Founded in 1888 by Lucy Wheelock as the Miss Wheelock's Kindergarten Training School,[3] it offered undergraduate and graduate programs that focused on the Arts & Sciences, Education and Child Life, and Social Work and Family Studies to improve the lives of children and families.

In addition to athletics, Wheelock College offered many clubs and organizations that allow students to become involved on campus and in the community.

[18] In 1941, the college petitioned the state to be allowed to grant bachelor's degrees in education.

[19] In 1952, Wheelock College got approval from the Board of Collegiate Authority of Massachusetts Department of Education award master's and Phd degrees.

[25] The Wheelock Family Theatre opened in 1981 and held its first production, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.

[33][34] In 2005, Wheelock College and Jumpstart began a partnership, providing students with a field experience opportunity to mentor children in Roxbury.

[36] In 2015, the New England Association of Schools and Colleges released a report that found that Wheelock's administration lacked financial transparency and didn't have enough professors.

[11] The report stated that the college needed at least 15 additional instructors to handle the school's course load.

Entering first-year students were automatically eligible for admission into the Honors Program if they had a high school GPA of 3.5 or higher and an SAT score (combined Critical Reading and Math Sections) of at least 1100.

The college chose to highlight three aspects of its curricula in the application: its partnership with the Mattahunt Community Center in Mattapan, MA; the Presidential International Service Learning Program; and the Ubuntu Arts Project, which was implemented annually by the Juvenile Justice and Youth Advocacy seniors.

[49] The Wheelock Wildcats participated in eleven NCAA Division III sports, competing in the New England Collegiate Conference.