70, Wyllys Avenue Middle Town,
CT, 06459
www.wesleyan.edu

History:
Wesleyan University was founded in 1831 by Methodist leaders and Middletown citizens.
Named for John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, Wesleyan is among the oldest of the numerous originally Methodist institutions of higher education in the United States. The Methodist movement originated in England in the 1720s, and was particularly important for its early emphasis on social service and education. From its inception, Wesleyan offered a liberal arts program rather than theological training. Ties to the Methodist church, which were particularly strong in the earliest years and from the 1870s to the 1890s, waxed and waned throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries. Wesleyan became fully independent of the Methodist church in 1937. The University serves students from all over the world.

Facts:

Students

• 2,700 full-time undergraduates
• 50% women and 50% men, from 48 states, the District of Columbia, the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and 46 foreign countries
• Around 200 graduate students in the natural sciences, mathematics, and ethnomusicology
• More than 500 students per year in the Graduate Liberal Studies Program
• 26% students of color in Classes 2007–2010 (7% Black or African American; 11% Asian or Asian American; 8% Latino or Hispanic); 6% international students
• Freeman Asian Scholars Program: full tuition scholarships for 22 of the finest students from Asia per class (2 from each of 11 countries). There are more than 80 Freeman Scholars enrolled today.
  
  Faculty
  
• More than 300 faculty members. All teach undergraduates while remaining active as scholars and researchers.
• 37% women and 63% men; 17% persons of color
• 9:1 student-faculty ratio
  
  Facilities
  
• 360-acre campus
• More than 340 buildings including: Olin Memorial Library; Russell House, a National Historic landmark; the six-story Exley Science Center; Andrus Public Affairs Center; the Van Vleck Observatory; the Center for Film Studies; the Freeman Athletic Center with a 50-meter swimming pool, the Spurrier-Snyder Rink for skating activities, the 1,200-seat Silloway Gymnasium, the 7,500-square-foot Andersen Fitness Center, and the Rosenbaum Squash Center with eight courts; 11-building Center for the Arts complex; and the Usdan University Center (opens 2007)