More selective than 62% 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 $78,679. College Scorecard.
Higher than 83% of Massachusetts colleges we cover and 96% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 91% of Massachusetts colleges we cover and 99% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
WPI acceptance rate & admissions
Of 11,809 applicants, Worcester Polytechnic Institute admitted 6,908 and 1,360 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class).
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
WPI tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for students who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
What WPI costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Worcester Polytechnic Institute took 4.1 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 | $24,018 | $97,753 | 1.5 years |
| $30–48k | $24,452 | $99,520 | 1.6 years |
| $48–75k | $32,350 | $131,665 | 2.1 years |
| $75–110k | $37,753 | $153,655 | 2.4 years |
| $110k+ | $49,716 | $202,344 | 3.2 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.1 years, the average time graduates took (83% 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 ($103,470) minus $39,880 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in MA (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $63,590 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.
WPI majors, earnings & careers
Worcester Polytechnic Institute offers 35 bachelor's majors across 8 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Engineering · 12
- Science & Math · 8
- Business & Finance · 4
- Technology & Computing · 4
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 3
- Humanities & Languages · 2
- Arts & Design · 1
- Communications & Media · 1
Highest-earning majors at WPI
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | $134,208 | $27,000 |
| Mechatronics, Robotics, and Automation Engineering | $111,103 | $27,000 |
| Electrical Engineering | $109,386 | $26,977 |
| Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical / Space Engineering | $105,171 | $27,000 |
| Industrial Engineering | $101,554 | $26,254 |
| Chemical Engineering | $100,199 | $27,000 |
| Mechanical Engineering | $97,308 | $27,000 |
| Software and Media Applications | $95,430 | $24,656 |
Quick list of all 35 majors
- Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical / Space Engineering$105,171
- Architectural Engineering$85,112
- Biochemistry—
- Biology$75,018
- Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology—
- Biomedical Engineering$92,806
- Business—
- Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other$93,298
- Chemical Engineering$100,199
- Chemistry—
- Civil Engineering$93,417
- Computer Science$134,208
- Data Analytics—
- Data Science—
- Economics—
- Electrical Engineering$109,386
- Engineering Physics—
- Engineering-Related Fields—
- Environmental Engineering$78,719
- Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design—
- Industrial Engineering$101,554
- International Relations—
- Liberal Arts / General Studies—
- Management Information Systems—
- Mathematics—
- Mathematics and Statistics, Other—
- Mechanical Engineering$97,308
- Mechatronics, Robotics, and Automation Engineering$111,103
- Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other—
- Physics—
- Psychology—
- Public Relations and Advertising—
- Science, Technology and Society—
- Software and Media Applications$95,430
- Sustainability Studies—
— 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 →Mechanical Engineering → Mechanical engineer
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 11.2% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Computer Science → Software developer
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 10.2% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Worcester
Overall prices in the Worcester, MA area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,659. Housing costs 13% above the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 48 inches of rain a year, 73 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: hurricane (relatively high); river flooding (relatively high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Worcester County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Worcester County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare WPI with similar schools
Similar private 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Worcester Polytechnic Institute | 60% | $43,071 | 90% | $103,470 | This school |
| Bentley University | 45% | $37,930 | 87% | $120,959 | |
| Emerson College | 51% | $49,180 | 77% | $62,832 | |
| Merrimack College | 70% | $37,927 | 70% | $75,584 | |
| Stonehill College | 66% | $33,016 | 76% | $77,745 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Worcester Polytechnic Institute would cost you $5,141 more per year than Bentley University, on average.
- Lower sticker price at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, mostly from lower housing & meal costs (−$1,128).
- Bentley University gives aided families $6,010 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Massachusetts resident | WPI | Bentley University | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $60,965 | $61,000 | −$35 |
| Books & supplies | $1,200 | $1,300 | −$100 |
| Housing & meals | $18,072 | $19,200 | −$1,128 |
| Personal & travel | $1,200 | $1,310 | −$110 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$2,758 | −$3,262 | +$504 |
| Sticker price | $78,679 | $79,548 | −$869 |
| Average grants | −$35,608 | −$41,618 | +$6,010 |
| You pay | $43,071 | $37,930 | +$5,141 |
“+” means WPI 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 WPI
What is the WPI acceptance rate?
Worcester Polytechnic Institute accepts 60% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 6,908 of 11,809 applicants were admitted.
How much does Worcester Polytechnic Institute cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $78,679 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $43,071 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $24,018 and families earning $110k+ pay $49,716.
How much do WPI graduates earn?
Former Worcester Polytechnic Institute students earn a median $103,470 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the WPI graduation rate?
90% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 94% return for their second year.
How long does a WPI degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Worcester Polytechnic Institute costs about $131,665 after grants ($32,350 a year for 4.1 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $103,470 ten years after starting, $63,590 more than high school graduates in Massachusetts ($39,880), so the cost is repaid in 2.1 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: “Worcester Polytechnic Institute: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/worcester-polytechnic-institute (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).