Wells College

170 Main Street - Aurora, NY 13026
  • Region: Mid Atlantic
  • Campus Setting: Rural
  • Size: Very Small

Wells College (Aurora, NY), located on 300 scenic acres on Cayuga Lake, is an hour from Rochester and Syracuse. Founded in 1868 by financier Henry Wells, founder of American Express and Wells Fargo, the college was originally limited to women and went coed in 2005. Rated an "America’s Best Value" college by the Princeton Review, Wells offers a strong study-abroad opportunities, an innovative January term, small class sizes that foster student-faculty interaction and a commitment to diversity.

Wells' mission is to "educate students to think critically, reason wisely, and act humanely as they cultivate meaningful lives." Students are able to register for classes at nearby Cornell University or Ithaca College. Students may stay for a fifth year and obtain graduate degrees in business administration, engineering or teaching.

About Wells College

Wells College promises a relevant liberal arts and sciences education. Intellectually challenging. Reinterpreted for today. Classroom teaching combined with hands-on learning. Wells graduates enter the world prepared for successful futures.

Mission Statement

The mission of Wells College is to educate students to think critically, reason wisely, and act humanely as they cultivate meaningful lives. Through Wells' academic program, residential atmosphere, and community activities, students learn and practice the ideals of the liberal arts. The Wells experience prepares students to appreciate complexity and difference, to embrace new ways of knowing, to be creative, and to respond ethically to the interdependent worlds to which they belong. Committed to excellence in all areas of its reach, Wells College equips students for lifelong learning and for sharing the privileges of education with others.