Words: Melissa Schill Penney ’22
Photos: Kayla Smith
Institutions of higher learning are preparing for the reality of the long-anticipated “demographic cliff” in which the number of incoming traditional-age college students will decrease by 13 percent during the next 15 years. Add to that a heightened focus on job outcomes, and the environment can be challenging for a Christian liberal arts institution, though the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU) as a whole has seen steady enrollment and even some growth over the past decade.
But in the sea of colleges and universities vying for the attention of prospective students and their families, Wheaton College continues every year to draw exceptional freshman classes seeking not just academic rigor, but spiritual formation and growth.
Wheaton’s fall 2025 entering freshman profile was, true to form, exceptional, with an average high school GPA of 3.76 (unweighted scale) and average submitted SAT/ACT test scores of 1360/30. A full 45 percent of the entering class graduated in the top 10 percent of their high school class and 76 percent graduated in the top 25 percent of their class. And Wheaton students don’t just excel in the classroom; 26 percent of them are training and competing as varsity athletes.
So what has allowed Wheaton College to be ranked in the top 50 national liberal arts colleges in U.S. News and World Report and the highest-ranked Christian college on that list? Provost Dr. Karen An-Hwei Lee cites Wheaton’s historical tradition of melding intellect and spirit as the true draw that has allowed Wheaton to thrive during a time when many institutions around the country have had to change their mission, combine with other institutions, or close.
“Wheaton uniquely combines top-tier academic experiences with a mission-anchored commitment to integrating Christian faith and learning across every discipline,” Lee said. “We are highly regarded as the home of Christian faith and learning.”
Students come to Wheaton knowing they will be nurtured spiritually as well as academically. To apply to Wheaton, students must write an essay describing their faith journey. If accepted and confirmed, they sign the College’s Community Covenant, which retains the evangelical, biblically based, campus-wide promises that govern how Wheaton students and employees work, study, worship, and live in Christ-honoring community. Students are surrounded during their time at Wheaton by faculty and staff nurturing their spiritual growth in countless ways, including the joy of community worship in chapel three days per week.
Wheaton attracts and sustains outstanding scholars by offering a faithful, mission-aligned community, and strong support for teaching, creative projects, and research through a range of internal funds plus prestigious external grants.
While national trends paint a challenging picture for many in higher education and the liberal arts in particular, Wheaton continues to attract students to its distinctive mission in substantial numbers. This is due in part to Wheaton’s Christ-centered curriculum and student experience, and its emphasis on the formation of the whole person. The qualities that define the liberal arts, such as critical thinking and curiosity, continue to thrive in Wheaton students.
Undergraduates undergo Wheaton’s Christ at the Core curriculum, which was first rolled out in fall 2016. The curriculum is carried out through classes that fall under three primary pillars: the Shared Core, the Thematic Core, and Core Competencies.
The Shared Core includes four liberal arts courses and three biblical and theological courses. All undergraduates participate in these seven classes, with the goal of both fostering personal growth and building intellectual community. The Thematic Core covers ten areas of study, including global perspectives, philosophical investigations, and scientific practice. Here, students have the opportunity to choose from a wealth of courses that engage existing interests and expose them to new topics. Core Competencies covers writing, communication, and modern and classical languages.
“I am so grateful to have such wide, multidisciplinary foundations,” Amanda Iglesias ’14 said. “I had the privilege of taking, among others, Music History, Anthropology, Christian Thought, Printmaking, Psychology, Spanish, Creative Writing, and Community Art, all of which still inform my approach to life and learning.”
Iglesias went on to receive her master’s of architecture from Yale University and spent a fellowship year at University of Cambridge to study architectural history. She now serves as a sacred space consultant, working on the design of church buildings.
Her experience illustrates one of the great strengths of a liberal arts college: Even as students emphasize particular disciplines, they simultaneously take courses outside of their declared field, growing as thinkers, engaging with diverse and enriching material, and synthesizing a wealth of knowledge to serve them later.
“What a tragedy it would be to give up the rich buffet of a liberal arts education because you feel it would not be practical to indulge yourself,” said Dr. Tracy McKenzie, Arthur F. Holmes Chair of Faith and Learning and Professor of History.
As an undergraduate student, McKenzie wrestled with what to study, weighing questions of practicality. A professor took an interest in him and helped reframe his viewpoint. “He told me, if you’re getting a liberal arts education, you’re learning how to think and developing a real agility of mind. You’ll be more equipped to adapt to a rapidly changing world than someone who has been trained much more narrowly.”
The advice resonated with McKenzie, and he sees it as all the more true now as artificial intelligence continues to advance and has started to supplant people in the workforce.
“Technical training is always going to be in danger of being replaced,” he said. “Some of my reasons for studying history overlap with arguments for liberal arts education. Studying history develops the ability to read deeply, think critically about primary documents, build logical arguments, and put those arguments into persuasive forms and communicate effectively.”
No matter their chosen disciplines, undergraduate students at Wheaton College consider the fundamental question, “What is the good life?” starting in their first-year seminar and continuing through general electives and advanced-level, major-specific courses.
This focus on the “good life” acknowledges that the student is not attending college simply to prepare for a career. They are undergoing whole-life preparation. Wheaton sets the ambitious goal to support and spur each student in whole-person formation during their academic years.
“The question of success, and what God is calling you to do, are things that we talk about at Wheaton that students don’t get other places,” said Dr. Denise Daniels ’91, Hudson T. Harrison Professor of Entrepreneurship. “A lot of people make sense of success simply by how much money you make. I don’t think that’s the same answer a Wheaton student would give. They are thinking about success in terms of a broader set of principles, going back to the question of, ‘What is the good life?’”
For Hannah Tan Follett ’06, the flexibility provided by a liberal arts education rings especially true. “Wheaton was a grounding, foundational period. I was able to consider fundamental questions like, ‘What do I want my life to be built on?’ and ‘What is the purpose and meaning of my life?’”
Follett studied sociology at Wheaton, on the pre-medicine track, and went on to become a physician’s assistant. After spending nearly two decades in orthopedic surgery, then internal medicine, she was recently able to pivot her skills toward a new venture. She and her husband, Andrew Follett ’06, now own and operate a community-centered coffee shop in the Austin neighborhood on the west side of Chicago.
The Folletts started their family in a neighboring suburb but found their life slowly moving into the city. As Hannah Follett took a job at an inner-city health clinic, they enrolled their children at the Field School, a multiracial classical school founded by Wheaton alumni in the Austin neighborhood, and began attending a church nearby. After moving into Chicago in 2021, they began dreaming about a vacant building in Austin and its potential as their family’s next step. As they spoke with community leaders and neighbors, they repeatedly heard the desire for more gathering spaces in the community due to Austin’s significant lack of businesses. In 2025 they made the decision to answer the call and began construction on New Sound Cafe, opening its doors in November, and they’ve seen their community blossom as a result.
“I wanted to intentionally live my life, and Wheaton made me think deeply about purpose and God-given passions, skills, and talents,” Hannah Follett said. “I look back and am in awe. This life isn’t what we could have come up with or picked on our own, but it’s a story we can look back on and clearly see the Lord’s hand.”
Wheaton’s exceptional faculty and staff make it possible for students to engage in deep academic and spiritual exploration.
“Wheaton attracts and sustains outstanding scholars by offering a faithful, mission-aligned community, and strong support for teaching, creative projects, and research through a range of internal funds plus prestigious external grants,” Provost Lee explained.
One of the great benefits of attending a relatively small school is the opportunity to build personal connections with faculty members through research, mentorship, and even discipleship.
Many students at large universities spend much of their time in the classroom learning from teaching assistants only a few years further in their studies. But from day one of their first year, Wheaton students are in classroom environments with an average of 23 students, led by a professor that knows each student’s name and opens their door for regular office hours. Across campus, there is a student-to-faculty ratio of 11 to 1.
Students have the opportunity to build meaningful relationships with their professors, but also with their fellow classmates. Many Wheaton alumni have stories of rich relationships that began in Fischer Hall, a Blanchard classroom, or a table in Anderson Commons.
Dr. Douglas Drevets ’80 studied biology at Wheaton, and went on to have a successful career in infectious diseases including clinical care and research. He currently serves as Professor of Medicine and Chief of Infectious Diseases at the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine.
While he enjoyed the studies that landed him on his track to medicine, his best memories from Wheaton centered around the friendships he formed. “Over the decades since graduation, the largest impact has been through continuing the relationships started there. These have had significant impacts in character development, spiritual development, and essential encouragement through the ups and downs of life,” he said. “I’ve been getting together almost yearly, for more than 30 years, with a group of friends from Wheaton.”
We are not just preparing students to be strong early-career talent; we are helping to equip a generation of Christ-followers who continue to partner in the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit.
A question that sits heavy on the minds of many college students, and even high school seniors considering their next step, is, “Are the decisions I’m making now preparing me for a stable career and financial future?”
In a survey of its 2024 graduates, Wheaton College reported that 98.5 percent of the class had “landed,” meaning they were employed, attending graduate school, or pursuing some other adventure of their choice. Additionally, Wheaton students are not only able to land a job, but they go on to earn the money necessary to repay their loans. Wheaton College graduates’ loan non-repayment rate is just 1 percent, the lowest of all CCCU schools.
Outside of the classroom, one of the primary ways that Wheaton achieves these numbers and practically helps all students prepare for their future is through the Center for Vocation and Career, which offers a huge variety of resources to undergraduates and recent graduates.
The CVC hosts dozens of events annually including career fairs, networking nights, mock interviews, internship explorations, and a specialized senior series. In the CVC office, students can meet with career coaches to receive individualized career and vocation coaching, or with student ambassadors to get help with writing resumes and cover letters, connecting with alumni, and searching for internships.
Internships are a central focus for the CVC. In today’s career world, an internship is a crucial opportunity for entry-level job seekers. So the CVC funnels considerable resources and attention to encouraging and aiding students in landing internships. One unique resource the CVC provides is an internship grant, which any student is eligible to apply for. This grant money broadens the field of possibility for many students, enabling them to pursue unpaid internship opportunities without having to sacrifice a summer of earning income. The class of 2024 held 366 internships collectively during their time at Wheaton.
Of course, these practical resources are just one part of the picture. As students build their career toolkit, they are consistently challenged to consider their deeper calling and vocation as a part of Christ’s kingdom.
“We are not just preparing students to be strong early-career talent; we are helping to equip a generation of Christ-followers who continue to partner in the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit,” said CVC Director Olivia Zimmermann Lorimer ’11. “Our hope is that every Wheaton student will develop a robust theology of vocation. Our identity is not based on what our career looks like, how much money we make, how competitive our industry is, or even how many people we serve through ministry. Our identity is founded and formed by Christ.”
“We are not just preparing students to be strong early career talent, we are helping to equip a generation of Christ-followers who continue to partner in the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit. Our hope is that every Wheaton student will develop a robust theology of vocation,” CVC Director Olivia Zimmermann Lorimer ’11 said. “Our identity is not based on what our career looks like, how much money we make, how competitive our industry is, or even how many people we serve through ministry. Our identity is founded and formed by Christ.”
While all of this may make Wheaton an enticing option for prospective students, the financial realities of attending college can feel unsurmountable.
“We recognize that price can often be the first thing students look at to see if the school is even an option,” said Director of Student Financial Services Karen Belling. “Because of that, we try to be intentional with our communication that not many students pay full-tuition price. We continue to work toward painting more student-specific numbers based on different scenarios and attributes.”
Each year, over $54 million are awarded to Wheaton
students in federal, state, and institutional scholarships and grants, landing Wheaton at number 25 on the Best Value in the U.S. list for liberal arts colleges, published by Kiplinger Finance.
On an institutional level, Wheaton offers a wide variety of financial assistance options. All applicants are considered for merit scholarships, which are based on academic credentials and application materials. Eligible students can also fill out the Free Application for Fedaral Student Aid (FAFSA) to qualify for federal, state, or institutional need-based financial aid funding.
Wheaton also provides unique scholarship programs which offer participating students additional, specialized opportunities for study and leadership development. The Summit Multicultural Leadership Scholars program provides a full-tuition scholarship for eight semesters and is open to students with a demonstrated commitment to Christ-centered diversity. The Aequitas Fellows program is a selective cohort that engages students in interdisciplinary themes, and provides fellows a scholarship of $4,000 per year.
Wheaton can also add endowed scholarships to students’ financial aid packages, which are established and funded by individual donors. The generosity of these donors paves the way for hundreds of students to gain access to Wheaton each year.
Wheaton hosts an annual Endowed Scholarship Dinner, where donors have the opportunity to meet the recipients of their scholarships. “It is one of the neatest events on this campus,” Belling said. “You get to see generosity and blessing all around the room. You have donors who are excited and committed to Wheaton, meeting the students, and students meeting the people who are interested in them and in helping make the College affordable.”
This wide arsenal of financial assistance options is not only beneficial for individual students, but for the campus as a whole. It means that students of all backgrounds can have the opportunity to join and contribute to the Wheaton community.
“Being at Wheaton allows you to be with people from all different economic backgrounds, interacting and sharing different perspectives both in the classroom and in doing life together,” Belling said. “Everyone benefits.”
One additional way that Wheaton maintains accessibility for all students is through the Wheaton Fund. Gifts to the Wheaton Fund support operational costs and areas not supported by tuition alone, including competitive faculty salaries, outreach experiences, athletics programs, and library resources. This enables the College to reduce the overall cost of attendance for every student. Tuition dollars are directed toward true tuition-related expenses rather than bearing the added burden of broader operational needs.
Without the generosity of the wider Wheaton community, the unique mission of the College would not be possible.
A Christ-centered liberal arts education, pursuit of the good life, mentorship from leading scholars, a place to think deeply and grow—together, it all paints a wonderful picture of life at Wheaton. But what ultimately draws students to commit to the College? What’s the tipping point?
It’s a little bit of everything, according to Evan Bennett, Director of Admissions. “In today’s economy, students want the assurance that Wheaton is worth the investment. Oftentimes, the ultimate tipping point is when the prospective student sees the proof.”
Each student brings a different set of priorities to their college search, so the admissions team at Wheaton strives to meet each student where they are and help them find the proof they’re looking for. That can include showing medical school placement numbers, setting up virtual appointments with professors to speak to specific career aspirations, or setting up a phone call with a current student.
“As we get to know each student, we are collecting what matters to them and then seeking to find ways to help them see how Wheaton is in fact the place for these formative years,” Bennett said. “One-to-one outreach is the key to a student feeling seen in a process that has become highly automated. The measure of long-term value isn’t prescriptive. This message is carefully crafted for each student as we get to know them.”
In a higher education landscape increasingly defined by return on investment, Wheaton demonstrates its distinctive value by staying true to its mission of forming graduates who think deeply, live faithfully, and are sure of their Christian vocation.
Provost Lee sums it up: “Wheaton offers a faithful, mission-aligned community and the rare opportunity to pursue the life of the mind within our powerful Christian intellectual tradition animated by the Holy Spirit.”
