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Wheaton College

Private nonprofit Wheaton, IL · Suburban · Great Lakes · 93% data reported · Agent Insights · Claim Your School's Profile ➜
86%
Graduation Rate
$63,756
Earnings (10yr)
$26,975
Net Price
87%
Acceptance Rate
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Why Wheaton College Matters

Wheaton College is a private liberal arts college in Wheaton, IL and its outcomes are not an accident. They are driven by a well-connected, high-opportunity alumni network. The result: graduate earnings well above the typical college.

Interpretation generated from this school's federal outcomes, research, and mobility data.

Institutional Profile

Institution Type
Private Liberal Arts College
Carnegie Class
Baccalaureate · Arts & Sciences
Enrollment
2,121
Setting
Suburban
Designations
88
Primary Strengths
Social Sciences, Business & Marketing, Biology & Biomedical, English & Literature

Why students choose Wheaton College

Influential alumni network
High cross-class social capital and reach
Close mentorship
A small, undergraduate-focused community
Strength in Social Sciences
Its most-awarded field of study

CollegeRanker Report Card

Graded on outcomes, against every U.S. college.

C+
Top 44% overall
A-
Earnings
$63,756 median
C
Value
2.4× net price
D
Affordability
$26,975/yr net
A
Graduation
86% graduate
D+
Selectivity
87% admit rate
C-
Diversity
0.53 index

Each grade is this school's national percentile on a real outcome — earnings, value, mobility, and more.

How we grade →

Overview

Wheaton College has an impressive graduation rate of 86%. This reflects a strong commitment to student success and support. With an acceptance rate of 87%, the college welcomes a diverse range of applicants, making it accessible for many students.

The Chetty/Opportunity Insights data sheds light on economic mobility for graduates. While specific mobility rates are not available, the earnings for alumni ten years after graduation stand at $63,756. This suggests that a degree from Wheaton can lead to solid financial outcomes, positioning graduates well in the job market.

Attending Wheaton College comes with a net price of $26,975 and a median debt of $23,250. Graduates can expect to earn a competitive salary, which can help manage their debt. Students who thrive here are often those interested in social sciences, business, biology, literature, and psychology, looking to engage deeply with their fields of study.

Rankings

1

Can I Get In?

How selective Wheaton College is — and how your numbers stack up.

Tool

Will I Be Accepted?

Enter your credentials to see your chances at this school.

3.0
Test Score
1050
21

Academics & Admissions

Is It Hard to Get Into Wheaton College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements

Wheaton College, located in Wheaton, Illinois, keeps admissions accessible, extending offers to roughly 87% of those who apply. Admitted students typically arrive with an average SAT score near 1,380. The school reports a graduation rate of roughly 86%.

Acceptance Rate 87%
Retention Rate 93%
SAT Average 1380
ACT Midpoint 30
SAT Range 1260–1470
ACT Range 28–32
Full-Time Faculty 63%
Faculty Salary (mo) $10,473
Student–Faculty Ratio 12:1
Diversity Index 0.53
Applicants 1,893
Admitted 1,674
2

Can I Afford It?

What you'll actually pay after grants and aid — not the sticker price.

Cost & Financial Aid

How Much Does It Cost to Attend Wheaton College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid

When weighing the true cost of attending Wheaton College, prospective students should look past the published sticker price of $45,546 in tuition. The figure that matters more is the average net price — the actual out-of-pocket cost after federal grants, institutional scholarships, and student loans — which works out to about $26,975 for families who qualify for aid. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $20,001 after need-based grants. Graduates leave with a median federal student-loan debt of about $23,250.

$45,546
In-State Tuition
$45,546
Out-of-State
$26,975
Avg Net Price
$23,250
Median Debt
22%
Pell Grant Rate
43%
Federal Loan Rate

What Families Actually Pay

$20,001
Family Income $0–$30K
$18,587
Family Income $30K–$48K
$20,553
Family Income $48K–$75K
$33,435
Family Income $110K+
3

What Happens After?

Earnings, debt, and where graduates actually land.

Graduate Outcomes

Is Wheaton College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI

Ten years out, alumni of Wheaton College earn a median of $63,756, roughly in line with national averages for graduates.

$50,270
6 Years After Entry
$58,108
8 Years
$63,756
10 Years
0.36x
Debt-to-Earnings
64%
Earning > $25K

Earnings Trajectory

$50,270 6yr $58,108 8yr $63,756 10yr

Graduation by Timeframe

79%
100% (479)
79%
100% (479)
79%
100% (479)
79%
100% (479)

How Wheaton Compares

Dot right of center = above national average.

NATIONAL AVGGraduation86%Earnings 10yr$64KNet Price$27KRetention93%Median Debt$23KPell Grant Rate22%

Net Price by Family Income

What families actually pay after aid, by income bracket.

$20K$0-30K$19K$30-48K$21K$48-75K$33K$110K+
4

Does It Change Lives?

Mobility, social capital, and innovation — does it move people up?

Social Capital

Data: Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas

How Connected Is Wheaton College? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks

Social capital — the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility — runs high at Wheaton College, with an economic connectedness score of 1.82 (about 1.0 is the national norm). Its friending bias is low (-0.02), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds genuinely mix rather than self-segregate. Around 7% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.

1.82
Economic Connectedness
Cross-class friendships
-0.02
Friending Bias
Lower = more inclusive
6.5%
Volunteering Rate
1.00
Support Ratio
Community support

Institutional Finances

Data: NCES IPEDS

Endowment
Total Expenses
$5,898,817
Federal Grants
$-119,783,293
Investment Income

Top Programs

The fields Wheaton College awards the most degrees in, by share of completions. Each links to its degree guide — with salary, growth, and the schools with the strongest outcomes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is It Hard to Get Into Wheaton College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements +

Wheaton College, located in Wheaton, Illinois, keeps admissions accessible, extending offers to roughly 87% of those who apply. Admitted students typically arrive with an average SAT score near 1,380. The school reports a graduation rate of roughly 86%.

How Much Does It Cost to Attend Wheaton College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid +

When weighing the true cost of attending Wheaton College, prospective students should look past the published sticker price of $45,546 in tuition. The figure that matters more is the average net price — the actual out-of-pocket cost after federal grants, institutional scholarships, and student loans — which works out to about $26,975 for families who qualify for aid. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $20,001 after need-based grants. Graduates leave with a median federal student-loan debt of about $23,250.

Is Wheaton College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI +

Ten years out, alumni of Wheaton College earn a median of $63,756, roughly in line with national averages for graduates.

How Connected Is Wheaton College? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks +

Social capital — the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility — runs high at Wheaton College, with an economic connectedness score of 1.82 (about 1.0 is the national norm). Its friending bias is low (-0.02), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds genuinely mix rather than self-segregate. Around 7% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.

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