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Is Wheaton College worth it?
A first pass affordability and outcome read for Wheaton, using national average inputs. Run your own numbers for a personalized score.
Worth-It Score
Workable
Wheaton lands in the workable band for a typical family. Median debt of $23,250 can be carried by median long-run earnings of $63,756, but the margin is not huge. For context, Wheaton's net price runs about 37% above the typical 4-year, private nonprofit school. This is the kind of school where your actual aid offer can move the answer meaningfully.
Is the price fair?
Compared to 1237 similar 4-year, private nonprofit schools
This school
$31,346
/yrAverage school like this
$22,837
/yrThis weighs on your Worth-It Score
You'd pay about $8,509 more per year than the typical student at a similar school. Over 4 years that's roughly $34,000 in extra cost.
Score breakdown
The public version of the score weighs affordability, after graduation outcomes, and repayment burden.
Affordability
40% weight
The yearly net price is manageable, but it makes the aid offer matter a lot.
Outcome
40% weight
The outcome data is workable, but not so strong that it erases financing risk.
Repayment
20% weight
Median debt stays in a more comfortable repayment range for a typical graduate.
The numbers behind the score
Median net price per year
$26,975
Median earnings 10 years out
$63,756
Median debt at graduation
$23,250
Graduation rate
86%
At Wheaton, a typical graduate carries about $23,250 in student debt and earns roughly $63,756 ten years after enrolling. On a standard 10-year repayment plan, that works out to about $264 per month, or 5% of pre-tax income. That sits inside a borrower comfort range for many graduates.
What this means for your family
Wheaton is a private nonprofit four year school in Wheaton, IL. Private pricing can swing more dramatically based on aid, so your personalized score matters more here than the national average view alone.
Similar schools worth comparing
These schools share a similar sector, geography, or price range.
Private nonprofit 4-year
Hebrew Theological
Skokie, IL
Worth-It Score: 29/100
Median net price: $26,861
Private nonprofit 4-year
Columbia College Chicago
Chicago, IL
Worth-It Score: 33/100
Median net price: $26,598
Private nonprofit 4-year
Illinois Wesleyan
Bloomington, IL
Worth-It Score: 71/100
Median net price: $28,199
Private nonprofit 4-year
Lake Forest
Lake Forest, IL
Worth-It Score: 61/100
Median net price: $28,673
Private nonprofit 4-year
Northwestern
Evanston, IL
Worth-It Score: 87/100
Median net price: $29,167
Common questions about Wheaton
The median net price at Wheaton is $26,975 per year. That is the average yearly price after typical grant aid for students in the public federal data, not the published sticker price.
Get your personalized Worth-It score
National averages are a starting point. Plug in your actual aid offer, intended major, and family situation to get a score that reflects your specific picture.
Looking at private colleges options in Illinois? See the most affordable private colleges in Illinois →
The Worth-It Score weighs affordability (40%), after graduation outcomes (40%), and repayment burden (20%). Underlying data points come from publicly available federal higher education reporting. See full methodology →