More selective than 13% 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 $22,874. College Scorecard.
Higher than 35% of Massachusetts colleges we cover and 64% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 45% of Massachusetts colleges we cover and 71% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
Worcester State University acceptance rate & admissions
Of 4,745 applicants, Worcester State University admitted 4,264 and 909 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1026–1283 on the SAT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
Worcester 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 Worcester State University costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Worcester State University took 4.3 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 | $8,793 | $38,074 | 1.8 years |
| $30–48k | $9,629 | $41,694 | 2.0 years |
| $48–75k | $9,540 | $41,308 | 2.0 years |
| $75–110k | $13,658 | $59,139 | 2.9 years |
| $110k+ | $19,679 | $85,210 | 4.1 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.3 years, the average time graduates took (40% 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 ($60,624) minus $39,880 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in MA (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $20,744 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.
Worcester State University majors, earnings & careers
Worcester State University offers 33 bachelor's majors across 9 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Science & Math · 8
- Health & Medicine · 6
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 6
- Humanities & Languages · 4
- Business & Finance · 3
- Communications & Media · 2
- Education · 2
- Arts & Design · 1
- Technology & Computing · 1
Highest-earning majors at Worcester State University
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Nursing | $92,133 | $26,849 |
| Computer and Information Sciences | $92,068 | $24,250 |
| Biotechnology | $90,565 | $22,056 |
| Rehabilitation / Therapy Sciences | $74,386 | $25,000 |
| Biology | $68,459 | $23,625 |
| Business Administration | $66,405 | $22,895 |
| Criminal Justice | $65,588 | $24,953 |
| Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions | $63,505 | $26,000 |
Quick list of all 33 majors
- Audiovisual Communications Technologies / Technicians—
- Biological and Physical Sciences—
- Biology$68,459
- Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology—
- Biotechnology$90,565
- Business—
- Business Administration$66,405
- Chemistry—
- Communications$50,511
- Computer and Information Sciences$92,068
- Criminal Justice$65,588
- Economics$62,138
- Education—
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)$52,337
- English$43,416
- Environmental Science / Conservation—
- Geography$41,054
- Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other$54,245
- Health Sciences—
- History$53,455
- Liberal Arts / General Studies$55,273
- Mathematics$57,434
- Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions$63,505
- Nursing$92,133
- Physical Sciences—
- Political Science—
- Psychology$57,244
- Rehabilitation / Therapy Sciences$74,386
- Sociology$47,754
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages—
- Speech-Language Pathology / Communication Disorders$58,126
- Urban Studies / Affairs$48,387
- Visual and Performing Arts$39,037
— 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 Administration → 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 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 Worcester 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Worcester State University | 88% | $13,381 | 61% | $60,624 | This school |
| Fitchburg State University | 87% | $14,262 | 55% | $53,874 | |
| Westfield State University | 81% | $16,721 | 54% | $57,346 | |
| University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth | 91% | $20,927 | 52% | $68,804 | |
| Salem State University | 96% | $15,996 | 50% | $56,662 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Worcester State University would cost you $881 less per year than Fitchburg State University, on average.
- Lower sticker price at Worcester State University, mostly from more Worcester State University students living at home, which lowers its average (−$1,555).
- Fitchburg State University gives aided families $1,800 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Massachusetts resident | Worcester State University | Fitchburg State University | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $11,786 | $11,346 | +$440 |
| Books & supplies | $1,368 | $1,500 | −$132 |
| Housing & meals | $12,999 | $14,225 | −$1,226 |
| Personal & travel | $1,892 | $2,100 | −$208 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$5,171 | −$3,616 | −$1,555 |
| Sticker price | $22,874 | $25,555 | −$2,681 |
| Average grants | −$9,493 | −$11,293 | +$1,800 |
| You pay | $13,381 | $14,262 | −$881 |
“+” means Worcester 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 Worcester State University
What is the Worcester State University acceptance rate?
Worcester State University accepts 88% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 4,264 of 4,745 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1026–1283 on the SAT.
How much does Worcester State University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $22,874 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $13,381 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $8,793 and families earning $110k+ pay $19,679.
How much do Worcester State University graduates earn?
Former Worcester State University students earn a median $60,624 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the Worcester State University graduation rate?
61% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 78% return for their second year.
How long does a Worcester State University degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Worcester State University costs about $41,308 after grants ($9,540 a year for 4.3 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $60,624 ten years after starting, $20,744 more than high school graduates in Massachusetts ($39,880), so the cost is repaid in 2.0 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 State University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/worcester-state-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).