Wheaton College is a private co-educational institution established in 1860 as a residential and interdenominational Christian liberal arts college. It is located in suburban Wheaton, 25 miles west of downtown Chicago. Renowned as a reputable institute of the US Education System, the organization is ranked #9 out of 900 liberal arts colleges for the number of graduates who go on to earn doctorates
It offers more than 40 undergraduate degrees in the arts and sciences and 18 graduate degrees. The institute has an international student population of nearly 20% which makes it a site of learning to promote diversity and inclusion. The college has a student-faculty ratio of 10:1 and a total full time and part-time faculty of 222 and 130, respectively. More than 95% of its faculty hold terminal degrees and are excellent at their work.
Admissions at Wheaton College are available on a rolling basis round the year and observes early action and regular decision deadline of November 1 and February 17, respectively. The institute requires a non-refundable application fee of 50 USD along with application forms. It is one of the lightly selective colleges for studying in the USA with an acceptance rate of nearly 85%.
Rankings
- The college ranked 45th in Best U.S. College Values and 25th in Best Values in Liberal Arts Colleges Kiplinger's
- It is ranked 192 out of 744 Best Colleges for Your Money according to MONEY Magazine.
- It is ranked 78th out of 103 in Best Value Schools, 90th out of 215 in Top Performers on Social Mobility,58 out of 223 National Liberal Arts Colleges by the U.S. News and World Report.
- It is also ranked 122th out of 650 in America's Top Colleges, 19th out of 25 in the Midwest.
Highlights
| University Type | Private |
| Campus Setting | Suburban |
| UG Application Portal | Common Application; Official website |
| Annual Endowment | USD 489 million |
| Student Retention Rate | 95% |
| Work-Study Program | Yes |
| Mode of Programs | Full time; Part-time; Online |
| Campus Housing Capacity | 2,161 |
| English language proficiency score | TOEFL or equivalent |
| Financial Aid | Available as grants, awards and scholarships |
| Admission Helpdesk | 800.222.2419; admissions@wheaton.edu |
Programs, Campus and Accommodation
Campus
- The college is spread in 80 acres with the suburban settings.
- Blanchard Hall is the main and oldest building with a castle-like limestone structure. Most of the classes take place inside this hall.
- The Todd M. Beamer Student Center is home to several student organization offices, Office of Multicultural Development, coffee shop, and game room.
- It is like the living room of the campus where students can spend some time to plan any college events, take breaks, do homework, or participate in student government.
- The college also has a Chuouser Sports and Recreation Complex where students can do an early morning workout, an afternoon swim or a late-night game of pick up basketball.
- It also offers many fun activities like wall climbing, yoga, Pilates, Zumba, Turbo Kick.
- The basketball stadium has a seating capacity of 2,000 people.
- Downtown Wheaton is only a few blocks away southwest of campus.
- The Meyer Science Center is home to the math, science and engineering department. It has 28 teaching labs for research activities. The basement is home to the geography department and museum. On the top floor of this science center Wheaton, the college observatory is located.
- Adams hall is the place for creative learning and thinking it is the building for art major students mostly.
Housing Facilities/Residence
The college has 4 residence halls, 25 campus houses, and 5 Apartment Complexes. The residence halls offer co-ed living with separate floors for men and women. Each hall has a separate occupancy setting for sophomore, junior, and senior students.
These halls offer rooms with single, double, triple, and quad rooms and some of them also offer four or five-person suites, with double or triple occupancy rooms adjoined by semi-private suite-style bathrooms. Each residence halls have facilities like a Quiet Study Room, a Prayer Chapel, a ping pong table, a pool table, and a community TV lounge.
The campus apartments are available for junior and senior undergraduate students as well as graduate students. Four students can live in an apartment. These have Living Room, Kitchen, Bedroom, and Laundry facilities. Outdoor bike racks are available during the academic year. Students must supply their minor appliances, kitchen utensils, cleaning supplies, vacuum cleaner, and toilet paper.
The rates for on-campus accommodation ranges between 3,330 to 7,815 USD and thus students have the option to choose the alternative that best suits their needs and budget. Meals plans at ranging prices are available to the students at the price of 750 to 2,165 USD.
Courses
Wheaton College offers a plethora of courses for international students including undergraduate majors in more than 35 fields and many. The available courses include 60 undergraduate and 20 graduate programs.
It also offers undergraduate certificates in many fields like Human Needs and Global Resources (HNGR) Certificate, Gender Studies Certificate, Military Science Certificate, Latin for Classical Christian Education Certificate, etc. It provides many undergraduate special programs and global programs like Asian Studies Program, Institute for Cross-Cultural Training, Health Professions, Arts in London, Iron Sharpens Iron.
It also offers graduate degrees in Biblical and Theological Studies, Psychology, Counseling, and Family Therapy, and Professional Teaching. The college also has graduate certificates like Graduate Certificate in TESOL, ELIC TEFL Certificate, Trauma Certificate, Cross-Cultural Ministry, Organizational Leadership.
The conservatory of music also offers bachelor's degrees in Performance, Composition, History & Literature, Pedagogy, Music Education, Elective Studies in an Outside Field, Arts Degree in Music and Music Minor.
Wheaton College Application Process
How to Apply?
Application portal: The students need to fill either a Common Application (a college admission application form that applicants may use to apply to any of more than 800 member colleges and universities) or Wheaton application.
Application fee: The application fee of 50 USD must be paid by the applicant which is non-refundable.
Basic Admission Requirements
- Official or school-certified academic transcript(s)
- Standardized test scores: SAT Math Section and Evidence-Based Reading and Writing: 1250 -1400; ACT Composite: 27 - 32.
- High school/college GPA of entering students: 3.7 out of a scale of 4.0 for UG and 2.75 GPA for PG.
- Essay
- Affidavit of Financial Support
- Passport
- Visa
- Non-Immigrant Form, I-94
- Proof of English Proficiency. Students can submit TOEFL, IELTS or Common European Framework of References for Languages (CEFRL) as proof of English proficiency. The minimum scores needed in these exams are as follows:
| Exam | Minimum Score |
|---|---|
| TOEFL internet-based test | 95-105 |
| TOEFL paper-based test | 587-620 |
| IELTS | 7-8 |
| CEFRL | C1 |
Graduate Admission requirements:
- Documents Required: Essay and Resume, Academic Credentials, Proof of English Proficiency, Affidavit of Financial Support, Certified bank/financial statement, Passport, Visa, I-94.
- The Graduate School of the college accepts the score of the TOEFL exam or IELTS exam as an English proficiency proof.
- Here is the table showing the minimum scores needed in these English language proficiency exams:
| Programs | TOEFL Paper-Based Test | TOEFL Internet-Based Test (iBT) | IELTS Test |
|---|---|---|---|
| Other MA Programs | 550 | 80 | 6.5 |
| MA TESOL, MA Teaching, and MFT | 600 | 100 | 7.0 |
| Ph.D. and Psy.D | 600 | 100 | 7.0 |
Application Deadlines
Here is the table showing the important dates and deadlines for the admission:
| Application Type | Application Due | Interview Due (Optional) | Receive your Decision by | Reply-by Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall First-Year Early Action | November 1 | November 1 | December 31 | May 1 |
| Fall First-Year Regular Action | February 17 | February 5 | April 1 | May 1 |
Wheaton College Cost of Attendance
For all the prospective candidates of the institute, an estimated budget for international students looking to study in the US has been tabulated below.
| Budget Item | Academic Year (USD) |
|---|---|
| Tuition | 35,190 |
| Room and Board | 9,840 |
| Books and Supplies | 800.00 |
| Other | 1,900 |
| Travel | Varies |
| Total | 47,730 |
Scholarships/Financial Aid
The Wheaton College provides Financial aid in three forms: grants, loans, work-study and scholarships for international students to study in the USA. About 77% of the students at the institute receive some financial aid funds and every year scholarships of more than 33 million USD are awarded.
The following table shows the various studentships available at the institute:
| Scholarship | Funding Organization | Eligibility | Amount(USD ) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Presidential Scholarships | Wheaton College | Students who show deep Christian faith and exceptional academic achievement | 16,000 per year |
| Multicultural Scholarships | Wheaton College | Students how has the potential to build a healthy and diverse community | 4-year renewable awards covering the full cost of tuition, room, and board |
| Music Merit Scholarships | Conservatory of Music | outstanding musical and academic achievement | Ranges 8000 - 30,000 (over four years) |
| Need-based grants and scholarships | Wheaton College and Federal Government | Demonstrated need on FAFSA | Varies on students need |
Students can also apply for various loan schemes like Federal Direct Subsidized Stafford Loan which awards 5,500 USD They can also participate in the Federal Work-Study which will provide a stipend of 1,000 USD or more depending upon funds available.
The institute also provides various awards for graduate scholarships which are as compiled below:
| Scholarships | Eligible Program | Amount(USD) |
|---|---|---|
| Global Scholarship | Psy.D. | 2,000-16,000/year |
| Ph.D. Scholarship and Research Fellowship | Ph.D. | Full Tuition and 11,000/year TA stipend |
| Frances J. White Scholars in Global Ministry | M.A. | 9,000 to Full Tuition for Two Years |
Alumni Network
- The Alumni Association of the college organizes many events like Alumni Weekend Homecoming, Travel with Wheaton program, etc throughout the year.
- The Wheaton in Network (WiN) is an online portal where alumni can connect and start conversations about career, community, and more.
- Alumni can get information about current college events and activities through Wheaton Magazine and MyWheaton Blog.
- Alumni can use planned gifts and redirect assets to the ministry of the institute and enjoy benefits such as significant tax deductions and lifelong income.
- A few notable alumni are:
- Robert A. Kraft - early Judaism and Christianityhistorian, University of Pennsylvania
- Robert W. Lane, John Deere’s former CEO
- Jim Abel - songwriter and singer
- Marshall Hollingsworth, 2015 - professional soccer player
Placements
The average alumnus of the college can earn up to 48,400 USD per year after six years of graduation. About 99% of the students of 2018 pass out batch can get a job after just six months of graduation.
Some of the top industries where the institute’s students are placed are Business & Professional Services, Healthcare, Financial Services, Internet & Software, etc. The college uses Handshake, a platform that helps employers easily search, recruit, and hire the best college talents across the nation.
The salary of the batch ranges from 20,000 to 240,000 USD. Some of the top recruiters of Wheaton College are Amazon, Accenture, U.S. Department of Defense, The World Bank, World Health Organization and many more.
