# Western Connecticut State University

Public college in Danbury, CT. IPEDS ID 130776.
Source page: https://educationguide.com/colleges/western-connecticut-state-university · Data: https://educationguide.com/data/colleges/western-connecticut-state-university.json · Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score

## Key numbers
- Acceptance rate: 87% (Fall 2024, College Scorecard)
- Average net price after grants: $17,604 per year (AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25)
- Graduation rate (6 years): 52%; beats 20% of CT colleges and 45% nationwide
- Median earnings 10 years after starting: $59,115; beats 26% of CT colleges and 67% nationwide
- Median debt at graduation: $17,002

## Net price by family income (per year, after grants)
| Family income | Net price |
|---|---|
| 0-30k | $13,507 |
| 30-48k | $13,716 |
| 48-75k | $16,697 |
| 75-110k | $18,737 |
| 110k+ | $21,318 |

Average after grants for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, in-state. Negative values mean grants exceed cost.

## Cost to finish and years to pay back (EducationGuide calculation)
Graduates took 4.41 years on average (33% finished in 4 years; Fall 2017 entrants, IPEDS). Earnings gain = $59,115 (median earnings of former students 10 years after starting college (College Scorecard)) minus $37,781 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in CT (Census ACS 2020-2024).

| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | $13,507 | $59,566 | 2.8 years |
| 30-48k | $13,716 | $60,488 | 2.8 years |
| 48-75k | $16,697 | $73,634 | 3.5 years |
| 75-110k | $18,737 | $82,630 | 3.9 years |
| 110k+ | $21,318 | $94,012 | 4.4 years |

Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score#value

## Sticker price
- Cost of attendance: $24,877 in-state; about $28,377 out-of-state
- Tuition and fees: $13,401 in-state, $16,901 out-of-state
- Housing and meals: $15,131; books: $1,300

## Admissions
- SAT reading & writing: 510–580; SAT math: 530–590; ACT: not reported (25th–75th percentile, Fall 2024)
- Fall 2023: 5,457 applicants, 4,440 admitted, 711 enrolled; test scores considered but not required
- Fall 2024: acceptance 87%, ACT not reported (College Scorecard)
- Fall 2023: acceptance 81%, ACT 20–27 (IPEDS Admissions)

## Majors (40 bachelor's majors)
| Major | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Computer and Information Sciences | $77,969 | $118,324 | $24,125 |
| Nursing | $86,600 | $96,483 | $26,000 |
| Finance | $46,470 | $81,768 | $22,000 |
| Accounting | $58,144 | $80,895 | $25,375 |
| Management Information Systems | $50,443 | $72,291 | $23,670 |
| Marketing | $45,967 | $68,490 | $23,535 |
| Management Science / Analytics | $42,454 | $66,878 | $25,000 |
| Criminal Justice | $38,235 | $66,510 | $24,875 |
| Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions | $36,070 | $63,218 | $29,875 |
| Education (Subject Teaching) | $39,696 | $56,882 | $27,000 |
| Social Work | $33,033 | $56,058 | $24,527 |
| Biology | $37,787 | $52,458 | $27,000 |
| Communications | $27,909 | $52,385 | $25,069 |
| Theatre | $24,150 | $50,955 | $27,000 |
| Psychology | $32,064 | $50,410 | $24,622 |
| History | not reported | $49,967 | $27,500 |
| Broadcasting / Digital Media | $30,582 | $43,257 | $25,000 |
| Liberal Arts / General Studies | $27,784 | $40,555 | $26,782 |
| Leisure and Recreational Activities | $23,229 | $39,609 | $26,000 |
| Music | $21,659 | $35,889 | $26,025 |
| Area Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Computer Programming | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Education (Elementary / Secondary) | not reported | not reported | $21,000 |
| Spanish / French / Romance Languages | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| English | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Writing | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Mathematics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Applied Mathematics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Interdisciplinary Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Chemistry | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Geology / Earth Science | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Social Sciences | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Anthropology | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Economics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Political Science | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Sociology and Anthropology | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Studio Art | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Medical Laboratory Science | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Business Administration | not reported | not reported | not reported |

## Major to career
- Criminal Justice → Police officer: median wage $84,000 (Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT Metropolitan Statistical Area), $82,170 (CT), $76,210 (U.S.)
- Management Science / Analytics → Operations research analyst: median wage $101,900 (Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT Metropolitan Statistical Area), $96,700 (CT), $88,940 (U.S.)

## Sources and years
- Net price: AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; cost of attendance: AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; tuition: AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25
- Graduation: Fall 2018 or AcadYr 2018-19 cohort (differs by institutional calendar), reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; earnings: Treasury AY2009-10, AY2010-11 pooled cohort measured in CY2020, CY2021, inflation adjusted to 2022 dollars; debt: NSLDS FY2020, FY2021 pooled cohorts
- Major earnings (4 yr): Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars

Free to reuse with attribution: cite "EducationGuide.com" with a link to the page URL. Most figures are U.S. government data (public domain); loan default rates and athletics come from the Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By 1.0, attribution required) and founding years from Wikidata (CC0).