Explore Your
Your
Future
No one sees the world exactly like you do. Which is why we don’t impose lots of requirements. Our Compass Curriculum provides the flexibility for you to create the educational experience that suits your interests, meets your needs and prepares you for the future.
Major undertaking
Kelsea Palm looked at Wheaton’s existing majors and decided she wanted something different. So with help from faculty members, Kelsea devised her own major: Environmental Policy and Management.
“I had the luxury of knowing what I wanted to do after college: leading an organization working in land management, forestry conservation or some field in sustainability and ecology,” she said. “I want to be the person directing a program for the greatest impact and deciding where to focus effort. I think I’m good at that, and I really like the challenge of that type of leadership.
“I chose Wheaton knowing that I could do an independent major integrating environmental science, with business and management and political science classes,” Kelsea said.
“But make no mistake,” she added, “designing an independent major takes a lot of work with faculty before it can be approved.”
“At the end of the day, I know that the staff and professors are willing to go out of their way to support me, and that their priority is also my priority: graduating and getting a fantastic education.”
When she’s not in class or out hiking in the woods, Kelsea Palm can be found practicing and performing with fellow members of the Wheatones, one of the college’s a capella groups.
“
Wheaton does a very good job at listening to you, hearing your wants and needs for your education; and giving you the space, the resources, and the faculty to make that happen, but they also have the structure and the standards to ensure you do it the right way.
”
Check out a day in Kelsea’s life
New ideas, new interests and new horizons appear when you start learning more about what interests you. We want to help you follow those ideas and create your own connections. At Wheaton, we emphasize interdisciplinary study and experiential learning to explore your interests and pique new ones.
Learn more about the Compass Curriculum
“
The campus culture is very free. You are free to be yourself. You are free to identify as who you want to be, and you are free to explore your identities. Wheaton isn’t just an academic institution; it isn’t just an artistic or creative community. It is, quite literally, both.
Rules of the game
Ervin Williams’ interests take him in many different directions: earning a law degree, developing a business, exploring other cultures, and board game development.
“What really struck me about Wheaton is its interdisciplinary focus and the idea that you can have communities across campus that interplay with one another. That’s what has enabled my majoring in history and in business and management as well as being involved in organizing the entrepreneurship summit and creating my own business developing board games.
“It’s all about the interplay among my different passions. My real interest is in relationships and how people work together. And in that regard, I realized that business, the law and history really help you to understand the rules that govern how people interact.
Ervin’s budding business in making games represents another facet of his fascination with culture and governance. He said, “Games contain aspects of the cultures in which they are created and played. When you learn to play a game, you gain insights into the culture. And when you play, it also builds a sense of community.”
While he organized board game tournaments on campus and created games, Ervin will be pausing his business plans for the next few years to earn a law degree at Boston College Law.
Find Program
Academic programs
You may select a single major, design an independent major or focus on several areas. If you are unsure, our personalized approach to education and advising will help you connect your interests and talents with a course of study that’s right for you.
Undergraduate programs
African, African American, Diaspora Studies
Animal Behavior
Anthropology
Art History
Art (Visual)
Astronomy
Biochemistry
Bioinformatics
Biology
Business and Management (B.S.)
Chemistry (B.S.)
Classics
Communications
Computer Science
Creative Arts Management
Creative Writing and Literature
Criminal Justice
Dance
Design
Early Childhood Education
Econometrics and Quantitative
Economics
Economics
Education
Elementary Education
Engineering
English
Environmental Science
Film and New Media Studies
Finance (B.S.)
French Studies
Global Literary Studies
German Studies
Greek
Healthcare Management
Hispanic Studies
History
Human Resource Management
International Business
International Relations
Italian Studies
Journalism Studies
Latin
Legal Studies
Liberal Arts
Marketing (B.S.)
Mathematics
Mathematics and Computer Science
Music
Neuroscience
Nursing (B.S.N.)
Optometry
Philosophy
Physics (B.A. and B.S.)
Political Science
Pre-Dentistry
Pre-Law
Pre-Medicine
Pre-Occupational Therapy
Pre-Physical Therapy
Pre-Physician Assistant
Pre-Veterinary
Psychology
Public Health
Public Administration
Queer and Trans Studies
Religion
Russian Studies
Secondary Education
Statistics
Social Entrepreneurship and Nonprofit Management
Sociology
Teaching Multilingual Learners
Theatre
Transnational Cultural Studies
Women’s and Gender Studies
4+1 Master’s Programs
Earn a bachelor’s and a master’s degree on an accelerated five-year schedule.
Business (M.S.), options for specialization in arts management or sustainable business
Creative Industries (M.A.), business and management, digital media and the arts
Environmental Science (M.S.), environmental research, planning, and policy
For detailed information on academic programs, please visit our website at wheatoncollege.edu/programs or scan the QR code below.
Jump Into Action
Internship guarantee
Wheaton guarantees funding for unpaid internships, research opportunities and other real-world experiences before senior year, backed by more than $1.2 million annually.
A sample of recent internships by Wheaton students
American Airlines
Christie’s
General Dynamics
General Hospital
Google Massachusetts
Merrill Lynch
NASA
New England Aquarium
Smithsonian Institute
The White House
At Wheaton, you will take an active role in your education. You will find opportunities to collaborate with faculty; shape campus life through student organizations and campus jobs; and gain skills and insight through internships, research projects and service.
When he’s not in the Mars Center for Science and Technology, Charlie can often be found practicing and playing as a midfielder on the college’s lacrosse team.
“
The internship stipend I received from Wheaton helped me pay for housing during my internship at the zoo, and the experience confirmed for me that I want to be a zoo veterinarian.
”
Check out a day in Charlie’s internship at the zoo
Learning from (wild)life
Charlie Racine learned to talk to the animals, or care for them at least, during an internship at the Naples Zoo in Naples, Florida.
“One of my favorite experiences was helping to train one of the Gibbons, which was named Gibson. Each of the primates has their own little island, and you take a boat to get to them. When I would get close to him, I would yell out: ‘Gibson! Crate!’ He would swing down from his tree, put himself into a crate, and close the door.
“It’s a safety skill. If there’s bad weather, like a hurricane coming, they would have him crate himself so he could be moved somewhere safe. It makes transporting them very easy that way. The fact that he could learn to do this so quickly with me, someone new, shows how smart they are. It blew my mind.
“One of the things I got to do was shadow the vet when she was performing procedures, or conducting routine examinations on a variety of animals, including a porcupine, a cottonmouth snake, a rattlesnake, and a ringtail lemur.”
Whether you want to start a business, create an app or just learn to use cool tools like 3D printers and laser cutters, our Innovation Spaces offer everything you need to learn the skills that will transform your ideas into reality.
Bright by design
During her first semester, Amanda Hodgkins took a half-credit course in digital fabrication out of curiosity and discovered a field of endeavor that has fascinated her ever since. “I thought it’d be fun to learn more, and I ended up really liking it.”
“So, I decided to take the Fab Academy course, which is a global program that Wheaton participates in. Every week we would learn about a different fabrication process and work on a hands-on project using that tool or process. It was a lot, but it definitely set me up where I gained a level of comfort with all the tools for any other design class.”
After completing the course, Amanda was offered a campus job teaching other students—and faculty members, too—how to use the various tools in the makerspace.
“That led to my having the opportunity to go to Bhutan with a team from Wheaton to help with the construction of a fab lab, through a relationship the college has there. The Bhutanese government funded the trip. We helped set up their lab, and then we taught high school and elementary school teachers how to use all of the machines so that they could incorporate it into their teaching. It was really an awesome experience.”
“[I had the] opportunity to go to Bhutan with a team from Wheaton to help with the construction of a fab lab… The Bhutanese government funded the trip. We helped set up their lab, and then we taught high school and elementary school teachers how to use all of the machines so that they could incorporate it into their teaching. It was really an awesome experience.
”Be entrepreneurial
If you have an idea for a business, or want to develop one, the Idea Lab can help. Affiliated with the college’s Business and Management program, the lab serves as a hub for a whole range of offerings, including a business bootcamp.
WheaGo Global
Kickstart your college career in one of the world’s great cities through the WheaGo Global first semester study abroad program. It’s an impactful experience that includes an invitation to participate in the college’s global honors program.
“
All of my professors have been very accessible, very approachable, easy to talk to and generous. And whenever I had a question, they were right there with advice. ”
Writing the world
Global study? Sure, you can choose from more than 100 programs in over 45 countries— from intensive, short-term courses to semester and year-long programs. Nearly half of all Wheaton students elect to study abroad.
Carlos Yu got a new perspective on his writing by participating in Wheaton’s “Arts in Ireland” course, a three-week intensive seminar that melds art-making with immersion in the rich culture and natural beauty of the island’s west coast.
“That place is magical. You’re just drawing tons and tons of inspiration from the place and the people. Everybody’s in the studio, students and faculty. They are all making stuff and you are just drawn in. It’s great energy.
“Professor Kent Shaw was reading my writing every day. We would talk about my writing, and he would make suggestions— try this, read this piece, check out this spot.”
Yu also credits Professor Shaw with helping him arrange an internship with Rescue Press in Cleveland, with support from the college’s Cleveland Porter Fellows internship program. “That was my introduction to the publishing industry. I got to see the whole publishing process in action and now I have an understanding of how the business works.
For the next year, Carlos will be traveling to Nigeria, Singapore and Hong Kong to immerse himself in the literature of resistance as a Watson Fellow, a grant program that funds a year of global travel and study on a theme developed by the student.
Be Seen
Feels Like Home
Wheaton believes that embracing diversity of all kinds leads to personal growth, intellectual enrichment, freedom of expression, idea generation and social justice. On our campus, students find their people and truly feel at home.
The college features a network of resources to foster courageous conversations and build a community that draws from each of us. Wheaton’s network of partners include The Office for Institutional Equity and Belonging, Network for LGBTQ+ Inclusion Support and Advocacy, Marshall Center for Intercultural Learning, First-Gen and Low-Income Task Force, Diversity, Access, Equity and Leadership (DEAL) Senate, Center for Religious and Spiritual Life, and Center for Social Justice and Community Impact.
Ninety-six percent of Wheaton students live on campus and housing is guaranteed in one of the 30+ residential structures, either a traditional residence hall or one of our theme houses. In these vibrant living-learning environments, students from across the country and around the globe study together, socialize and build lifelong friendships.
Learn more about life on our campus
THEME HOUSES AT WHEATON
Theme houses are small living-learning communities of students who apply to live together with a common purpose or passion, and collaboratively share their theme with the larger Wheaton community. Current theme houses include:
Art Haus
Davis International House (Intercultural understanding, civic responsibility and leadership)
Environmentally Conscious Community Oriented (ECCO)
Emerson Feminist Perspective Farm House
First Generation House
Hungry Lyons (Raising awareness of hunger issues in local communites)
Interfaith House
Media-Arts Discourse (MAD) House
Ohm Initiative (Inclusive community within STEM)
Outdoors House
Renaissance House (Femmes of color)
SAFE Haus (LGBTQIA+)
SOHLs House (Student Organization of Hispanics and Latinos)
Tulip House (Prevention of, healing from, and advocacy against interpersonal violence)
TWAP House
(Together We All Prosper to tackle social justice)
Check out a busy day in the life of Silver
No matter what you’re interested in doing, you can do it here. You will find more than 100 campus clubs and organizations as well as opportunities to create something new, if that’s what you want to do. The diversity of Wheaton students and their interests shine through in the myriad perspectives and pursuits reflected in organizations that enrich the entire campus with their programs and activities.
Campus connections
Silver Melendez wanted to try new things in college, so when he got to Wheaton, he quickly joined the equestrian club, the ice hockey club, and the Model UN, all activities with which he had, at best, very little experience.
“My agenda was to get involved in as many things as possible. There are a lot of opportunities on campus, and I realized that I couldn’t do a lot of this stuff at home in New York, because of the expense as well as the lack of accessibility.
“I saw the equestrian club’s Instagram account when I was accepted to Wheaton, and I thought it sounded cool. It’s been so fun, everyone on the team is amazing, and our coach is one of the nicest people I’ve ever met. The horses are a little stubborn, but they’re really, really cute.”
Getting involved with Model UN happened on the spur of the moment, he said. “I remember attending the first meeting and finding all the members really, really personable, people that I would love to be friends with. And it’s been a really good experience. We just traveled to New York University for our first competition.”
“
Honestly, I feel like this is such a positive and supporting environment. I feel like that’s what really sets Wheaton apart from any other college that I’ve visited, or from other colleges that I’ve heard about from friends. ”
Silver found a campus job as the interfaith engagement coordinator for the Center for Religious and Spiritual Life, contributing to the center’s social media communications and organizing events for other students.
A SAMPLE OF OUR STUDENT CLUBS AND ORGANIZATIONS
A cappella, accessibility advocacy, astronomy, cheerleading, cooking and baking, crafts (knitting, crochet, etc.), dance, East Asian culture, gaming, global health, gospel and R&B, health professions, improv, investing, Jewish life, LGBTQIA+, mental health, Model UN, radio, sexual health, South Asian culture, step, spoken word poetry, and steel drumming.
In Your Field
The college fields 26 intercollegiate athletic teams (most competing in NCAA Division III), and it is the only college in the East to offer five varsity aquatic sports, as well as club and intramural sports programs.
Wheaton Athletics Varsity Sports
Artistic Swimming (W)
Baseball (M)
Basketball (M/W)
Cross Country (M/W)
Fencing (M/W)
Field Hockey (W)
Lacrosse (M/W)
Soccer (M/W)
Softball (W)
Swimming & Diving (M/W)
Tennis (M/W)
Track & Field (M/W)
Volleyball (M/W)
Water Polo (M/W)
Learn more about Wheaton athletics
Whether you prefer the field, court, track, fitness center or pool—or you’re more inclined to head to the mountains or a trail—you’ll find sports and activities to keep you moving. A highlight of each year is the Head of the Peacock Regatta, when fearless Wheaton students attempt to propel their homemade boats across the college pond.
Club and Intramural sports
You could choose to participate in a variety of club and intramural sports, including:
Archery
Cheerleading
Equestrian
Men’s Ice Hockey
Women’s Ice Hockey
Outdoors Club
Ping Pong
Men’s Rugby
Women’s Rugby
Soccer
Tennis
Ultimate Frisbee
Athletic facilities
You will find extensive facilities for intercollegiate athletics, club and intramural sports, and personal fitness. Throughout the year, you can use these spaces on your own or participate in a variety of fitness classes and activities—from kickboxing to Pilates.
• Haas Athletic Center, which includes a field house with 200-meter indoor track, a 25-meter pool and a gymnasium as well as locker rooms and dedicated strength and training rooms for intercollegiate teams
• The Clark Recreation Center, which includes locker rooms and a flexible gymnasium for recreational activities
• The Pappas Fitness Center, recently renovated and open seven days per week to students and located in the Balfour-Hood Campus Center
• Turf and natural grass fields dedicated for intercollegiate baseball, softball, soccer, field hockey and lacrosse
• Outdoor lighted tennis and basketball courts, a running and walking path, and recreational athletic fields
Take The
The Wheaton Advantage
A Wheaton education puts you on the path to success. Just six months after graduating, our alumni are finding first jobs in their fields (or possibly in unexpected areas, which they’re able to navigate thanks to a solid interdisciplinary education in the liberal arts and sciences).
Learn more about the outcomes and impact of a Wheaton education
WORLD CLASS
Wheaton has consistently been ranked among the nation’s top colleges for the number of graduates receiving Fulbright awards by the U.S. Department of State, and students regularly win other national awards, such as the Watson Fellowship and the Beinecke, Rhodes and Gilman scholarships. These opportunities allow them to explore the world in the year or so following graduation, continuing their education, building an international network and sharing their unique talents.
ADVANCED EDUCATION
More than 40 percent of Wheaton students enroll in graduate school within five years of graduation. The top institutions, ranked by attendance, include:
Northeastern University
Harvard University
Tufts University
Boston University
Lesley University
Simmons University
New York University
Design Your Life
When you visit the Life and Career Design Institute (LCDI) at Wheaton, you not only get expert help in charting the path to your future, but you also will develop the skills to keep re-drawing your own map as your life and career evolves.
The institute’s four-year curriculum is integrated with the college’s academic programs, and it focuses on teaching skills you can use long after you graduate. The entire program is organized around teaching you how to apply the principles of design thinking to planning your personal and professional life.
At the same time, you also will find a comprehensive set of traditional career development services—one-onone career advising, sessions on resumé writing and effective interviewing strategies, tutorials on successful job searches, and curated connections to potential internship sponsors and employers in the Wheaton alumni network and beyond.
Wheaton’s beautiful, 400-acre campus is welcoming and walkable, and mixes traditional Georgianstyle brick buildings with sleek, modern designs.
The best way to see it is to visit. After you do, you may recognize it in the movies. Our campus is often used as a location for filming—most recently, scenes from Challengers starring Zendaya and Don’t Look Up starring Jennifer Lawrence and Leonardo DeCaprio.
Community
The college enrolls approximately 1,700 students, representing 43 states and nearly 40 countries. Approximately 5 percent of Wheaton’s students are international; 25 percent are members of the BIPOC community, including Asian, Black and Hispanic students. First-generation students account for roughly 22 percent of enrolled students.
Faculty
Wheaton professors are experts in their fields of study as well as dedicated teachers; 90 percent hold a doctoral degree or terminal degree in their field of expertise. The current student-faculty ratio is 11:1.
Application deadlines
Affordability
The comprehensive fee for the 2024–2025 academic year is $79,940. After subtracting financial aid, grants and scholarships, the average annual cost for students in Fall 2023 was $23,383 and less than $20,000 for nearly one third of new students. More than 95 percent of enrolled students receive merit and need-based aid. For more information, visit wheatoncollege.edu/go/affordability.
Expanded offerings
Wheaton offers cross-registration with Brown University in nearby Providence and opportunities at other U.S. institutions, including 15 semester-long programs and dual-degree tracks in engineering, optometry and more.
Wheaton is a test-optional institution. All students will be considered automatically for merit scholarships from $35,000 to $45,000, on average.
First-Year Applicants
Fall Admission options:
Early Decision 1
Early Action. .
November 15
. November 15
Early Decision 2 January 15
Regular Decision. .
January 15
Spring Admission November 1
Transfer Applicants
Fall Admission May 1
Spring Admission November 15
Students interested in the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program should apply by Nov. 15 as program capacity is limited. More info can be found at wheatoncollege.edu/nursing.
Visiting
The best way to understand what it’s like to learn and live here is to see us for yourself. We strongly recommend that you visit campus at least once, if possible, but we would be happy to welcome you back again and again. Tour our historic New England campus. Attend an information session. Talk to faculty members about your interests. Meet current students to learn about campus life.
We offer tours, in-person and virtual info sessions and interviews on a regular schedule year-round. We also organize special visiting programs—many with the opportunity to meet a number of faculty and students— throughout the year.
Office of Admission
26 E. Main Street Norton, Massachusetts 02766-2322
P: +1-508-286-8251
F: +1-508-286-8271
admission@wheatoncollege.edu wheatoncollege.edu
Wheaton College does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, disability, national or ethnic origin, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation or veteran status in its admission policy, educational policies, scholarship and loan programs, athletic and other college-administered programs. For more information, visit wheatoncollege.edu/policies/eqopp.
Find us online /WheatonCollege @wheaton WheatonCollege /school/wheatoncollegema/ wheatoncollege.com