More selective than 34% of Massachusetts colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $27,649. College Scorecard.
Higher than 26% of Massachusetts colleges we cover and 51% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 36% of Massachusetts colleges we cover and 63% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
Westfield State University acceptance rate & admissions
Of 6,273 applicants, Westfield State University admitted 5,065 and 712 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class).
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
Westfield State University tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for Massachusetts residents who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (in-state, federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
What Westfield State University costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Westfield State University took 4.2 years on average to finish, so the yearly price adds up to the total below. Payback compares former students' earnings with what high school graduates earn in Massachusetts. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $10,751 | $45,369 | 2.6 years |
| $30–48k | $11,517 | $48,602 | 2.8 years |
| $48–75k | $14,199 | $59,920 | 3.4 years |
| $75–110k | $18,201 | $76,808 | 4.4 years |
| $110k+ | $23,286 | $98,267 | 5.6 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.2 years, the average time graduates took (44% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of former students 10 years after starting ($57,346) minus $39,880 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in MA (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $17,466 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard (net price, earnings); IPEDS Graduation Rates (time to finish); U.S. Census Bureau ACS (high school earnings). Calculated by EducationGuide.
Westfield State University majors, earnings & careers
Westfield State University offers 36 bachelor's majors across 10 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Business & Finance · 6
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 6
- Humanities & Languages · 5
- Science & Math · 5
- Health & Medicine · 4
- Arts & Design · 3
- Education · 3
- Technology & Computing · 2
- Communications & Media · 1
- Engineering · 1
Highest-earning majors at Westfield State University
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | $95,932 | $27,000 |
| Nursing | $93,248 | $26,900 |
| Economics | $72,539 | $25,000 |
| Criminal Justice | $67,363 | $24,422 |
| Business | $66,889 | $26,000 |
| Biology | $64,904 | $27,000 |
| Political Science | $60,025 | $24,783 |
| City / Urban, Community, and Regional Planning | $59,524 | $23,628 |
Quick list of all 36 majors
- Accounting—
- Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech)—
- Biology$64,904
- Business$66,889
- Business Administration—
- Chemistry—
- City / Urban, Community, and Regional Planning$59,524
- Communications$56,349
- Computer Science$95,932
- Criminal Justice$67,363
- Economics$72,539
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)$51,049
- Education (Subject Teaching)—
- English$51,322
- Environmental Science / Conservation$51,547
- Ethnic / Gender Studies—
- Finance—
- Health Sciences—
- History$51,439
- Information Science / Studies—
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science$55,828
- Liberal Arts / General Studies$51,730
- Marketing—
- Mathematics$54,980
- Music$39,692
- Nursing$93,248
- Physical Sciences—
- Political Science$60,025
- Psychology$54,484
- Social Sciences—
- Social Work$55,699
- Sociology—
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages$58,290
- Special Education$53,678
- Studio Art$43,248
- Theatre—
— means too few graduates to report earnings.
College Scorecard field of study, latest release
All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →Business → Management analyst
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 10.1% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Criminal Justice → Police officer
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 3.5% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Springfield
Overall prices in the Springfield, MA area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,800. Housing costs 24% below the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 52 inches of rain a year, 52 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: hurricane (relatively high); river flooding (relatively high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Hampden County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Hampden County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare Westfield State University with similar schools
Similar public colleges in Massachusetts by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Westfield State University | 81% | $16,721 | 54% | $57,346 | This school |
| Fitchburg State University | 87% | $14,262 | 55% | $53,874 | |
| Worcester State University | 88% | $13,381 | 61% | $60,624 | |
| Framingham State University | 84% | $16,114 | 48% | $52,349 | |
| University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth | 91% | $20,927 | 52% | $68,804 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Westfield State University would cost you $2,459 more per year than Fitchburg State University, on average.
- Higher sticker price at Westfield State University, mostly from more Fitchburg State University students living at home, which lowers its average (+$1,272).
- Fitchburg State University gives aided families $365 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Massachusetts resident | Westfield State University | Fitchburg State University | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $12,179 | $11,346 | +$833 |
| Books & supplies | $1,140 | $1,500 | −$360 |
| Housing & meals | $13,510 | $14,225 | −$715 |
| Personal & travel | $3,164 | $2,100 | +$1,064 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$2,344 | −$3,616 | +$1,272 |
| Sticker price | $27,649 | $25,555 | +$2,094 |
| Average grants | −$10,928 | −$11,293 | +$365 |
| You pay | $16,721 | $14,262 | +$2,459 |
“+” means Westfield State University costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.
Common questions about Westfield State University
What is the Westfield State University acceptance rate?
Westfield State University accepts 81% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 5,065 of 6,273 applicants were admitted.
How much does Westfield State University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $27,649 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $16,721 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $10,751 and families earning $110k+ pay $23,286.
How much do Westfield State University graduates earn?
Former Westfield State University students earn a median $57,346 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the Westfield State University graduation rate?
54% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 74% return for their second year.
How long does a Westfield State University degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Westfield State University costs about $59,920 after grants ($14,199 a year for 4.2 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $57,346 ten years after starting, $17,466 more than high school graduates in Massachusetts ($39,880), so the cost is repaid in 3.4 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).
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Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Westfield State University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/westfield-state-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).