Private college in Macon, Georgia, U.S.
Wesleyan College is a private, liberal arts women's college in Macon, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1836, Wesleyan was the first college in the world chartered to grant degrees to women. It opened in 1839, two years after the opening of Mount Holyoke College.
History.
The school was chartered on December 23, 1836, as the Georgia Female College, and it opened its doors to students on January 7, 1839. The school was renamed as Wesleyan Female College in 1843, when its affiliation changed from the Methodist-Episcopal Church to the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. The college shortened its name in 1917 to the present Wesleyan College.
Wesleyan has the world's oldest alumnae association, begun in 1859. Wesleyan College is the birthplace of the first sororities in the United States: the Adelphean Society in 1851, now known as Alpha Delta Pi, and the Philomathean Society in 1852, now known as now Phi Mu. The two sororities together are referred to as the "Macon Magnolias". In 1914, the school disbanded sororities on its campus.
Academics.
Wesleyan College has an undergraduate student population of around 600 with an acceptance rate of 67%. It has a student-faculty ratio of 7:1. In any given year, students from more than 20 states and over 20 countries around the world attend the school. Wesleyan offers 25 majors, 35 minors, and eight pre-professional programs. Students can earn a bachelor of arts, bachelor of fine arts, or bachelor of science in nursing degree. Wesleyan is affiliated with the United Methodist Church.
Rankings.
In the 2025 edition, "U.S. News &amp; World Report" ranked Wesleyan College No. 6 out of 131 Regional Universities South and No.17 in Top Performers on Social Mobility. It received five stars out of five in reviews.
Campus.
Wesleyan College has a 200-acre (800,000 m2) campus dotted with revivalist Georgian style brick buildings and features a 6.3-acre (25,000 m2) lake, Foster Lake.
Non-residential buildings on the (main) upper campus include:
Non-residential buildings on the lower campus include the following.
Student life.
Student body.
In 2024, the student body was 38% White, 38% Black, 11% Hispanic, 6% of two or more races, 5% international students, 1% Asian, and 1% of unknown classification.
Organizations.
There are four major student boards: CRU (Council on Religious Unity), CJA (Council on Judicial Affairs), CAB (Campus Activities Board), SRC (Student Recreation Council), which are represented as a part of SGA (Student Government Association). Wesleyan boasts the Nu Omega chapter of Alpha Kappa Psi, the professional business fraternity. It also has over 25 special interest clubs, academic honor societies including the Phi Kappa Phi, Beta Beta Beta and Omicron Delta Epsilon; musical groups, art clubs, service organizations, religious groups, and departmental leadership groups. Sororities have been prohibited since 1917.
Events.
There are several popular events of the International Cherry Blossom Festival every springtime, such as the grand finale fireworks display. Porter Auditorium was once the home of the Macon Symphony Orchestra, and it still hosts many musical and theatrical events and competitions.
Athletics.
Wesleyan athletic teams are the Wolves. (formerly known as "Pioneers" until after the 2012–13 school year). The college is a member of the Division III level of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). It competes in the Collegiate Conference of the South (CCS), formed in July 2022 by an amicable split of Wesleyan's former home of the USA South Athletic Conference. The Wolves had been USA South members since 2016–17, and before that competed in the defunct Great South Athletic Conference (GSAC) from 2003–04 to 2015–16.
Wesleyan competes in intercollegiate varsity sports, including basketball, cheerleading, cross country, dance, equestrian, soccer, softball, track, and volleyball. Wesleyan's equestrian team competes in the Intercollegiate Horse Shows Association and the Intercollegiate Dressage Association.
Facilities.
In addition to Porter Gym on the main campus, other athletic facilities on the campus include:
Colors.
The school color is deep purple (PMS 268).