Worcester, Massachusetts is home to WPI. Worcester is a medium-sized city. The school is a private, not-for-profit institution. Degrees at WPI go up to the Doctoral degree.
Students commonly pursue studies in science, mathematics, engineering, and computer science and engineering.
Prospective students are advised that admissions are not open to all; the school selects from among qualified applicants. Three quarters of students in 2005 had SAT verbal scores of at least 560. Half of math SAT scores of accepted students fell between 620 and 710. Since a large share of students are from out-of-state, you can assume WPI has broad appeal.
The school maintains a faculty/student ratio (full-time) which is better than most colleges. WPI has a tenure system for senior faculty. The full-time faculty at the school is well-paid, which often goes with faculty quality.
WPI has 3,917 enrolled students (as of 2005). A very high share of students at the school are male.
Full-time students are the norm at WPI. The school offers dorm rooms to a higher percentage of its students than do most colleges. WPI values student athletics, and belongs to the Freedom Football Conference and New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference.
More complete details are provided below.
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
100 Institute Rd
Worcester, MA 01609
General Phone: (508) 831-5000
Admissions Phone: (508) 831-5286
Financial Aid Phone: (508) 831-5469
http://www.wpi.edu
WPI awarded degrees in these major categories in 2005:
| General Category | Degrees | Most Common Majors [see all] |
|---|---|---|
| Engineering | 397 | mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, civil engineering, biomedical engineering, chemical engineering, manufacturing engineering, industrial engineering, engineering management, ... |
| Computer Science And Engineering | 257 | computer and info science, computer engineering |
| Science | 93 | biology, biochemistry, physics, chemistry, biotechnology, science and society, biological and biomedical sciences |
| Business And Management | 85 | business management, MIS, actuarial science |
| Mathematics | 26 | mathematics, mathematics and statistics, statistics, applied mathematics |
| Security And Law Enforcement | 19 | fire protection |
| Liberal Arts | 12 | technical and business writing, humanities, interdisciplinary studies, social studies |
Number of programs and degrees for WPI in 2005:
| Degree Level | Total Awarded | Number of Programs |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree | 615 | 26 |
| Master's degree | 252 | 22 |
| Doctor's degree | 22 | 15 |
In 2005, WPI had a total enrollment of 3,917 students (3,524 full-time equivalent).
Students in the Freshman Class (2005):
| Group | Percent |
|---|---|
| Men | 77% |
| Women | 23% |
| Full-Time | 100% |
| Part-Time | 0% |
More details are available, using 2004 data:
Students By Class (2004):
| Group | Percent |
|---|---|
| Undergraduate | 70% |
| Graduate | 30% |
| Race | Percent |
|---|---|
| White | 76% |
| Black | 1% |
| Hispanic | 3% |
| Asian | 6% |
| American Indian | 0% |
| Other Races | 2% |
| (Foreign Students) | 11% |
Students by Age (2004):
| Age | Percent |
|---|---|
| Under 18 | 2% |
| 18-19 | 33% |
| 20-21 | 32% |
| 22-24 | 14% |
| 25-29 | 9% |
| 30-34 | 4% |
| 35-39 | 2% |
| 40-49 | 3% |
| 50-64 | 1% |
Incoming (Freshman) Students by Place of Residence (2004):
(From available data sampling)
| Residence | Percent |
|---|---|
| Massachusetts | 45% |
| New Hampshire | 10% |
| Connecticut | 9% |
| Foreign countries | 7% |
| Maine | 6% |
| New York | 5% |
| Rhode Island | 3% |
| Pennsylvania | 2% |
| California | 1% |
| New Jersey | 1% |
| State unknown | 1% |
| Virginia | 1% |
| Maryland | 1% |
| Texas | 1% |
| Florida | 1% |
| Indiana | 1% |
| Washington | 1% |
| Vermont | 1% |
| Oregon | 1% |
| Colorado | 1% |
Retention Rates (2004):
| Group | Returning From Previous Year |
|---|---|
| Full-Time | 92 % |
| Part-Time | 100 % |
WPI offers campus housing for 1,225 of its 3,524 (full-time) students.
(Please refer to our profile of Worcester, Massachusetts for details about the area surrounding the campus. Also see our list of other Massachusetts Colleges).
The school does not offer students a meal plan.
Acceptances:
| Group | Applicants | Accepted | Percent Accepted | Enrolled | Percent of Accepted Enrolled |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 3,313 | 2,822 | 85% | 733 | 26% |
| Men | 2,627 | 2,220 | 85% | 567 | 26% |
| Women | 686 | 602 | 88% | 166 | 28% |
Standardized Test Scores:
| Test | 25th Percentile | 75th Percetile |
|---|---|---|
| SAT Verbal | 560 | 670 |
| SAT Math | 620 | 710 |
| ACT Verbal | 24 | 29 |
| ACT Math | 24 | 29 |
| ACT Composite | 24 | 29 |
Application Requirements:
| Item | Requirement |
|---|---|
| GPA | not required |
| Class Rank | not required |
| High School Record | required |
| College Prep Program | required |
| Recommendations | required |
| Formal Demonstration of Competence | not required |
| Standardized Tests (SAT and/or ACT) | required |
| Percent of Applicants Submitting SAT | 97% |
| Percent of Applicants Submitting ACT | 28% |
| TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) | required |
| Other Standardized Tests | not required |
Admissions Phone Number: (508) 831-5286
Expenses and Financial Aid:
| Expense | Amount |
|---|---|
| In-state tuition and fees | $ 31,190 |
| Out-of-state tuition and fees | $ 31,190 |
| Room and board | $ 9,460 |
| Room charge | $ 5,764 |
| Board (meal plan) charge | $ 4,900 |
| Books and supplies | $ 735 |
| Other expenses | $ 1,145 |
Financial Aid:
WPI participates in Federal Title IV financial aid programs. (The school's OPE ID is 223300)
Financial Aid Phone Number: (508) 831-5469
WPI has a tenure system for faculty.
Salaries for full-time faculty:
Full-Time Faculty (2004):
| Full-Time Faculty Level | Contract Length | Number Men | Avg Salary Men | Number Women | Avg Salary Women |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Professor | calendar year | 13 | $108,746 | 0 | * |
| Associate professor | calendar year | 1 | * | 0 | * |
| All faculty total | calendar year | 14 | $106,721 | 0 | * |
*: salaries are not displayed where there are fewer than 3 professors in the category.
Full-Time Faculty (2004):
| Full-Time Faculty Level | Contract Length | Number Men | Avg Salary Men | Number Women | Avg Salary Women |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Professor | academic year | 71 | $97,099 | 8 | $83,343 |
| Associate professor | academic year | 56 | $76,616 | 16 | $80,963 |
| Assistant professor | academic year | 32 | $67,982 | 17 | $71,009 |
| Instructor | academic year | 19 | $53,185 | 3 | $44,333 |
| All faculty total | academic year | 178 | $80,733 | 44 | $75,052 |
*: salaries are not displayed where there are fewer than 3 professors in the category.
Athletic Conferences (2005):
| Sport | Conference |
|---|---|
| Football | Freedom Football Conference |
| Basketball | New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference |
| Baseball | New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference |
| Track | New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference |
BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT
Actuarial Science
Business Administration and Management, General
Management Information Systems, General
COMPUTER SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
Computer Engineering, General
Computer and Information Sciences, General
ENGINEERING
Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering
Biomedical/Medical Engineering
Chemical Engineering
Civil Engineering, General
Civil Engineering, Other
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering
Engineering Physics
Engineering/Industrial Management
Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering
Industrial Engineering
Manufacturing Engineering
Materials Engineering
Mechanical Engineering
LIBERAL ARTS
Humanities/Humanistic Studies
Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other
Social Sciences, Other
Technical and Business Writing
MATHEMATICS
Applied Mathematics
Mathematics and Statistics, Other
Mathematics, General
Statistics, General
SCIENCE
Biochemistry
Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Other
Biology/Biological Sciences, General
Biotechnology
Chemistry, General
Physics, General
Science, Technology and Society
(Details are provided further down on this page.)
What Sets WPI Apart:
| Category | Trophy | |
|---|---|---|
| % of degrees in engineering (vs. all colleges) | Top 2% | ![]() ![]() |
| Salaries of full-time faculty (vs. all colleges) | Top 4% | ![]() ![]() |
| % of degrees in mathematics (vs. all colleges) | Top 6% | ![]() |
| Male % of student body (vs. all colleges) | Top 7% | ![]() |
| Student SAT scores (vs. all colleges) | Top 7% | ![]() |
| % of degrees in computer science and engineering (vs. all colleges) | Top 7% | ![]() |
| % of students from other states (vs. all colleges) | Top 8% | ![]() |
| Number of degree programs (vs. all colleges) | Top 11% | ![]() |
| % of degrees in science (vs. all colleges) | Top 13% | ![]() |
| Faculty/student ratio (full-time) (vs. all colleges) | Top 17% | ![]() |
| Number of students (vs. all colleges) | Top 18% | ![]() |
| Dorm rooms per full-time student (vs. all colleges) | Top 18% | ![]() |
Notable:
Accepts some high school credits
Grants credits for AP courses
Offers distance learning
Career counseling
Career placement services
Student employment services
Option to study abroad
Offers campus housing
Offers part-time study
On-campus library
Offers campus housing
Tenure system for quality teaching
Has ROTC (army, navy, air force)
NCAA athletic conference member
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