Worcester State University tuition, cost & net price

The sticker price at Worcester State University is $22,874 a year for Massachusetts residents. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $13,381 on average, and what your family pays depends mostly on income. Choose yours below.

Show numbers for my family

Yearly household income. Saved on this device only. No account needed.

What your family pays
$13,381 /yr

Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.

Sticker price $22,874. College Scorecard.

Net price by family income

Average after grants and scholarships for Massachusetts residents receiving federal aid. Tap your band.

College Scorecard, latest reported year

Sticker price, line by line

Per year, living on campusIn-stateOut-of-state
Tuition & fees$11,786$17,866
Housing & meals$12,999$12,999
Books & supplies$1,368$1,368
Personal & travel$1,892$1,892
Living-at-home adjustment−$5,171−$5,171
Total cost of attendance$22,874$28,954

Cost items: IPEDS 2023-24, on-campus budget. Total: College Scorecard, which averages students living on and off campus; the adjustment row reconciles the two. Out-of-state total = in-state total with out-of-state tuition.

Debt after graduation

Median federal loan debt$13,916
Loan default rate4.4%3-year rate, 2017 repayment cohort
Debt as a share of earnings 10 years out23%

College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal

Who gets aid

Students with Pell Grants30%Federal grants for lower-income students
Grants for the average aided student$9,493Sticker price minus average net price

College Scorecard

Need-based and merit aid at Worcester State University

What Worcester State University reported for full-time first-year students in fall 2025. Merit aid is the money net price averages miss for families who don't qualify for need-based aid.

If you qualify for need-based aid

Share of need met, on average61%Of students awarded need-based aid; excludes parent and unsubsidized loans
Students with need who had all of it met13%79 of 597
Average need-based grant$6,392
Average aid package$8,451Grants, work-study and need-based loans

If you don't qualify for need-based aid

Average merit scholarship from the college$2,143Students with no financial need; excludes athletic awards and tuition benefits
Students without need who got one21%56 first-year students

Items H2-H2A. Common Data Set 2025-26 (fall 2025 first-year students), published by the college.

Worcester State University net price compared with other Massachusetts colleges

Worcester State University has the lowest average net price of 67 Massachusetts colleges we cover. Schools around it:

RankCollegeAvg. net priceGraduationEarnings, 10 yrs
1Worcester State University$13,38161%$60,624
2Fitchburg State University$14,26255%$53,874
3Bay Path University$14,27144%$55,383
4Benjamin Franklin Cummings Institute of Technology$15,48846%$57,556
5Salem State University$15,99650%$56,662
6Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts$16,06856%$48,102
7Framingham State University$16,11448%$52,349
8Bridgewater State University$16,38353%$57,466
9Westfield State University$16,72154%$57,346

College Scorecard, latest year. Average for all aided students; your price depends on income. All Massachusetts colleges →

Why Worcester State University costs more or less than similar schools

SchoolAcceptanceYou'd payGraduationEarnings, 10 yrsPrice gap
Worcester State University88%$13,38161%$60,624This school
Fitchburg State University87%$14,26255%$53,874
Westfield State University81%$16,72154%$57,346
University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth91%$20,92752%$68,804
Salem State University96%$15,99650%$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 residentWorcester State UniversityFitchburg State UniversityDifference
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.

Worcester State University cost questions

How much is tuition at Worcester State University?

Tuition and fees are $11,786 a year for Massachusetts residents and $17,866 for out-of-state students.

What is the total cost of attending Worcester State University?

The total cost of attendance, including housing, meals, books and personal costs, is $22,874 a year for Massachusetts residents living on campus and about $28,954 for out-of-state students.

What do families actually pay at Worcester State University?

After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $13,381 a year on average. Families earning $0–30k pay $8,793; $48–75k pay $9,540; $110k+ pay $19,679. These figures are for Massachusetts residents.

Does Worcester State University give merit scholarships?

For fall 2025, 56 full-time first-year students with no financial need received merit scholarships or grants from Worcester State University, averaging $2,143 (Common Data Set 2025-26, excluding athletic awards). Students with need had 61% of it met on average.

How much debt do Worcester State University graduates have?

The median federal loan debt at graduation is $13,916, and 4.4% of borrowers defaulted within three years of entering repayment (2017 cohort).

Is Worcester State University the right fit for your family?

Get a free report comparing Worcester State University with up to 4 other schools on what you'd actually pay, what graduates in your major earn, and how each fits your priorities.

Build my free reportCheck my chances of getting in

We never share your contact information.

Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By). Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote; confirm with the school's net price calculator. Back to Worcester State University overview