Worcester, MA · Private · 5,447 undergraduates · urban
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Moderately selective
WPI makes interdisciplinary project work a degree requirement, including a substantial project examining how technical work intersects with society.
Institutional profile
Well established Exceptional in career outcomes, and steady in student experience.- Admission
- 58.5% admitted
- Price by income
- Varies across five income ranges
- Completion
- 88.4%
11,809 applicants in the reported year
Compare recent average annual costs by household income
$103,470 median earnings 10 years after enrollment
What sets Worcester Polytechnic Institute apart
Academic design
Every student completes the Interactive Qualifying Project, a team-based investigation of a problem where science or technology meets social needs.
Campus pattern
WPI's compact residential campus sits on a Worcester hill within walking distance of downtown institutions, parks, hospitals, and other colleges.
A signature opportunity
Many students complete the Interactive Qualifying Project at one of WPI's global project centers rather than through conventional classroom study.
Can I get in?
58.5% admitted
Start with the academic record, then make the intended direction and school-specific fit concrete.
Recent applicant pool
11,809About 59 in every 100 applicants were admitted.
Record over scores
No score range is published for the entering class, so the transcript, the course rigor, and the required materials carry the file.
In the season card
Where your GPA sits in the entering class
The full entering-class GPA distribution for Worcester Polytechnic Institute, in nine bands from 4.0 down, with your own record marked on it.
See where I landIn the season card
What Worcester Polytechnic Institute weighs when it reads a file
See how this college describes the role of grades, testing, essays, recommendations, activities, and demonstrated interest.
- Course rigor
- GPA
- Test scores
- Essay
- Recommendations
- Extracurriculars
- Demonstrated interest
What moves the application
The evidence that separates a strong file
Show preparation for this curriculum
Every student completes the Interactive Qualifying Project, a team-based investigation of a problem where science or technology meets social needs.
Make institutional fit specific
WPI makes interdisciplinary project work a degree requirement, including a substantial project examining how technical work intersects with society.
Use the application route carefully
Keep academic direction and school-specific choices coherent across the application.
How to apply
Rounds, route, and required materials
Build the calendar around the earliest realistic application round and assemble each required item once.
Fee waiver: accepted
Can I afford it?
Compare annual cost by household income.
Start with the average net price for your income range, then set that estimate beside your other realistic options.
College funding
Scholarships and financial aid
Review available aid, application requirements, and renewal terms.
In the season card
Average annual cost by household income at Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Compare recent average net prices across five federal income ranges and estimate a 4-year cost for yours.
- $0–30k
- $30–48k
- $48–75k
- $75–110k
- $110k+
Is it worth it?
Completion, debt, and earnings
Read completion, borrowing, field mix, and earnings together. One university-wide earnings figure does not describe every student path.
Degree completion across the reported entering cohort
First-year students who return for year two
And what that comes to against what they earn.
Reported 10 years after enrollment
Academic portfolio
Largest bachelor’s fields
How many students finish in each field, and median earnings four years after completing the program.
Computer Science
Admits separately
Mechanical Engineering
Admits separately
Biomedical/Medical Engineering
Admits separately
Mechatronics, Robotics, and Automation Engineering
Admits separately
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering
Admits separately
What is campus life like?
Worcester Polytechnic Institute beyond the classroom
WPI's compact residential campus sits on a Worcester hill within walking distance of downtown institutions, parks, hospitals, and other colleges.
A defining academic feature
Every student completes the Interactive Qualifying Project, a team-based investigation of a problem where science or technology meets social needs.
What shapes an ordinary week
WPI's compact residential campus sits on a Worcester hill within walking distance of downtown institutions, parks, hospitals, and other colleges.
A reason to look closer
Many students complete the Interactive Qualifying Project at one of WPI's global project centers rather than through conventional classroom study.