# Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI)

Private nonprofit college in Worcester, MA. IPEDS ID 168421.
Source page: https://educationguide.com/colleges/worcester-polytechnic-institute · Data: https://educationguide.com/data/colleges/worcester-polytechnic-institute.json · Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score

## Key numbers
- Acceptance rate: 60% (Fall 2024, College Scorecard)
- Average net price after grants: $43,071 per year (AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25)
- Graduation rate (6 years): 90%; beats 83% of MA colleges and 96% nationwide
- Median earnings 10 years after starting: $103,470; beats 91% of MA colleges and 99% nationwide
- Median debt at graduation: $26,978

## Net price by family income (per year, after grants)
| Family income | Net price |
|---|---|
| 0-30k | $24,018 |
| 30-48k | $24,452 |
| 48-75k | $32,350 |
| 75-110k | $37,753 |
| 110k+ | $49,716 |

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

## Cost to finish and years to pay back (EducationGuide calculation)
Graduates took 4.07 years on average (83% finished in 4 years; Fall 2017 entrants, IPEDS). Earnings gain = $103,470 (median earnings of former students 10 years after starting college (College Scorecard)) minus $39,880 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in MA (Census ACS 2020-2024).

| 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 |

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

## Sticker price
- Cost of attendance: $78,679
- Tuition and fees: $60,965
- Housing and meals: $18,072; books: $1,200

## Admissions
- SAT reading & writing: not reported; SAT math: not reported; ACT: not reported (25th–75th percentile, Fall 2024)
- Fall 2023: 11,809 applicants, 6,908 admitted, 1,360 enrolled; test scores not considered
- Fall 2024: acceptance 60%, ACT not reported (College Scorecard)
- Fall 2023: acceptance 59%, ACT not reported (IPEDS Admissions)

### Common Data Set 2024-25 (Fall 2024)
- Very important: none; important: none; considered: none
- Early decision: no; early action: no; waitlist: no
- Average high school GPA of enrolled first-years: 3.9
- Source: https://www.wpi.edu/sites/default/files/2025-02/WPI_CDS_2024-2025_2-27-25.pdf

## Majors (35 bachelor's majors)
| Major | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | $93,888 | $134,208 | $27,000 |
| Mechatronics, Robotics, and Automation Engineering | $85,340 | $111,103 | $27,000 |
| Electrical Engineering | $89,897 | $109,386 | $26,977 |
| Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical / Space Engineering | $75,218 | $105,171 | $27,000 |
| Industrial Engineering | $77,994 | $101,554 | $26,254 |
| Chemical Engineering | $78,767 | $100,199 | $27,000 |
| Mechanical Engineering | $78,182 | $97,308 | $27,000 |
| Software and Media Applications | $86,193 | $95,430 | $24,656 |
| Civil Engineering | $76,419 | $93,417 | $27,000 |
| Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other | $72,850 | $93,298 | $26,500 |
| Biomedical Engineering | $78,283 | $92,806 | $27,000 |
| Architectural Engineering | not reported | $85,112 | $27,000 |
| Environmental Engineering | not reported | $78,719 | not reported |
| Biology | $51,711 | $75,018 | $26,999 |
| Public Relations and Advertising | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Engineering Physics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Engineering-Related Fields | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Liberal Arts / General Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Biochemistry | not reported | not reported | $27,000 |
| Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Mathematics | not reported | not reported | $19,500 |
| Mathematics and Statistics, Other | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Science, Technology and Society | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Sustainability Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Data Science | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Data Analytics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Chemistry | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Physics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Psychology | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Economics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| International Relations | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Business | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Management Information Systems | not reported | not reported | not reported |

## Major to career
- Mechanical Engineering → Mechanical engineer: median wage $109,250 (Worcester, MA), $119,300 (MA), $104,110 (U.S.)
- Computer Science → Software developer: median wage $146,950 (Worcester, MA), $165,210 (MA), $135,980 (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).