About Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Founded in 1865, Worcester Polytechnic Institute. is a Private college. Located in Massachusetts, which is a city setting in Massachusetts, the campus itself is Urban. The campus is home to 4,432 full time undergraduate students, and 2,210 full time graduate students.

The Worcester Polytechnic Institute Academic calendar runs on a Semester basis. In the school year the student to faculty ratio was 13:1. There are 368 full time instructional teachers. Degrees awarded at Worcester Polytechnic Institute include: Bachelor's Degree, Masters Degree, Post-master's certificate, Doctor's degree.

Quick Facts

Acceptance Rate48%
Application Deadline
Application Fee65
SAT Range
ACT Range

Admissions at WPI are considered More Selective, with ,40% of all applicants being admitted.

In the school year, of the students who applied to the school, only 11 of those who were admitted eventually ended up enrolling.

100% of incoming freshmen are in the top half of their high school class. 93% were in the top quarter, and 65% were in the top tenth. You can apply online.

STUDENT LIFE

We asked, and students answered these important questions about student life at Worcester Polytechnic Institute.

15%
“We”re apathetic”
50%
“We know about current events and vote”
30%
“We participate and encourage others to get involved”
5%
“There”s nothing we won”t protest”
0%
“We save it for the classroom”
10%
“Sometimes, but not often”
54%
“There”s usually intelligent conversation to be found”
36%
“All the time, including weekends”
0%
“I”m always terrified”
5%
“I only go out in groups”
30%
“I usually let someone know where I”m going”
65%
“I feel extremely safe”
61%
“We don”t play sports”
0%
“We play recreationally”
34%
“We bought the gear”
5%
“We live for the big game”
8%
“It”s not really our thing”
43%
“Occasinally we gallery crawl”
45%
“There are a variety of opportunities”
5%
“We”re a very artistic group”
5%
“Haven”t met them”
0%
“Available in class”
58%
“They keep regular office hours”
38%
“They”re always available”
0%
“No greek life, but other groups to join”
23%
“There is some involvement, but not a lot”
58%
“Plenty of people join a sorority or fraternity”
20%
“It”s everything. If you”re not greek, you”re a geek”
0%
“We”re not into drinking at all”
23%
“Maybe a little, but it”s not a big thing”
60%
“We only party on weekends”
18%
“There”s some drinking happening every night”
18%
“Never, we”re here to learn”
50%
“There might be people who do”
30%
“People are known to partake on weekends”
3%
“There”s a huge drug scene”
15%
“We”re apathetic”
50%
“We know about current events and vote”
30%
“We participate and encourage others to get involved”
5%
“There”s nothing we won”t protest”
0%
“We save it for the classroom”
10%
“Sometimes, but not often”
54%
“There”s usually intelligent conversation to be found”
36%
“All the time, including weekends”
0%
“I”m always terrified”
5%
“I only go out in groups”
30%
“I usually let someone know where I”m going”
65%
“I feel extremely safe”
61%
“We don”t play sports”
0%
“We play recreationally”
34%
“We bought the gear”
5%
“We live for the big game”
8%
“It”s not really our thing”
43%
“Occasinally we gallery crawl”
45%
“There are a variety of opportunities”
5%
“We”re a very artistic group”
5%
“Haven”t met them”
0%
“Available in class”
58%
“They keep regular office hours”
38%
“They”re always available”
0%
“No greek life, but other groups to join”
23%
“There is some involvement, but not a lot”
58%
“Plenty of people join a sorority or fraternity”
20%
“It”s everything. If you”re not greek, you”re a geek”
0%
“We”re not into drinking at all”
23%
“Maybe a little, but it”s not a big thing”
60%
“We only party on weekends”
18%
“There”s some drinking happening every night”
18%
“Never, we”re here to learn”
50%
“There might be people who do”
30%
“People are known to partake on weekends”
3%
“There”s a huge drug scene”

Worcester Polytechnic Institute REVIEWS

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  • How would you rate on-campus housing?

    72 Students rated on-campus housing 3.5 stars. 11 % gave the school a 5.0.

  • How would you rate off-campus housing?

    54 Students rated off-campus housing 3.7 stars. 0 % gave the school a 5.0.

  • How would you rate campus food?

    78 Students rated campus food 3.1 stars. 8 % gave the school a 5.0.

  • How would you rate campus facilities?

    77 Students rated campus facilities 4.4 stars. 52 % gave the school a 5.0.

  • How would you rate class size?

    77 Students rated class size 4.2 stars. 40 % gave the school a 5.0.

  • How would you rate school activities?

    76 Students rated school activities 4.4 stars. 53 % gave the school a 5.0.

  • How would you rate local services?

    77 Students rated local services 4 stars. 43 % gave the school a 5.0.

  • How would you rate academics?

    77 Students rated academics 4.2 stars. 47 % gave the school a 5.0.

What's your overall opinion of Worcester Polytechnic Institute?

32 Students rated Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Callie - 07/24/2023

I am a student work in admissions at WPI. I am excited to wake up each morning to tell new and prospective students about the university. I love that WPI is so vastly different from other institutions with regard to our academic calendar and project based curriculum, but provides me the exciting college student experience that I know my peers are receiving at other institutions.

Meghan - 01/28/2021

I love WPI! It’s such a great college; the school is small enough so there’s not 300 people in one class, but there’s still plenty to do! There’s movies with popcorn on the weekends, robotics competitions, and even a cheese club! WPI is also excellent for the preparation into any professional field.

Vanessa - 08/27/2020

I believe that WPI is a great school and its especially good if you are a person who learns visually and likes hands-on activities, researching and working with teams on many projects. WPI also works on a quarterly basis when you have 3 classes for 7 weeks and then you move on to other classes. So if you like a fast-paced environment with a focus on Technology and STEM-related subject then WPI is defiantly for you.

Erica

Worcester Polytechnic Institute is a decent school. The campus is nice, the facilites are well-maintained and the student body is friendly and inclusive. The overwhelming majority seams to be upper-middle class students from the New England area, but there are also many international students. Greek life is big, but the frats have a reputation for being incredibly friendly and welcoming. That being said, academics rank high on everyone's priorities. The quarter system is intense; three classes for seven weeks may not seam like much but you have no room to fall behind and the material comes at you fast. Did I mention you need a C minimum to pass? Anything below that is called an "NR," as in no record - no grade, nothing. It won't hurt your GPA, but too many of those can make graduating in four years hard. Switching majors is fairly common; although certain majors can be more competitive than others. How difficult getting into classes is largely depends on your major, from Robotics classes that can have mile-long wait lists to Biology courses where its no problem getting into classes a week or so after registration opens. On campus living is not particularly popular, but required for freshmen. Dorms are co-ed, but there are no gender-inclusive options for freshman as of yet. It is a typical tech school in than the arts are woefully underrepresented unless you are an IMGD (Interactive Media and Game Design) major and then it is mostly digital art. If you like a fast-paced environment and don't mind a somewhat ugly town, WPI is the place for you. If you need to have creative outlets, love Liberal Arts, or crack under stress, I would recommend looking elsewhere for you post-secondary education.

Worcester Polytechnic Institute FAQS

  1. What is the Acceptance Rate at Worcester Polytechnic Institute?

    The fall 2020 acceptance rate for Worcester Polytechnic Institute is 48%. That means, out of _____ applications received in 2020 , _____ students were offered admission. The number of males who applied was _____ vs the number of females which was _____.

  2. What should every freshman at your school know before they start?

    Fresh on the heels of graduation, there is a sense of optimism, as if life lies ahead waiting for someone to bring the change needed. Make no mistake; there shouldn't be false expectations of changing environment causing a changed individual. Opportunities waste without one willing to take a chance. So take a chance. Bring action to your thoughts. Bring movement to your ideas. Passive discontent is useless. Accustom to excellence, you must know that success you achieve so easily will come only through contrived struggles. You may come to question your abilities. Being a small fish in an ocean, there will always be someone smarter, stronger, or more articulate. You can only bring to the table your best. Being surrounded by these individuals, will help your best become better. Independence has been kryptonite to those undisciplined in its ways. The key to success is to moderate newfound freedoms. Don’t overindulge. I promise that instant gratification's rewards are worthless compared to those that come by time and effort. Most importantly, remember you're going to university to be productive. Find your niche. Take classes that don’t pertain to your major. Join an interesting club. Exploration is imperative.

    Read all  64 answers
  3. Describe the students at your school.

    My classmates are very diverse, but everyone is so friendly, helpful, and eager to learn.

    Read all  27 answers
  4. What are the academics like at your school?

    As with most colleges, class participation is very low; professors really have to pull teeth for students to answer questions. Classes are medium in size (the biggest ones that everyone takes can have 100-150 people but most have no more than 30). Overall, the education at WPI is definitely geared towards job training, offering both theory and practice ("Theory and Practice" actually being the school's motto).

    Read all  19 answers
  5. What is your overall opinion of this school?

    WPI is a small school, but not too small; there are typically about 4,000 undergraduates. While WPI has very poor name recognition with the public (I'm sure you'll have to tell friends and family what W.P.I. stands for, then they still have never have heard of it), WPI has excellent name recognition as well as an excellent reputation in science and engineering industries. In other words, the people who matter (the ones who hire college grads) DO know about WPI, and they hold it in very high esteem (some even prefer to hire WPI grads than MIT grads). Worcester, MA is not really a college town, despite the fact that there are over TEN colleges in the city. Honestly, there's really not much to do in Worcester itself for fun, but both Providence and Boston are under an hour away and are accessible by bus and train.

    Read all  17 answers
  6. Describe how your school looks to someone who's never seen it.

    This university is filled to the brim with diverse students from all over the world with different interests but they hold one common trait, determination.

    Read all  16 answers
  7. Here's your chance: Say anything about your college!

    The school is a small beautiful school. Franternaties and sororities are not intense, they are open and easy going. There are a lot of guys but girls are slowly increase the average.

    Read all  15 answers
  8. What are the most popular student activities/groups?

    Fraternity and apartment parties are the most popular nightlife activities, and girls typically can always get into frat parties while guys have to know someone (because of WPI's very high male to female ratio of 3:1).

    Read all  15 answers
  9. What's unique about your campus?

    The best thing about my school is the size. It is tight knit, and everyone is here with the same basic goal so we enjoy helping each other out.

    Read all  15 answers
  10. What kind of person should attend this school?

    Self-motivated, learning-oriented people should attend WPI. The teachers always teach what you need to know, but there's always an added pressure to excel accompanying a heavy work load per class. The comparatively small number of student's and the large number of club and organizations means positions of leadership are always available but only to those leaders who step up and take them.

    Read all  12 answers
  11. What do you consider the worst thing about your school? Why?

    There is not one specific aspect about my school that I could consider the worst. It is a very high standard school, so as expected it is quite difficult. With all of the different resources for help and support, if someone is struggling with school work there is always somebody willing to help. I suppose the difficulty would be the worst part, but that's what is required to obtain a thorough education.

    Read all  12 answers
  12. What's the one thing you wish someone had told you about freshman year?

    Getting involved with clubs and activities early is the best way to meet people.

    Read all  12 answers
  13. Describe your favorite campus traditions.

    Engineering

    Read all  11 answers
  14. Is the stereotype of students at your school accurate?

    For much of the WPI student body, this is accurate, but it's important to note that Greek Life is strong on the WPI campus which does get people out of their dorms.

    Read all  11 answers
  15. What is the stereotype of students at your school?

    That we're all nerds, and we all have LAN parties and study all the time.

    Read all  11 answers
  16. What kind of person should not attend this school?

    Anybody who is not serious about their education or will not devout life and limb to learn will struggle in my school.

    Read all  9 answers
  17. What's the most frustrating thing about your school?

    The most frustrating thing is without a doubt the arduous workload. This is balanced, however, by the excellent quality of the education and job placement opportunities which many schools simply do not possess.

    Read all  8 answers
  18. What is the stereotype of students at your school? Is this stereotype accurate?

    WPI, being an engineering school is prone to the stereotype that everybody is either a geek or a nerd. I have found that in my time here, people can be considered geeks, but all that really means to me is hard working. Everybody at WPI puts their best foot forward and works very hard, including the athletes.The stereotype is accurate, but you'll find that the geeks here tend to be social and willing to help.

    Read all  8 answers
  19. What do you brag about most when you tell your friends about your school?

    There are tons of opportunities at your disposal. In terms of leadership, academic help, clubs e.t.c, WPI is not in short supply. There is an organization for everyone. The campus is beautiful during spring and early fall terms. All the employees are accomadating and nice. The atmosphere is open and inviting. Most importantly, the standards are high. Graduating with a degree from WPI will more than prepare you for a career.

    Read all  4 answers
  20. Describe your school to someone who's never heard of it.

    WPI is a technical school that has a lot of engineering majors. An increasing number of student joining the Business department s growing. Also, WPI has a system of 7 weeks term so its face paced and that allows students to double major, finish with a masters in 4 years, or even finish in 3 years and save $$.

    Read all  2 answers
  21. Why did you decide to go to this school?

    WPI was one of my top choices. I loved everything about ever since I thought about going to college. Also, WPI is one of the few schools with Aerospace Engineering around my area plus its engineering program its highly rated.

    Read all  1 answers

Student Body

Students

34%

female

66%

male

4,432

Total Undergrad Enrollment

2,210

Total Grad Students

49%

Out-Of-State

41%

In-State

10%

International

Organizations

208

Student Organizations

13

Fraternities

5

Sororities

Housing

Yes

On-Campus Housing

28%

of students living on campus

Student Diversity

% American Indian/Alaskan Native
N/A
% Asian/Pacific Islander
4%
% Black or African-American
3%
% Hispanic/Latino
9%
% White or Caucasian
61%

TUITION & AID

All students must apply yearly for financial aid. This process starts with the FAFSA. Though financial aid deadlines vary by school, it is a good idea to apply as soon as possible. For the upcoming school year, you can apply as early as October 1 for the FAFSA. Additional school aid will be dependent on the FAFSA results.

99% of students attending Worcester Polytechnic Institute receive some sort of financial aid. 14% were awarded federal grants. While 59% received federal loans. Many students do also need to apply for additional private student loans.

Cost Out of State

$46,994

Tuition and fees(Out of state)

$1,000

Books and Supplies

$13,736

Room and Board

61,730

Total On Campus

Actual Cost By Income Level(W/Financial Aid)

Family Income
Cost
$0 - $30K
$27,379
$30 - $48K
$29,298
$48 - $75K
$32,307
$75 - $110K
$37,163
$110K & UP
$42,222

We use student reviews and the most current publicly available data on our school pages. As such, we don't typically remove or edit college information. Sources for school statistics and data include the U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics and the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System. Portions of college data include copyrighted material, which is reproduced on this website by permission of Wintergreen Orchard House, a division of Carnegie Communications. © 2009-2016 by Wintergreen Orchard House. All rights reserved.

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