Wellesley guarantees free tuition for U.S. families earning $200,000 or less, from fall 2027

On September 9, 2026, Wellesley College announced it "will guarantee a tuition-free education to U.S. students whose families have a total annual income of $200,000 or less with typical assets."

The Wellesley Tuition Promise "will apply automatically to all first-year and transfer students who are admitted to Wellesley, as well as returning students, beginning in fall 2027." For eligible students, Wellesley says the cost in 2027-28 "will likely be between $0 and $26,000," covering room, meals and a mandatory student activities fee.

Wellesley already meets the full calculated need of every student who attends, U.S. and international.

If you are a U.S. senior applying for fall 2027 and your family is at or under $200,000, there is nothing extra to sign up for: Wellesley says the Promise applies automatically to admitted students whose families fit the income and asset lines. File for aid anyway, since that is how any college sees your family's income.

The $0 to $26,000 range is the number to keep. It is what the rest of the bill, housing and food, is likely to be, and where your family lands in it depends on your aid offer. Wellesley's own cost calculators will narrow it. Rice, Vanderbilt and BU drew the same $200,000 line.

International students are not part of the tuition guarantee, but Wellesley says it meets full calculated need for them too.