Wesleyan University facts for kids
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| Latin: Universitas Wesleiana | |
| Type | Private university |
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| Established | 1831 |
| Accreditation | NECHE |
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Academic affiliations
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| Endowment | $1.57 billion (2024) |
| President | Michael S. Roth |
| Provost | Nicole Stanton |
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Academic staff
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430 (fall 2020) |
| Students | 3,053 (fall 2020) |
| Undergraduates | 2,852 (fall 2020) |
| Postgraduates | 201 (fall 2020) |
| Location |
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United States
41°33′20″N 72°39′21″W / 41.5556°N 72.6558°W |
| Campus | Small city, 360 acres (150 ha) |
| Student newspaper | The Wesleyan Argus |
| Colors | Cardinal and black |
| Nickname | Cardinals |
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Sporting affiliations
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Wesleyan University is a private university in Middletown, Connecticut, United States. It is known for its focus on liberal arts, which means students learn about many different subjects.
The university started in 1831 as a college only for men. It was supported by the Methodist Episcopal Church. Over time, it became a school for both boys and girls, and it is no longer connected to a church.
Wesleyan first welcomed female students from 1872 to 1909. It became fully coeducational in 1970. Before this, supporters of women's education from Wesleyan helped start Connecticut College in 1912. Wesleyan is also part of "The Little Three" with Amherst and Williams colleges. Its sports teams are called the Cardinals and they compete in NCAA Division III.
Contents
Discovering Wesleyan's Past
Before Wesleyan University was founded, there was a military school on its campus. In 1831, Methodists from New England bought the school's buildings. They then started an all-male college. Wilbur Fisk was the first president.
Even though it had "Wesleyan" in its name, it was not an official church school. However, Methodist ideas did influence its classes and religious life. In 1909, the university built Judd Hall. This was one of the first buildings at an American college made just for teaching science to students.
The number of students at Wesleyan grew from about 300 in 1910 to 800 in 1960. Wesleyan is part of the "Little Three" group of colleges. It started as the smallest of these three schools. Later, it added more programs and became larger than the other two.
In 1872, Wesleyan was one of the first U.S. colleges to try letting female students attend. This was called the "Wesleyan Experiment." But in 1909, the school decided to stop admitting women. They worried about losing their "masculine image" and thought women might not donate as much money after graduating. So, from 1912 to 1970, Wesleyan was an all-male college again.
Wesleyan became fully independent from the Methodist church in 1937. In 2000, it was recognized as a historic Methodist site.
In the late 1950s, President Victor L. Butterfield started a new plan. He wanted to divide student life into smaller living areas, like "residential colleges." Each would have its own teachers. This plan also added programs for advanced studies.
This building plan created new dorms on Foss Hill and Lawn Avenue. Even though the buildings were made, only some of the new academic programs started. Two of these, the College of Letters and the College of Social Studies, are still active today. Wesleyan has a small student-to-teacher ratio of 7 students for every 1 teacher.
Later presidents continued to make changes. They brought women back to the university in equal numbers to men. They also greatly increased the space for labs, art studios, and performing arts. The school also became much more diverse, with students from many different backgrounds.
Exploring the Campus
Wesleyan's campus covers 360 acres and has over 340 buildings. These include the five buildings of College Row, Olin Memorial Library, and the Center for the Arts complex.
When Wesleyan University started in 1831, it took over a campus with two buildings, North College and South College. These were built in 1825 for a military academy. After the academy moved, Wesleyan bought the buildings.
The first North College building burned down in 1906. It was replaced with the current North College. South College survived and was turned into offices. Its bell tower was added in 1916.
Memorial Chapel was finished in 1871. It honors students and alumni who fought in the American Civil War. Wesleyan had many students join the Union army.
The northern part of High Street has several large, old homes that are now university buildings. These include Russell House, which is a National Historic Landmark. High Street was once called "the most beautiful street in America" by writer Charles Dickens.
What Students Learn
Wesleyan offers 46 different subjects for students to study. About 40% of students choose to study two main subjects.
Wesleyan has special programs with other universities like the California Institute of Technology and Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science. These programs let students earn two degrees in five years. Wesleyan also has a program where students can get a bachelor's and a master's degree in science in five years, with the fifth year of tuition waived.
Students at Wesleyan do not have to take specific required classes. New students can take special seminars. In their first two years, students are encouraged to take at least two classes from different subjects.
Bailey College of the Environment
The Bailey College of the Environment started in 2009. It brings together different ways to study the environment. It offers a major in environmental studies and a special project for older students. It also has a "Think Tank" where students and teachers work together on environmental issues.
College of Film and the Moving Image
Wesleyan's Film Studies program is very well-known. Many famous people in Hollywood have come from this program. The university has the Wesleyan Cinema Archives. These archives hold important papers and materials from famous filmmakers like Ingrid Bergman, Frank Capra, Clint Eastwood, and Martin Scorsese.
In 2013, Wesleyan created the College of Film and the Moving Image. This college includes the Film Studies Department and the Cinema Archives.
College of Integrative Sciences
The College of Integrative Sciences (CIS) gives students a broad education in science. It helps them learn how to solve problems through research. Students in this college study a main science or math subject. They also choose a "linked" major that combines ideas from other subjects.
College of Letters
The College of Letters is a three-year program that combines European literature, history, and philosophy.
College of Social Studies
The College of Social Studies (CSS) started in 1959. It combines history, economics, government, and philosophy. Students in their second year focus on how modern Western society developed. Older students write a special paper or project.
Science and Mathematics
Wesleyan is the only liberal arts college to be recognized by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for its Molecular Biophysics research program.
Theater Program
Wesleyan's theater program has two main places for performances. One is the Theatre in the Center for the Arts, which seats 400 people. The other is the '92 Theater, where students run their own theater group called Spike Tape. This group puts on many plays and musicals each semester.
Twelve College Exchange
Many students can study for a semester or a year at another college through the Twelve College Exchange program. This program includes colleges like Amherst, Bowdoin, and Wellesley.
Advanced Studies
Wesleyan has 11 graduate programs in subjects like science, math, computer science, psychology, and music. Students can earn a Master of Arts or Doctor of Philosophy degree. Wesleyan also offers a Graduate Liberal Studies Program.
Online Courses
Since 2012, Wesleyan has offered free online courses to the public. These courses cover subjects like Math, Computer Science, Law, Psychology, and Literature.
How to Get In
For the class that started in fall 2023, Wesleyan received 14,500 applications and accepted 2,280 students. This means about 15.7% of applicants were accepted. The average SAT scores for accepted students were 770 for math and 750 for reading and writing. The average ACT score was 34. Since 2014, students have had the option not to submit their test scores.
U.S. News & World Report says that getting into Wesleyan is "most selective." The Princeton Review gives Wesleyan a high score for how hard it is to get in.
In 2023, Wesleyan announced that it would no longer give special preference to applicants who have family members who went to the school or who are connected to donors. This means they stopped "legacy admission."
Rankings and Reputation
| USNWR Liberal Arts College | 14 |
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| Washington Monthly Liberal Arts | 3 |
| Forbes | 54 |
In the 2025 U.S. News & World Report rankings, Wesleyan University is tied for 14th among national liberal arts colleges. It was also ranked first for "Best Colleges for Veterans" and 16th for "Best Value Schools" in 2024. Wesleyan University is officially approved by the New England Commission of Higher Education.
Forbes ranked Wesleyan University 54th overall among all American colleges and universities for 2024–25. It was 12th among liberal arts colleges alone.
Washington Monthly ranked Wesleyan third among liberal arts colleges in the U.S. in 2022. This ranking looks at how much colleges help the public good, like helping students from different backgrounds and promoting public service.
Libraries and Art
Olin Memorial Library has over 1.8 million books and about 10,000 magazine subscriptions. Wesleyan's first library was Rich Hall, which is now the '92 Theater. Olin Library was built between 1925 and 1927.
The Science Library is the second largest library on campus. It has over 250,000 books. There is also an Art Library, a Music Library, and other smaller libraries.
Davison Art Collection
The Davison Art Collection has a large number of artworks, mostly on paper. This includes 18,000 prints and 6,000 photographs. The collection has works by famous artists like Dürer, Goya, and Rembrandt.
The Davison Art Collection shows its art in the Anne Goldrach Gallery. Students can also study the artworks up close in a special study room.
Student Life
Cannon Scrap
In the late 1860s, students started a yearly game called the "Cannon Scrap." Freshmen tried to fire the Douglas Cannon on February 22, and sophomores tried to stop them. In 1957, students started stealing the cannon as part of the tradition.
Religious Life
The university has a Jewish rabbi, a Protestant chaplain, and a Muslim chaplain to support students' religious needs. There are also special housing programs for students who are Buddhist, Muslim, Christian, and Jewish.
Sports and Athletics
Wesleyan is part of the NCAA Division III and the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC). It has 29 different sports teams. They compete against their traditional rivals, Amherst and Williams. About 600 students play on varsity sports teams each year. Wesleyan was one of the 39 schools that helped start the NCAA.
Wesleyan's football and baseball field, Andrus Field, is the oldest continuously used American football field and baseball field in the world.
Many famous football coaches, like Bill Belichick and Eric Mangini, have come from Wesleyan. In 2018, Wesleyan's Men's Lacrosse team won the Division III NCAA championship. This was the first national championship in the school's history.
Amos Magee helped Wesleyan University's soccer team win a championship in 1991. He is the team's all-time leading scorer.
Student Groups
In 2011, U.S. News & World Report said Wesleyan was one of the easiest colleges to get involved in activities. At that time, there were about 270 student groups for 3,148 students.
Wesleyan Student Assembly
The Wesleyan Student Assembly (WSA) is a group of 38 students elected each year. They represent all the undergraduate students at Wesleyan University. They speak for students on topics like student life, classes, money, and campus buildings.
Debate Society
The Debate Society started in 1903. It was later named after Woodrow Wilson, who was a professor at Wesleyan. He encouraged students to start a debate group.
Environmental Groups
The Environmental Organizers' Network (EON) is a student group that works on environmental issues. Wesleyan also has Long Lane Farm, a 2-acre organic farm run by students.
Student Publications
Some of the oldest student groups are campus newspapers and magazines. These include The Wesleyan Argus, a newspaper published every two weeks, and Hermes, the university's oldest student-run publication. Wesleying is a student-run website that shares information about student life at Wesleyan.
Singing Groups
Wesleyan was once known as the "Singing College of New England." The university's glee club used to travel and perform often. They even performed twice at the White House. Today, students continue this tradition with many a cappella groups. There are at least 13 groups that perform regularly on campus.
Greek Organizations and Secret Societies
Wesleyan has chapters of several Greek organizations, like Alpha Delta Phi and Psi Upsilon. As of 2024, only a few of these groups have houses on campus.
In 2014, Wesleyan told all fraternities with on-campus housing that they needed to become co-educational within three years.
Secret societies on campus include Skull & Serpent and Mystical Sevens.
International Students
In 2023, about 10% of the students at Wesleyan were from other countries. Financial aid is available for students from Africa and Asia.
Famous People from Wesleyan
Many Wesleyan alumni have received important scholarships, like the Fulbright, Goldwater, and Rhodes scholarships. From 2007 to 2011, 42 Wesleyan students and alumni received Fulbright scholarships.
Former Wesleyan teachers and people connected to the university, like V. S. Naipaul, Woodrow Wilson, and T. S. Eliot, have won Nobel Prizes. Gary Yohe, a current economics professor, won a Nobel Peace Prize in 2007. Satoshi Omura, a chemistry professor, won the Nobel Prize for Medicine in 2015.
Famous writers and composers have also been connected to Wesleyan, including Richard Wilbur and John Cage. Musician Anthony Braxton taught music at the university for over 20 years.
Many people in television and film are Wesleyan alumni. These include Craig Thomas and Carter Bays, who created How I Met Your Mother. Other film notables include Joss Whedon, who created Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Lin-Manuel Miranda, who created Hamilton. Mike White created the award-winning show The White Lotus. Michael Bay is a well-known film director. The band MGMT was started by students who met at Wesleyan.
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Lin-Manuel Miranda, a famous playwright and actor known for Hamilton
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David Josiah Brewer, a former Justice on the highest court in the United States
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Bill Belichick, a very successful football coach
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Michael Bennet, a U.S. Senator from Colorado
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Michael Bay, a director known for action movies
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Lael Brainard, a director of the National Economic Council
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Mike White, a writer and director
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Joss Whedon, a creator and director of popular TV shows and movies
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Bradley Whitford, an actor known for his role in The West Wing
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Jed Hoyer, a leader in professional baseball
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Amanda Palmer, a singer-songwriter
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Stephen Talbot, a TV documentary producer
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Willie Garson, an actor known for roles in ... and the City and Hawaii Five-0
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Jim Friedlich, a leader in media and charity work
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Ward Farnsworth, a former Dean of the University of Texas School of Law
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See also
In Spanish: Universidad Wesleyana (Connecticut) para niños
- Wesleyan University Press
