Worcester Polytechnic Institute: Statistics
Updated:
| Position | Category |
|---|---|
| #705 of 14,131 | In the World |
| #230 of 2,597 | In North America |
| #203 of 2,496 | In the United States |
| #11 of 88 | In Massachusetts |
| #2 of 7 | In Worcester |
| #19 of 1,031 | For Firefighting and Fire Science |
| Top50% | For 145 other topics |
Quick Review
- Acceptance rate
- 60%
- Undergraduates
- 5,558
- Graduates
- 2,026
- Male:Female Ratio
- 67:33
- Control
- Private
not-for-profit - Highest Degree
- Doctor's degree
- Website
- www.wpi.edu
Worcester Polytechnic Institute Acceptance rate and admissions statistics
Worcester Polytechnic Institute has an acceptance rate of 60% and is among the top 22% of the most difficult universities to gain admission to in the United States. The university reports the admission statistics without distinguishing between local and international students.
| Total | Men | Women | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acceptance Rate | 60% | 58% | 65% |
| Applicants | 12,559 | 8,795 | 3,752 |
| Admissions | 7,555 | 5,105 | 2,439 |
| Freshmen enrolled full time | 1,365 | 995 | 370 |
| Freshmen enrolled part time | 1 | 1 |
770 students enrolled in some distance education courses.
666 enrolled exclusively in distance education.
Admissions requirements
| College-preparatory program | Required |
|---|---|
| Recommendations | Required |
| Secondary school record | Required |
| TOEFL | Required |
| Secondary school GPA | Considered but not required |
| Secondary school rank | Considered but not required |
| Formal demonstration of competencies | Neither required nor recommended |
| Other Tests | Neither required nor recommended |
| SAT/ACT | Neither required nor recommended |
Enrollment demographics by race or ethnicity
| White | 4198 (55%) |
|---|---|
| Nonresident Alien | 1160 (15%) |
| Asian | 804 (11%) |
| Hispanic | 587 (8%) |
| Race or Ethnicity unknown | 393 (5%) |
| Two or more races | 241 (3%) |
| Black or African American | 194 (3%) |
| Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander | 2 (0%) |
| American Indian or Alaska Native | 2 (0%) |
Costs per year: Tuition, Housing, Fees
The average net cost to attend Worcester Polytechnic Institute is $47,372 per year, calculated as the sum of the average cost of tuition, room and board, books, and supplies, reduced by the amount of average financial aid received.
The final cost of attendance varies for each student based on household income, residency, program, and other factors.
Average costs by household income
| <$30K | $24,018 |
|---|---|
| $30-48K | $24,452 |
| $48-75K | $32,350 |
| $75-110K | $37,753 |
| $110K+ | $49,716 |
Tuition and fees
| Undergraduates | Graduates | |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition in-district | $59,700 | $28,980 |
| Tuition in-state | $59,700 | $28,980 |
| Tuition out-of-state | $59,700 | $28,980 |
| Fee in-district | $1,265 | $60 |
| Fee in-state | $1,265 | $60 |
| Fee out-of-state | $1,265 | $60 |
Room and board costs
| Dormitory capacity | 2,628 |
|---|---|
| Combined charge for room and board | $17,906 |
| Room charge | $10,000 |
| Meal charge | $7,906 |
Worcester Polytechnic Institute majors
Worcester Polytechnic Institute has granted 1,170 bachelor's degrees across 31 programs, 788 master's across 37 programs, and 69 doctorate degrees across 19 programs. Below is a table with majors that lead to degrees at Worcester Polytechnic Institute.
| Major | Bachelor | Master | Doctoral |
|---|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | 231 | 90 | 6 |
| Mechanical Engineering | 211 | 62 | 2 |
| Mechatronics, Robotics, and Automation Engineering | 77 | 125 | 6 |
| Electrical and Electronics Engineering | 88 | 71 | 5 |
| Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering | 110 | 32 | 6 |
| Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical & Space Engineering, General | 74 | 28 | |
| Data Science, General | 44 | 48 | 7 |
| Chemical Engineering | 57 | 15 | 5 |
| Civil Engineering, General | 42 | 9 | 4 |
| Multi- & Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | 3 | 49 | 2 |
| Systems Engineering | 46 | ||
| Biology & Biological Sciences, General | 41 | 2 | 1 |
| Business Administration and Management, General | 33 | 6 | |
| Business & Commerce, General | 5 | 33 | |
| Biochemistry | 21 | 9 | |
| Environmental & Environmental Health Engineering | 21 | 7 | |
| Industrial Engineering | 23 | ||
| Mathematics, General | 20 | 3 | |
| Architectural Engineering | 20 | ||
| Game and Interactive Media Design | 20 | ||
| Materials Engineering | 12 | 6 | |
| Physics, General | 9 | 6 | 3 |
| Computer Software and Media Applications, Other | 6 | 10 | |
| Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology, Other | 5 | 6 | 3 |
| Engineering, Other | 13 | ||
| Biotechnology | 12 | ||
| Chemistry, General | 5 | 6 | 1 |
| Information Technology | 11 | ||
| Business Analytics | 10 | ||
| Engineering & Industrial Management | 10 | ||
| Human Computer Interaction | 8 | ||
| Mathematics and Statistics, Other | 7 | ||
| Management Science | 6 | ||
| Psychology, General | 6 | ||
| Statistics, General | 5 | 1 | |
| Engineering Physics & Applied Physics | 3 | 2 | |
| Management Information Systems, General | 5 | ||
| Manufacturing Engineering | 5 | ||
| Sustainability Studies | 2 | 3 | |
| Mathematics, Other | 4 | ||
| Computer and Information Systems Security & Auditing & Information Assurance | 3 | ||
| Applied Mathematics, General | 2 | ||
| Civil Engineering, Other | 2 | ||
| Econometrics and Quantitative Economics | 2 | ||
| Neuroscience | 2 | ||
| Educational & Instructional Technology | 1 | ||
| Humanities & Humanistic Studies | 1 | ||
| Physics, Other | 1 | ||
| Science, Technology and Society | 1 | ||
| Systems Science and Theory | 1 | ||
| Grand Total | 1,170 | 788 | 69 |
Worcester Polytechnic Institute has a graduation rate of 90%, which is among the 5% highest for universities in the US.
| Total | Men | Women | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Graduation rate | 90% | 87% | 93% |
| |||
Publications & Citations
Worcester Polytechnic Institute is a world-class research university with 21,339 scientific papers published and 561,524 citations received. The research profile covers a range of fields, including Engineering, Physics, Computer Science, Chemistry, Quantum and Particle physics, Biology, Liberal Arts & Social Sciences, Environmental Science, Materials Science, and Mathematics.
Publication / Citation count by topic
Annual publication & citation counts
| Year | Publications | Citations |
|---|---|---|
| 1993 | 208 | 1334 |
| 1994 | 212 | 1552 |
| 1995 | 225 | 1730 |
| 1996 | 201 | 1977 |
| 1997 | 201 | 2166 |
| 1998 | 231 | 2370 |
| 1999 | 249 | 2755 |
| 2000 | 305 | 3067 |
| 2001 | 315 | 3249 |
| 2002 | 588 | 6038 |
| 2003 | 507 | 5793 |
| 2004 | 445 | 6368 |
| 2005 | 477 | 7622 |
| 2006 | 510 | 8972 |
| 2007 | 444 | 9796 |
| 2008 | 461 | 10863 |
| 2009 | 540 | 11823 |
| 2010 | 543 | 13497 |
| 2011 | 601 | 15174 |
| 2012 | 575 | 16840 |
| 2013 | 692 | 19131 |
| 2014 | 785 | 21263 |
| 2015 | 783 | 22506 |
| 2016 | 738 | 24123 |
| 2017 | 857 | 25035 |
| 2018 | 841 | 28675 |
| 2019 | 927 | 31742 |
| 2020 | 1228 | 37500 |
| 2021 | 987 | 42414 |
| 2022 | 986 | 42014 |
| 2023 | 1009 | 44237 |
| 2024 | 858 | 44119 |
| 2025 | 616 | 37643 |
Worcester Polytechnic Institute alumni
-
Robert H. Goddard
- Occupations
- astronomermilitary flight engineermathematicianengineerinventor
- Biography
-
Robert Hutchings Goddard was an American physicist, inventor, and engineer credited with creating and building the world's first liquid-fueled rocket, which was successfully launched on March 16, 1926. By 1915 his pioneering work had dramatically improved the efficiency of the solid-fueled rocket, signaling the era of the modern rocket and innovation. He and his team launched 34 rockets between 1926 and 1941, achieving altitudes as high as 2.6 km (1.6 mi) and speeds as fast as 885 km/h (550 mph).
-
Dean Kamen
- Occupations
- entrepreneurinventor
- Biography
-
Dean Lawrence Kamen is an American engineer, inventor, and businessman. He is known for his invention of the Segway and iBOT, as well as founding the non-profit organization FIRST with Woodie Flowers. Kamen holds over 1,000 patents.
-
J. Geils
- Occupations
- jazz guitaristguitarist
- Biography
-
John Warren Geils Jr., was an American guitarist. He was known as the leader of the J. Geils Band.
-
Todd Akin
- Enrolled in Worcester Polytechnic Institute
- In 1971 graduated with Bachelor of Science
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
-
William Todd Akin was an American politician who served as the U.S. representative for Missouri's 2nd congressional district from 2001 to 2013. He was a member of the Republican Party. Born in New York City, Akin grew up in the Greater St. Louis area. After receiving his bachelor's degree from Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Massachusetts, Akin served in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and worked in the computer and steel industries. In 1988, he was elected to the Missouri House of Representatives. He served in the state house until 2000, when he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, in which he served until 2013.
General info
| Alternative names | WPI |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1865 |
| Motto | Lehr und Kunst Theory and Practice |
| Colors | crimson, grey |
| Academic calendar | August to May (August - October; October-December; January-March; March-May). Also Summer Session (June-July) |
| Total FTE staff | 1,293 |
| Carnegie classification | Doctoral Universities: High Research Activity |
Location and contacts
| Address | 100 Institute Road Worcester, Massachusetts, 01609-2280 United States |
|---|---|
| City population | 207,000 |
| Phone | 5088315000 |