Public · University

Worcester State University

Worcester, Massachusetts · Midsize city

#1 best value in Massachusetts
88.0%
Admit rate
$13,381
Avg net price
61%
Graduation rate
$60,624
Median earnings

Worcester State University is a public bachelor's-granting institution in Worcester, Massachusetts (midsize city setting), enrolling 3,930 undergraduates.

PublicMidsize · 3,930 undergradsMidsize cityAccessible · 88% admitNCAA Division III with football · Massachusetts State College Athletic AssociationCold wintersSnowy

Will you get in?

See where your numbers land against Worcester State University's admitted students.

Admit rate
88.0%
SAT (mid 50%)
1026–1283
Avg GPA (est.)
3.29

Enter a test score to see where you land against Worcester State University's admitted students.

A guide, not a prediction. It compares your numbers with the middle 50% of admitted students and Worcester State University's overall admit rate — it can't see essays, recommendations, activities, or your intended major, which all move real decisions.

About Worcester, Massachusetts

Worcester is a city in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. The native people called the region Quinsigamond and built a settlement on Pakachoag Hill in Auburn. Much of Worcester's culture is synonymous with broader New England culture. The city's name is notoriously mispronounced by people unfamiliar with the city. As with the city in England, the first syllable of "cester" (castra) is left entirely unvoiced. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Midsize city
Highest degree offered
Graduate
Nearest big city
2 miles to Worcester, MA
To the ocean
39 miles
Nearest airport
2 miles to Worcester (ORH)

How Worcester State University compares

Selectivity88.0%

More selective than 28% · #55 most selective of 63 in Massachusetts

SAT average1150

Higher than 45%

Graduation rate61%

Higher than 63% · #43 of 66 in Massachusetts

First-year retention78%

Higher than 56%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$60,624

Higher than 69% · #36 of 67 in Massachusetts

Average net price$13,381

Cheaper than 79% · #1 cheapest of 65 in Massachusetts

Median debt at graduation$19,500

Lower than 78%

Student–faculty ratio16 : 1

Lower than 28%

Undergraduate enrollment3,930

Larger than 73%

Percentiles compare Worcester State University with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in Massachusetts.

Student body

Undergraduate vs. graduate

4,807students
  • Undergraduate3,93082%
  • Graduate87718%

Undergraduates by gender

3,930undergrads
  • Women2,33159%
  • Men1,59941%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White59%
  • Black9.8%
  • Hispanic19%
  • Asian5.5%
  • Other or multiracial6.9%

Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
3,930
Graduate enrollment
877
Student–faculty ratio
16 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
30%
First-generation students
36%
Students over 25
12%
Median family income
$54,212
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$92,772
Endowment
$25,642,341

Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.

Where students come from

Home state of the 909 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.

  • From Massachusetts92%
  • Other U.S. states6.1%
  • International1.7%

Most first-years stay in state — Worcester State University draws overwhelmingly from Massachusetts.

2% came from outside the U.S. Out-of-state students usually pay a higher tuition rate at public schools — check the cost card above for your bracket. Source: IPEDS residence & migration, fall 2023 entering class.

Admissions

Admission rate
88.0%
Test scores
Considered but not required
SAT range (25th–75th %)
1026–1283
SAT average
1150
SAT reading
533–665
SAT math
493–618
ACT composite
Average GPA (estimated)
3.29

Cost

In-state tuition
$11,786
Out-of-state tuition
$17,866
Room & board
$14,307
Books & supplies
$1,368
Total cost of attendance
$22,874
Average net price
$13,381

Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.

Outcomes

Graduated (within 6 years)
61%
Graduated on time (4 years)
48%
First-year retention
78%
Transferred to another college
21%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$50,233
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$60,624
Median debt at graduation
$19,500
Students with federal loans
44%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
62%

About 14% of students who finish here need more than four years — each extra year adds roughly another year of tuition and living costs.

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

All students
48%
Low-income (Pell)
48%
First-generation
47%

When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.

Campus life & athletics

On-campus housing
Yes
Dorm capacity
1,584
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
40%
Housing charge (year)
$8,793
Meal plan (year)
$4,630
Application fee
$50
Athletics
NCAA Division III with football
Football conference
Massachusetts State College Athletic Association
Varsity athletes
474 (277 men · 197 women)

Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.

Varsity sports (13)

Football93
Soccer57
Ice Hockey55
Track and Field (Indoor)48
Track and Field (Outdoor)47
Baseball38
Basketball33
Field Hockey24
Lacrosse22
Softball18
Volleyball15
Golf12
Cross Country12

Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.

Campus safety

Safety grade
B
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
1.8 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
29
Property offenses (2022–2024)
2

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 1 campus (5,745 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.

Reported offenses in an average year

The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.

10reported offenses a year
9.7 violent a year0.7 property a year

By offense type, per year

Fondling
5.0
Rape
4.3
Burglary
0.7
Murder
0.3

Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.

What you'll actually pay, by family income

Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.

< $30k
$8,793
$30–48k
$9,629
$48–75k
$9,540
$75–110k
$13,658
$110k+
$19,679

College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.

Four-year (or more) true cost

Net price for your family's income, projected across the time it actually takes students here to graduate.

Est. total to a degree
$41,355

$9,540/year × about 4.3 years — most students here don't finish in exactly four, and each extra term adds cost. A planning estimate from net-price and graduation-timing data, not a bill.

Does the school pay you to attend?

Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.

51%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$1,916
average award, among those who get one

Modest institutional aid: 51% of freshmen get a grant from the school, averaging $1,916. Most of what lowers the price here is federal or state money, not the school's own funds.

Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 788 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.

Is it worth it?

A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.

Median earnings (10 years)
$60,624
Typical debt at graduation
$19,500
Debt vs. one year's pay
32%
Out-earn a HS grad
71%

Typical debt would take roughly 3.2 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.

Solid value

A reasonable return: earnings comfortably clear the debt over a few years for most students who finish.

Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.

The pay gap here

Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.

Women
$51,245
Men
$73,607

Men out-earn women by $22,362 (44%) a decade out.

Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.

Campus climate

Summer high
80°F
Winter low
17°F
Annual rain
48.3″
Annual snow
72.9″

Average temperature

HighLow
10°50°90°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.02.44.8JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Worcester Rgnl AP, MA US station (1.5 mi from campus).

Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.

Colleges similar to Worcester State University

Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Worcester State University side by side →

Colleges near Worcester State University

Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.