Wheaton College
Wheaton, IL 60187-5593
About Wheaton College
Wheaton College is a private research university in Wheaton, Illinois, enrolling about 2,121 students. Admission is moderately selective for first-time degree-seeking undergraduates reporting admissions data to the Education Department. The acceptance rate is about 87.40% in the latest College Scorecard admissions data. Median earnings about ten years after entry reach about $63,756 among students who received federal aid.
Key findings
- Wheaton College charges 55% above the national private non-profit median tuition ($45,546).
- Versus the Illinois median, sticker tuition is about 3.4×.
- Completion within 150% of normal time is 84.75%.
- Median earnings 10 years after entry are $63,756.
Research findings
Finding
Modeled return on investment at Wheaton College is strong.
Estimated ROI reaches about 491% using Scorecard cost and 10-year earnings fields in this extract.
Interpretation: On this institution-wide model, typical graduate earnings over a decade substantially exceed estimated net education cost.
Limitation: ROI is institution-wide and not program-specific; individual outcomes vary by major, aid package, and labor market.
Cost benchmarks
| Benchmark | Median Tuition | Median Net Price | Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wheaton College | $45,546 | $26,975 | 1 |
| Private Non-profit (national median) | $29,325 | — | 1,444 |
| Illinois (state median) | $13,248 | $7,399 | 131 |
| Rural (locale median) | $14,160 | $18,700 | 1,649 |
| United States (national median) | $11,900 | $17,156 | — |
Compares this campus to school-type, state, and locale medians plus a U.S. national median (College Scorecard–derived). Locale groups campuses by NCES locale type; state tuition is the median published tuition among campuses in that state.
Average net price is 41% below published tuition at Wheaton College
Key findings
- Wheaton College's average net price ($26,975) is 41% below published tuition ($45,546).
- Wheaton College charges 55% above the national private non-profit median tuition ($45,546).
- Versus the Illinois median, sticker tuition is about 3.4×.
Wheaton College tuition
Published undergraduate tuition $45,546
Finding Wheaton College charges 55% above the national private non-profit median tuition.
Evidence Published tuition is $45,546. That is 55% above the national private non-profit median ($29,325). Versus the Illinois median ($13,248), sticker tuition is about 3.4×. Versus the U.S. median ($11,900), sticker is about 3.8×.
Method Sticker tuition compared with Scorecard-derived medians by ownership, state, locale, and national rollups when available.
Interpretation Published tuition measures sticker price relative to private non-profit and geographic peers; it does not equal what undergraduates typically pay after aid.
Limitation Sticker comparisons omit room, board, and institutional aid; average net price and income-band net prices are the stronger signals of typical family cost.
Evidence: published tuition at Wheaton College versus school-type, state, locale, and U.S. medians.
Evidence: average net price at Wheaton College versus state, locale, and U.S. medians.
What undergraduates typically pay
Finding Average net price at Wheaton College is $26,975.
Evidence College Scorecard average net price is $26,975 (cost of attendance minus average grant aid for aided undergraduates). That is about $19,576 above the Illinois median net price. Versus rural campuses, net price runs $8,275 above the locale median.
Method Average net price from College Scorecard; compared with state, locale, and U.S. medians from EDsmart aggregates.
Interpretation Average net price is a stronger institutional cost signal than published tuition because it incorporates grant aid.
Limitation The campus average masks large differences by household income; income-band net prices can diverge sharply from the overall average.
Key takeaway Wheaton College’s published tuition substantially overstates typical undergraduate cost: average net price is about 41% lower after grants and scholarships.
Wheaton College: research record
Canonical EDsmart Data findings for Wheaton College—costs, outcomes, admissions, and programs—with evidence and methodology notes.
Research findings
Interpretation
The combination of completion and 10-year earnings is a multidimensional outcomes signal; it does not measure educational quality by itself.
Financial profile
Annual tuition
$45,546
Avg. net price
$26,975
Net price by family income
| Income bracket | Avg. annual net price |
|---|---|
| $0–$30,000 | $20,001 |
| $30,001–$48,000 | $18,587 |
| $48,001–$75,000 | $20,553 |
| $75,001–$110,000 | $24,176 |
| $110,001+ | $33,435 |
Sticker tuition × four years (estimate, no room/board): $182,184. See cost investigation.
Student outcomes
Share of first-year students returning the following fall.
Graduation rate and 10-year earnings are in the hero strip above; see Graduates for more.
What Wheaton College is known for
Top program completions
- Clinical Psychology67
- Business/Managerial Economics54
- Missions/Missionary Studies53
- Religious Education45
- Psychology, General40
See earnings & programs for more.
Admissions landscape
- Broad access — most applicants are admitted.
- Yield: 33% of admitted students enrolled.
- Average SAT: 1380
- Midpoint ACT: 30
See Admissions for the full funnel.
Is Wheaton College a good school?
Data-framed fit—not a prestige rating.
Wheaton College is a good school for those looking for strong completion alongside solid mid-career earnings.
EDsmart Data does not assign an opinion score; this framing summarizes the strongest Scorecard signals for this campus.
More from the data
Location, control, enrollment, and aid context for Wheaton College.
Campus
Location
Wheaton, IL
City / state
- ZIP
- 60187-5593
- NCES locale
- Rural fringe
Compared with Rural campuses nationally, net price is 44% above the median for Rural campuses ($18,700 median).
Control
Institution type
Private Non-profit
Control
- Region
- Great Lakes
- Carnegie
- Baccalaureate Colleges: Diverse Fields
Size
Enrollment
2,121
Total enrollment
- Undergraduate
- 2,572
- Graduate
- 724
- Full-time share
- 98%
Student aid
Debt & aid
$23,250
Median federal loan debt
- Pell grant share
- 21.71%
Total Cost, Aid & Default
Total Cost of Attendance
Tuition vs average net price after aid for Wheaton College.
Financial Aid by Income Level
Financial aid distribution by income level.
Student Loan Default Rate
The published 3-year cohort default rate for borrowers at Wheaton College was 0.00%.
Cohort default rates account for borrowers who default in the first three years.
Tuition tracker
Published tuition and average net price by reporting year come from the College Scorecard institution file. Values are not adjusted for inflation; missing cells mean the field was not reported or was suppressed for Wheaton College in that year.
Reporting years in the table below: 2013–2023 (Scorecard labels refer to the institutional submission cycle).
| Year | In-state tuition & fees | Out-of-state tuition & fees | Average net price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | $30,880 | $30,880 | $23,858 |
| 2014 | $31,900 | $31,900 | $23,900 |
| 2015 | $32,950 | $32,950 | $25,260 |
| 2016 | $34,050 | $34,050 | $25,101 |
| 2017 | $35,190 | $35,190 | $28,005 |
| 2018 | $36,420 | $36,420 | $26,180 |
| 2019 | $37,700 | $37,700 | $25,358 |
| 2020 | $39,100 | $39,100 | $25,692 |
| 2021 | $40,820 | $40,820 | $25,287 |
| 2022 | $42,240 | $42,240 | $26,877 |
| 2023 | $43,930 | $43,930 | $26,984 |
Sticker tuition and net price over time
Where the institution reported separate in-state and out-of-state tuition, both appear. Gaps mean the value was not reported for that year.
College Scorecard reporting-year fields (not inflation-adjusted).
Net price by family income
Brackets follow Scorecard definitions for the series shown (public vs private institution).
Latest income-band net prices available in the processed extract.
How difficult is it to get in?
Acceptance Rate
This institution has a moderate acceptance rate, accepting most qualified applicants.
Applicants → admits → first-time enrollment from College Scorecard / IPEDS. Bar widths are scaled for readability at highly selective schools.
Test Scores
Average 1380 (middle 50% not reported)
Midpoint 30 (middle 50% not reported)
Scores for enrollees who submitted tests (College Scorecard).
Academic Requirements
Estimated from admission selectivity and test scores. Scorecard does not publish admitted-student GPA for most institutions.
Estimated range · median 3.60
Estimated GPA band from selectivity and test scores — not an official requirement.
Enrollment & Student Demographics
Wheaton College reported total enrollment of about 2,121 students in the latest College Scorecard extract. The student body is about 46% male and 54% female. Enrollment by race and ethnicity includes White (67.2%), Asian (8.8%), and Hispanic or Latino (8.7%). About 21.71% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants.
Full-Time vs Part-Time Enrollment
98.5% Full-Time Enrollment
The total enrollment at Wheaton College in 2024 is 2,121 students.
Undergraduate enrollment is about 2,572 students. Graduate enrollment is about 724 students.
Full-time vs part-time enrollment comparison.
Retention Rate over Time
92.6%
2024 Retention Rate
Retention rate measures the number of first-time students who began their studies the previous fall and returned to school the following fall.
Retention rate over time compared to similar institutions.
Enrollment by Race & Ethnicity
Largest share of total enrollment in our College Scorecard extract.
College Scorecard student demographics (total enrollment shares).
Do students complete their programs?
Time to Complete
75.74% 100% Completion Time
84.75% 150% Completion Time
In 2024, 75.74% of students graduating from Wheaton College completed their program within 100% "normal time".
Completion rates over time compared to similar institutions.
Completions by Sex (Top Programs)
- Clinical Psychology: 25% male / 75% female
- Business/Managerial Economics: 74% male / 26% female
- Missions/Missionary Studies: 47% male / 53% female
IPEDS completions by sex for the five largest programs (aggregate CIPs excluded).
Completions by Race & Ethnicity
Largest group by summed IPEDS award counts across reported programs.
Summed across program completion records in our extract.
Wheaton College graduates earn a median of $63,756 ten years after entry
Finding Earnings, debt, and program mix define the financial profile of Wheaton College.
Evidence Median earnings 10 years after entry: $63,756. Median federal loan debt: $23,250. Average net price used in cost models: $26,975.
Method College Scorecard median earnings (10-year), median debt, and EDsmart ROI / payback models using campus net price.
Interpretation Institution-wide ROI and debt ratios summarize campus averages; program choice still drives individual outcomes.
Limitation Salary reflects median earnings ten years after entry; ROI is not program-specific.
Key takeaway Wheaton College graduates report median earnings of $63,756 ten years after entry—an institution-wide outcomes signal, not a program guarantee.
Return on Investment
Debt and 4-year net cost vs. cumulative 10-year median earnings for Wheaton College.
Top Programs by Completions
Largest 10 programs by IPEDS completions (50 reported codes; aggregate/unknown CIP buckets excluded).
IPEDS award counts for the largest programs at Wheaton College.
Employment Outcomes
Median earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after entry for Wheaton College graduates.
How financially powerful is this institution?
Finding: federal finance and Scorecard instructional fields for Wheaton College—endowment assets (fiscal year 2023), instructional staffing and expenditure. Compared with state, regional, and U.S. medians from EDsmart Data institutional financials.
Institutional endowment
$558.2M
End-of-year assets · Fiscal year 2023
- Illinois median 20× the median ($28.5M)
- Great Lakes median 18× the median ($31.8M)
- U.S. median 21× the median ($26.4M)
- Illinois median 13× the median ($15,173)
- Great Lakes median 12× the median ($16,690)
- U.S. median 17× the median ($12,100)
Instructional Resources
- Full-time faculty share: 63.0%
- Illinois median 12.2 pp above median (50.8%)
- Great Lakes median 4.9 pp above median (58.1%)
- U.S. median 5.0 pp above median (58.0%)
- Average faculty salary (monthly): $10,473
- Illinois median 1.2× the median ($8,563)
- Great Lakes median 1.3× the median ($8,046)
- U.S. median 1.4× the median ($7,615)
- Instructional expenditure per FTE: $18,388
- Illinois median 2.4× the median ($7,575)
- Great Lakes median 2.4× the median ($7,690)
- U.S. median 2.5× the median ($7,288)
Instructional metrics from College Scorecard. Peer medians are campus-level; see the institutional financials deep dive. Detailed non-instructional staff counts are not included here.
Wheaton College at a glance
Wheaton College
Wheaton College is a private non-profit institution in Wheaton, IL, classified as Baccalaureate Colleges: Diverse Fields.
- Largest programs (IPEDS awards)
- Clinical PsychologyBusiness/Managerial EconomicsMissions/Missionary Studies
- Largest enrollment groups
- White or Caucasian67.2%Asian8.8%Hispanic or Latino8.7%
Schools near Wheaton College
Other campuses in Wheaton, IL when available, plus nearby institutions in Illinois.
Similar schools
Peers matched by the same EDsmart outcomes grade (Grade B) within Illinois, then by similar ownership and admissions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Wheaton College located?
Wheaton College is located in Wheaton, IL.
What is Wheaton College's acceptance rate?
The acceptance rate at Wheaton College is 87.4% among first-time degree-seeking students reporting admissions data. IPEDS reports 1,866 applicants and 1,679 admits in the latest admissions cycle in our extract.
What is Wheaton College's tuition?
Wheaton College tuition (published undergraduate sticker price) is $45,546 in the latest College Scorecard data. Average net price after grant aid is $26,975 for undergraduates receiving Title IV aid.
How much does Wheaton College cost?
Reported tuition is $45,546 and average net price is $26,975 in the latest College Scorecard data. On-campus room and board is estimated at $13,010 annually.
Why is Wheaton College's net price so much lower than tuition?
At Wheaton College, published tuition is $45,546 while average net price is $26,975—about 41% lower. Average net price subtracts grant and scholarship aid from cost of attendance for undergraduates receiving Title IV aid (College Scorecard). Institutional aid therefore compresses sticker price into a lower typical undergraduate cost signal. The campus average still masks large differences by household income; income-band net prices can diverge sharply from the overall average. EDsmart Data treats the sticker–net gap as an analytical finding, not advice about individual aid offers.
What explains Wheaton College's return on investment in EDsmart Data?
EDsmart Data models ROI using campus average net price ($26,975), completion (84.8% within 150% of normal time where reported), and median earnings ten years after entry ($63,756). High completion and strong mid-career earnings relative to net cost raise modeled ROI; the estimate is institution-wide and not program-specific. Debt-to-earnings ratios, when available, further contextualize borrowing pressure. Limitations include suppressed fields, program mix, and labor-market variation over time.
What is the student body demographics at Wheaton College?
Wheaton College reports undergraduate enrollment of about 2,572 students, White (67.2%), Asian (8.8%) in federal College Scorecard data.
What test scores do students need for Wheaton College?
Among enrolled students who submitted scores, Wheaton College reports midpoint SAT about 1380 and midpoint ACT about 30.
What do graduates of Wheaton College earn?
Median earnings are $50,270 six years after entry and $63,756 ten years after entry.
What is the graduation rate at Wheaton College?
The 150%-time completion rate is 84.8% for the cohort reported to the College Scorecard.
How much debt do Wheaton College students have?
Median federal loan debt among completers is $23,250.
Is Wheaton College public or private?
Wheaton College is a private nonprofit institution located in Wheaton, IL.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
- Related geography & profiles
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology & Data Scope
This profile uses institution-level fields from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, merged with IPEDS directory attributes where needed for locale, ownership, and program completions.
Benchmark rows compare this campus to NCES locale-type medians (for example Suburban) from our processed location extract. Implied U.S. medians are derived from locale-vs-national percentage fields in that extract—not a separate national Scorecard table.