New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference
NCAA Division III · New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference
Admission
Admission rate
21%
14%
Average SAT
1500
1520
ACT middle 50%
32–35
33–35
Outcomes
Graduation rate
89%
92%
First-year retention
94%
97%
Median earnings 10 years after entry
$64,027
$84,803
Median debt
$17,550
$10,000
Cost
Average price after aid
$27,579
$25,496
Price after aid, by family income
Up to $30,000
$1,363
$2,546
$30,001–$48,000
$3,737
$2,836
$48,001–$75,000
$6,559
$6,587
$75,001–$110,000
$11,750
$11,551
Over $110,000
$40,477
$54,188
Top majors by graduate earnings
Bachelor's majors
- Economics $88,067
- Engineering (general) $86,262
- Political science $68,916
- Biology $63,133
- Sociology $58,664
- Computing and information science $177,213
- Economics $121,787
- Software and media applications $98,816
- Political science $72,830
- Romance languages $65,036
Compare with another college
The Compass Score and grades are College Compass Guide’s own ratings. Cost, admission, graduation, earnings and debt are federal data. This comparison doesn’t rank the two colleges; the figures are shown as published.