# Worcester State University

Public college in Worcester, MA. IPEDS ID 168430.
Source page: https://educationguide.com/colleges/worcester-state-university · Data: https://educationguide.com/data/colleges/worcester-state-university.json · Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score

## Key numbers
- Acceptance rate: 88% (Fall 2024, College Scorecard)
- Average net price after grants: $13,381 per year (AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25)
- Graduation rate (6 years): 62%; beats 35% of MA colleges and 64% nationwide
- Median earnings 10 years after starting: $60,624; beats 45% of MA colleges and 71% nationwide
- Median debt at graduation: $13,916

## Net price by family income (per year, after grants)
| Family income | Net price |
|---|---|
| 0-30k | $8,793 |
| 30-48k | $9,629 |
| 48-75k | $9,540 |
| 75-110k | $13,658 |
| 110k+ | $19,679 |

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 4.33 years on average (40% finished in 4 years; Fall 2017 entrants, IPEDS). Earnings gain = $60,624 (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 | $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 |

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

## Sticker price
- Cost of attendance: $22,874 in-state; about $28,954 out-of-state
- Tuition and fees: $11,786 in-state, $17,866 out-of-state
- Housing and meals: $12,999; books: $1,368

## Admissions
- SAT reading & writing: 533–665; SAT math: 493–618; ACT: not reported (25th–75th percentile, Fall 2024)
- Fall 2023: 4,745 applicants, 4,264 admitted, 909 enrolled; test scores considered but not required
- Fall 2024: acceptance 88%, ACT not reported (College Scorecard)
- Fall 2023: acceptance 90%, ACT not reported (IPEDS Admissions)

### Common Data Set 2025-26 (Fall 2025)
- Very important: rigor, gpa; important: first generation; considered: test scores, essay, recommendations, extracurriculars, talent, character, geography, state residency, volunteer, work experience
- Early decision: no; early action: yes; waitlist: no
- Average high school GPA of enrolled first-years: 3.41
- Aid (full-time first-years): average 60.5% of need met; 79 of 597 with need fully met; merit aid to students without need: 56 students, average $2,143
- Source: https://webcdn.worcester.edu/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/WSU-Common-Data-Set-2025-2026_No_G.xlsx

## Majors (33 bachelor's majors)
| Major | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nursing | $75,249 | $92,133 | $26,849 |
| Computer and Information Sciences | $54,477 | $92,068 | $24,250 |
| Biotechnology | $70,124 | $90,565 | $22,056 |
| Rehabilitation / Therapy Sciences | not reported | $74,386 | $25,000 |
| Biology | $44,450 | $68,459 | $23,625 |
| Business Administration | $46,660 | $66,405 | $22,895 |
| Criminal Justice | $41,132 | $65,588 | $24,953 |
| Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions | $37,345 | $63,505 | $26,000 |
| Economics | $50,463 | $62,138 | not reported |
| Speech-Language Pathology / Communication Disorders | $34,142 | $58,126 | $21,910 |
| Mathematics | $43,169 | $57,434 | $27,000 |
| Psychology | $38,169 | $57,244 | $24,394 |
| Liberal Arts / General Studies | $43,996 | $55,273 | $23,907 |
| Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other | $39,234 | $54,245 | $25,000 |
| History | $38,028 | $53,455 | $24,610 |
| Education (Elementary / Secondary) | $42,313 | $52,337 | $22,971 |
| Communications | $34,235 | $50,511 | $23,250 |
| Urban Studies / Affairs | not reported | $48,387 | not reported |
| Sociology | $33,636 | $47,754 | $24,975 |
| English | $33,022 | $43,416 | $26,474 |
| Geography | not reported | $41,054 | not reported |
| Visual and Performing Arts | not reported | $39,037 | not reported |
| Environmental Science / Conservation | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Audiovisual Communications Technologies / Technicians | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Education | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Spanish / French / Romance Languages | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Biological and Physical Sciences | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Physical Sciences | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Chemistry | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Political Science | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Health Sciences | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Business | not reported | not reported | not reported |

## Major to career
- Business Administration → Management analyst: median wage $122,180 (Worcester, MA), $134,720 (MA), $101,860 (U.S.)
- Criminal Justice → Police officer: median wage $80,210 (Worcester, MA), $78,940 (MA), $76,210 (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).