Acceptance Rate
60%
Avg. SAT
1490
75th percentile
“At WPI, you dive straight into real-world projects that turn theory into rockets and robots, skipping the lecture hall drudgery.”
Worcester, MA
Location
Midsize City
Campus Setting
Worcester Polytechnic Institute launched in 1865 as the Worcester County Free Institute of Industrial Science, a radical experiment by businessmen John Boynton and Seth Sweetser to train practical engineers amid America's industrial boom—no tuition, no classics, just science and math for the working class. Today, you'll find a tight-knit community of 5,400 undergrads in gritty Worcester, Massachusetts' second-largest city, where brick factories echo the school's roots. WPI suits tinkerers and builders who crave hands-on chaos over ivory-tower pondering; introverted theorists or humanities diehards might chafe at the relentless project grind. The vibe pulses with pragmatic optimism—collaborative hackers in hoodies plotting world fixes—yet the urban edge means navigating off-campus distractions and a less polished campus than leafy suburbs offer.
Photo Gallery
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Admissions
Acceptance Rate
Test Policy
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Average GPA
Application Fee
Academics
Student-Faculty Ratio
Programs Offered
Full-Time Faculty
Women Faculty
Research Spending
Available Online
Degree Levels Offered
You'll spend less time in tiered lecture halls and more in labs wielding CAD software or prototyping drones, thanks to WPI's signature project-based model: every undergrad tackles the Major Qualifying Project (a senior engineering capstone sponsored by companies like Raytheon) and the Interactive Qualifying Project (a humanities-tech mashup addressing societal issues like urban sustainability). With a 13:1 student-faculty ratio, professors like those in fire protection engineering or bioinformatics push small teams through iterative failures toward breakthroughs; mechanical and aerospace engineering dominate, but life sciences and business analytics surprise with biotech ties to Worcester's growing med-tech scene. Tradeoffs hit hard—fewer electives outside STEM mean a laser-focused path, and the pace weeds out procrastinators.
Student Body
Total Enrollment
5,558 undergrad • 2,026 grad
Undergraduate
Graduate
International
White
57%
Black / African American
3%
Hispanic / Latino
7%
Asian
11%
Other / Multi-racial
22%
Campus Life
Campus Setting
Worcester, MA
Varsity Athletics
NCAA Athletics
A typical week blends late-night hackathons with pickup hockey on the Quad, where 80% of freshmen live in suite-style dorms fostering instant project buddies amid Worcester's blustery winters. Social life hums through 250+ clubs like the Robotics Team (national champs) or Goat Rodeo improv, plus D3 sports fervor at basketball games in the new Harrington Center; traditions like the boisterous Great Balls of Fire talent show pack the stage with fire-juggling nerds. Yet the city setting trades manicured quads for dive-bar hangs and Tufts Medical treks, with a collaborative but intense scene that quiets on project crunch weekends—party seekers head to UMass, while the hookup culture stays low-key and engineering-awkward.
Housing
On-Campus Housing
Housing Capacity
Meal Plan Available
Average Room & Board
Athletics
Athletic Association
New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference
ROTC & Veteran Support
Army
Yes
Navy
Yes
Air Force
Yes
Veteran’s Programs Available
Yellow Ribbon Program (Post-9/11 GI Bill)
Yes
Dedicated point of contact for veteran support services
Yes
Cost & Aid
In-State Tuition
Out-of-State Tuition
Room & Board
Estimated Cost
Financial Aid
Students Receiving Aid
Receiving Pell Grants
Average Grant
Average Federal Loan
Net Annual Cost by Household Income
Household Income
Avg. Net Cost
$0 – $30K
$32,066
$30K – $48K
$31,936
$48K – $75K
$37,152
$75K – $110K
$41,891
$110K+
$49,264
Apply for Financial Aid
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Costs shown are before financial aid. Most students receive some form of aid. Complete the FAFSA to see what you qualify for.
Outcomes & Earnings
Retention Rate
94%
4 Years Graduation Rate
83%
6 Years Graduation Rate
89%
Median 10-Year Earnings
$103,470
94% of first-time, full-time students complete their freshman year at Worcester Polytechnic Institute and return in the fall. 83% of first-time, full-time students graduate in 4 years, and 89% graduate within 6 years.
Graduation Rate
4-year grads
83%
4-6 years
6%
Non-grad
11%
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Key Statistics
Type
Private
Tuition
$56,000
Acceptance
60%
Undergrads
5,558
4-Year Grad Rate
83%
Endowment
$449M
Worcester, MA 01609-2280