None of these things, on its own, tells you whether it is the right school for your child. Together, they do give you something valuable: an honest picture of what kind of place it is, so you can incorporate it into the decision with your eyes open.
Let’s take it piece by piece, using the official data the institution itself reported to the United States government.
What kind of school it is and where it is located
Wabash College is a private, nonprofit bachelor’s-degree college, classified by the Carnegie system as an arts and sciences institution. It is a four-year and highly residential college: at the time of that classification, at least half of its degree-seeking students lived in institution-owned or institution-affiliated housing, and at least 80 out of every 100 attended full time. Carnegie also places it in its selective-admission group.
What does “highly residential” mean for your budget? Living on campus is almost never included in the price you first see in the brochure. Room and board are charged separately, and you need to request those costs separately before comparing this school with any other.
It is in Crawfordsville, Indiana, within Montgomery County. The area around the campus is a town, away from large urban areas. If your family does not live nearby, you will need to calculate separately where your child would live and what the trip back and forth from home would be like. The official data gives the school’s location; it does not tell you how long that trip takes from where you live.
The highest level it reports offering is the bachelor’s degree. That is an institutional fact, not a guarantee that the specific major your child wants is offered there or that it leads to exactly that type of degree. And regarding the three designations families sometimes look for first—historically Black college or university, tribal college or university, and land-grant institution—Wabash College has none of the three. That does not say which students it serves or how your child would feel there. Ask directly which student organizations and cultural centers exist today, and confirm by speaking with someone who already studies there.
Do not rule it out or choose it based on the list price you see first. Ask in writing how much your family would have to pay after grants and aid. That is the number that truly compares across schools.
A small college, and one fact that changes the conversation
Wabash College had 845 students enrolled in the official fall count, all of them undergraduates. It is a small school: compared with the 941 selective private four-year schools included in this census, seven out of ten, or more, have more students than it does.
And here is the fact you cannot overlook: the undergraduate count records zero women. It is not a rounding artifact. It is the exact figure the institution reported.
This changes the entire conversation you have with your child about this school, long before discussing cost or admission. If your child is male and this interests him, it is worth making sure he knows now, as part of imagining himself there for four years. If not, this school will probably remove itself from the list, and that is fine: it is information, not a judgment about the institution.
Regarding other composition figures: 12 out of every 100 undergraduate students are Hispanic or Latino. It is a small minority, although compared with the 941 similar schools in this census, it ranks above the midpoint of the group. That comparison has an important limitation: it does not account for where in the country the school is located, and in Indiana that matters. If that community on campus matters to your family, ask during the visit which student group, cultural center, or person in the admissions office speaks Spanish.
Just over half of first-time students, 69 out of every 100, reported a permanent address in Indiana when applying. Although the school enrolls students from elsewhere, it has a strong base of local students.
As for size itself, being small does not make it better or worse. Ask whether courses in your child’s major are offered every semester or only once a year. That has a very concrete effect on how long it takes to graduate.
What the classroom is like
The academic year is organized into semesters: two long terms of about 15 weeks each.
One number worth examining closely: Wabash College reports 9 students for each full-time-equivalent member of the instructional staff. That is a very low ratio. Compared with the 941 similar schools in this census, it is in the bottom quartile, meaning that it is lower than the ratio at three out of four similar schools.
Here is the distinction I cannot skip: a low ratio is not the same as a small class. The number relates students to instructional staff across the entire school; it does not count seats in a specific classroom. If this matters to you, ask directly how many students are in first-year classes for the major that interests your child.
Regarding credits: in its official report, Wabash College indicated that it accepts credit from AP exams, and it did not indicate that it grants credit for life experience. Accepting AP does not mean it grants credit for every exam or every score. This data does not tell us what scores are required or whether those credits apply to your child’s specific major. Request the equivalency evaluation in writing before enrolling. Do not budget for the savings until you have it in hand.
In the latest year reported, the school awarded 175 bachelor’s degrees across 14 program families. None accounted for a large share: social sciences was the largest, and even then it represented only 15 out of every 100 degrees awarded that year. It is a broad, distributed offering, not a school built around a single dominant major. With numbers this small in each family, one year can differ considerably from another. If a specific major matters to you, request the last three years of data for that particular major, not just a single year’s figure.
The institution also reports two structured academic opportunities: study abroad and cocurricular undergraduate research. These options exist within its offerings; this data does not tell us how many students participate or how they gain access. Ask directly if you are interested.
Getting in: what the school requires and how likely a yes is
Wabash College does not have open admission. It reviews specific application components before making a decision.
Of the nine considerations covered by this report—not counting admission tests or legacy status—it marked five as required: the high school transcript, high school GPA, completion of the college-preparatory course requirements, letters of recommendation, and an English-proficiency exam when applicable. Other components are not required but are considered if submitted: class rank, the personal essay, and work experience.
One practical fact that may ease the application budget: the published undergraduate application fee is $0.
And one concrete recommendation follows directly from the requirements: letters of recommendation are required, not an extra. Request them a month in advance. Give the teacher a sheet listing what your child has done over these years, because no one remembers everything on short notice.
Now, the numbers showing how selective it is in practice.
| Stage | Figure | Out of every 100 |
|---|---|---|
| Applied | 1,897 | — |
| Were offered a place | 1,191 | 63 |
| Were not offered a place | 706 | 37 |
Among the 942 selective private schools in this census, that figure of 63 out of every 100 is common and falls near the middle of the group. Admission is not a formality, but it is not a lottery either: applications are reviewed using specific criteria.
But admission is not the same as enrollment. Out of every 100 admitted students, only 19 ultimately enrolled at Wabash College that fall. The other 81 had an offer in hand and did not accept it. That is a common figure among similar schools, and do not read it as a mark against the institution: the federal record does not say why each person made that decision. What matters is this: other families’ decisions do not predict what you will be offered. Wait for your letter with the net price—what the year would actually cost—before deciding whether this school remains on the list.
Regarding standardized tests: the SAT and ACT are not required. If your child submits them, they are considered; if not, the application remains valid. Among those who enrolled and submitted SAT scores—51 out of every 100 in that cohort, a high share among similar schools—the middle half scored between 540 and 630 in reading and writing, and between 560 and 670 in mathematics. Note that these ranges describe students who had already enrolled and submitted scores, not everyone who applied. That 540 is not a minimum, and that 630 does not guarantee anything.
Regarding transfers: of the first-time, full-time cohort that entered in 2017, 17 out of every 100 transferred to another institution without completing a credential there. That is a common figure among similar schools. Changing schools is not failing. It is still useful for your child to know from the beginning how to request the documents needed to transfer if that ever becomes necessary.
The list price and what families actually pay
Here comes the large number. For the 2023–24 year, the total cost of attendance at Wabash College—for a first-time, full-time student living on campus—was $65,225. This budget is the same for everyone, regardless of state residency.
It breaks down as follows: $49,125 for tuition and fees, $13,300 for on-campus housing and food, and $1,250 for books and supplies. The remainder is an estimate of other expenses prepared by the financial aid office—laundry, transportation, entertainment, and furnishings.
Compared with 888 schools of the same type and control in this census, this total ranks above the midpoint of the group.
It is important to say this with complete clarity: this number is not a bill. It is the list price before any aid. And the difference between list price and what each family actually pays can be enormous, as you will see next.
The actual price, based on how much your family earns
At Wabash College, among 30 first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid and whose EFC records showed family income below $30,000, the average net price was $15,586. Among 20 students in the same population with EFC family income from $48,001 to $75,000, it was $14,117; among 66 students with EFC family income above $110,000, it was $29,968. For dependent students, the band combines their parents’ income with their own.
There is a difference of $14,382 between the average for the lowest-income band, which included 30 students, and the average for the highest-income band, which included 66 students. These are group averages, not a prediction of your family’s price. Among first-year students who received any grant, the average was $23,913.
$15,586 was the average net price for the lowest-income families in the 2022-23 academic year. That does not mean it is what your family will pay. It helps you decide whether it is worth requesting the aid letter.
Because the price changes so much from one income band to another, identifying yours correctly is the first step. The income bands on this fact sheet describe first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid; at public institutions, they use the in-state or in-district rate. The overall average for students with grants, when shown, describes first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal, state, local, or institutional grants or scholarships. The aid letter sent to you is what determines your family’s price.
The aid that actually arrives, and the debt that actually accumulates
Here Wabash College has a fact worth emphasizing: 100 out of every 100 degree-seeking students received some type of grant or financial aid. That 100 is rounded, so it means all or almost all, not necessarily every single student without exception.
Among those who received a grant, the average was $37,191 for the year. That is real money, but it is not a price: the average includes people who received much more and people who received much less. What matters, again, is the amount left after aid—and that number is not included in this overall calculation. You need to request it school by school, letter by letter.
The federal Pell Grant, which goes to families with demonstrated financial need, reached 23 out of every 100 degree-seeking students here.
And on the debt side: 60 out of every 100 undergraduate students received a federal student loan during the 2022-23 school year. Among those who borrowed, the average amount borrowed that year was $6,327. If your child borrowed a similar amount each year throughout the four-year program, the total would be close to $25,308, not counting interest. That calculation should be considered before the first signature, not at the end of the fourth year.
This average covers only federal loans taken out in the student’s name during one year. It does not include PLUS loans that parents sometimes sign for, debt owed to banks, or credit-card debt. Nor is it the total debt someone has upon graduation; determining that would require adding all four years, and that number is not in this report.
Using some type of loan to finance college is common here, and the school also reports offering an installment tuition payment plan as an option for managing the expense. None of these percentages describes your family. The amount your child would need to borrow comes from his own financial aid letter. Wait for that letter before ruling out the school, and before committing to it.
Living there: campus, ROTC, sports, and support services
Wabash College has institution-controlled housing, with reported capacity for 933 students. According to the institution’s response, not all first-time, full-time students are required to live there. It also offers meal plans, with a fixed number of meals per week under the largest plan. The existence of housing does not guarantee that a bed is available; request this year’s rate, the housing application deadline, and whether a place is guaranteed or there is a waiting list, all in writing.
Regarding ROTC: the school indicated that an opportunity is available, and the only branch confirmed in writing is Army. Navy and Air Force are not marked. If your child is interested in a different branch, it is not confirmed in this report—which does not mean it is impossible, only that you need to ask directly. And the fact that the opportunity is marked does not indicate whether the program is conducted on this campus; confirm it by name.
In sports, Wabash College competes at the intercollegiate level and is affiliated with the NCAA, with reported membership in football, basketball, baseball, and cross-country or track. The membership belongs to the school; it is not a promise to your child. If he is interested in playing, contact the coach of that sport directly: ask whether there is a place on the team, which division they compete in, and whether that sport offers an athletic scholarship. Request the answer in writing.
Regarding distance education: the school offers it at the undergraduate level, but in the fall count, fewer than 1 out of every 100 students took their entire course load through distance education. The institution also reported that it does not offer a complete program in which all required courses can be taken through distance education. If this is relevant to your family, confirm it in writing for the specific major.
The library operates with paid staff, spending that exceeded the threshold tracked by the government, physical and digital collections, and interlibrary loan. The institution also reports combined academic and career counseling, employment services for current students, placement services after program completion, participation in the Yellow Ribbon program, and a webpage for services for students with disabilities. Reporting these services confirms that they exist as institutional offerings; it does not measure their quality, actual availability, or how well they would serve your child in particular. Ask about that during the visit.
Those who stay and those who finish
Here we reach one of this school’s strongest stories.
Of the cohort that entered in the fall of 2022, 86 out of every 100 met the official retention criterion: they were still enrolled there or had already graduated one year later. Among 930 similar selective private schools, this figure ranks near the top: Wabash College retained a greater share of its cohort than most of its peers. A high retention result does not distinguish those still enrolled from those who have already graduated, and it is not the same as a final graduation rate.
Regarding graduation: of the bachelor’s-degree-seeking cohort that entered in 2017, 77 out of every 100 had a degree in hand six years later. At four years, the figure was already 71 out of every 100—only six points below the longer timeframe, which says something: most of those who finish do so close to the planned time, not years later. Among 920 similar schools in this census, that figure of 77 out of every 100 places it in the top quartile: three out of four similar schools, or more, reported an equal or lower share of graduates.
A high number like this is not a promise for your child in particular. It is what happened to the cohort of 2017. What is within your control, starting in the first semester, is making sure that he enters with his credits in order and knows who his advisor is and when courses for his major are scheduled.
And there is a longer-term figure: tracking a cohort that entered between 2015 and 2016, IPEDS reports that, at the eight-year mark, 83 out of every 100 had earned a degree or certificate from this school. Among those who specifically received a Pell Grant, the figure was 77 out of every 100—eight points below the group that did not receive Pell. Compared with 935 similar schools, Wabash College again ranks in the top quartile on this measure.
Whether your family qualifies for Pell today does not determine your child’s outcome. What you can do is ask the school directly what specifically exists for those students: whether an advisor is assigned, whether emergency aid is available, and whether the institutional grant is renewed each year. Request the answers in writing.
What this article cannot tell you
These data do not tell us what happens to Wabash College graduates after they leave: where they work, how much they earn, or how much debt they carry when they finish. That requires another source, and this article does not invent it.
Putting the pieces together
You now know in detail one of the three pieces you need to decide: what Wabash College actually is, costs, and offers, according to its own official reports. It is a small, all-male college in an Indiana town, with small classes, midrange selectivity, financial aid that reaches practically everyone, and a graduation rate that is among the highest in its comparison group.
You still need to combine this with what your child wants to study and how he imagines living during those four years, and with what your family can and is willing to pay after seeing the actual aid letter. An article cannot give you either of those two pieces. You build them together, at home, with the questions you now know how to ask.
Source note: the information in this article comes from data reported by the institution to the United States Department of Education’s IPEDS system, covering the cycles and periods identified in the text, primarily 2022-23 and 2023-24. Best College Aid does not represent Wabash College or any government agency; this article is an independent explanation of public data.