Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Worcester Polytechnic Institute at a Glance
Reviewed by James A. Barham, PhD, Vice President and Academic Editor. Influence ranks come from our InfluenceRanking™ methodology; other figures come from federal data, with the year shown under each section. Report an error
Worcester Polytechnic Institute Featured Rankings
- #4 Best Online MBAs Massachusetts
- #5 Massachusetts's Best Online Master's Degrees
- #8 Online Master’s in Information Technology
- #11 Research Universities in Massachusetts 2026
- #12 Best Grad Schools in Massachusetts 2026
- #13 Fastest Online Doctoral Degrees
- #14 Fastest Online Master's Degrees
- #16 Private Colleges in Massachusetts 2026
- #18 Best Colleges in Massachusetts
- #19 Online Master’s in Data Science
- #24 Online Master’s in Engineering
About Worcester Polytechnic Institute
According to Wikipedia, Worcester Polytechnic Institute is a private research university in Worcester, Massachusetts. Founded in 1865, WPI was one of the United States' first engineering and technology universities and now has 14 academic departments with over 50 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in science, engineering, technology, management, the social sciences, and the humanities and arts. WPI awards bachelor's, master's and Ph.D. degrees for the completion of these programs. It is classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity".
Worcester Polytechnic Institute's Online Degrees
Graduate Certificate in Electrical And Computer Engineering
- Format: Fully online
Graduate Certificate in Robotics Engineering Management
- Format: Fully online
None in Biomanufacturing
- Format: Fully online
Worcester Polytechnic Institute Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information
| Annual Applications | Acceptance | Retention Rate | Graduation Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11,809 | 60% | 94% | 90% |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); acceptance rate for fall 2024; test scores for fall 2024; applications and enrollment for fall 2023; retention for students who started in fall 2023; graduation rate within six years for students who started in 2019.
How Much Does Worcester Polytechnic Institute Cost To Attend?
| Tuition and fees (in-state) |
|---|
| $63,246 |
| Income | Average Net Cost |
|---|---|
| 0 - 30K | $36,899 |
| 30K - 48K | $31,014 |
| 48K - 75K | $35,703 |
| 75K - 110K | $35,535 |
| 110K+ | $48,711 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); tuition and fees for 2025–26; net price for 2024–25, for first-time, full-time students receiving financial aid.
How Much Do Worcester Polytechnic Institute Graduates Make?
Ten years after starting college, former Worcester Polytechnic Institute students who received federal financial aid earn a median of $113,513 a year, and 97% of those not still in school are working.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard; students who started college in 2011–12 or 2012–13, measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars.
Worcester Polytechnic Institute's Demographics
Students enrolled at any time during the 2023–24 school year, including part-time and online students.
| Student Body | Under-Grads | Graduates |
|---|---|---|
| 8,009 | 5,756 | 2,253 |
Source: National Center for Education Statistics; 12-month enrollment for 2023–24.
Where is Worcester Polytechnic Institute?
Worcester Polytechnic Institute is located at 100 Institute Road, Worcester, MA 01609-2280.
How Safe is Worcester Polytechnic Institute?
Relative to its enrollment, Worcester Polytechnic Institute has a violent crime rate of 0.01% and a property crime rate of 0.21%. Worcester has a violent crime rate of 0.64% and a property crime rate of 1.58%. Sources: campus: U.S. Department of Education Campus Safety and Security data, on-campus offenses in 2024 (violent: murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault; property: burglary, motor vehicle theft and arson, which excludes ordinary theft); city: FBI Crime Data Explorer, offenses reported to the city police in 2024.
What Is Worcester Polytechnic Institute Known For?
Worcester Polytechnic Institute is known for its academic work in the following disciplines:
- Engineering
- Chemistry
- Physics
- Computer Science
- Mathematics
- Education
- Biology
- Business
- Economics
- Sociology
- Medical
- Communications
- Political Science
- Psychology
Worcester Polytechnic Institute's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered
Each rank compares how much Worcester Polytechnic Institute's faculty and alumni have shaped a field with other schools, using Wikipedia, Wikidata and scholarly citation databases such as Crossref and Semantic Scholar. World and U.S. ranks reflect modern influence; the historical rank counts influence across all time. How we rank influence
Worcester Polytechnic Institute ranks #103 in the U.S. and #412 worldwide for influence in Engineering.
engineering DegreesWorcester Polytechnic Institute ranks #119 in the U.S. and #538 worldwide for influence in Chemistry.
chemistry DegreesWorcester Polytechnic Institute ranks #160 in the U.S. and #684 worldwide for influence in Physics.
physics DegreesWorcester Polytechnic Institute ranks #170 in the U.S. and #629 worldwide for influence in Computer Science.
computer-science DegreesWorcester Polytechnic Institute ranks #183 in the U.S. and #738 worldwide for influence in Mathematics.
math DegreesWorcester Polytechnic Institute ranks #288 in the U.S. and #1174 worldwide for influence in Education.
education DegreesWorcester Polytechnic Institute ranks #344 in the U.S. and #1403 worldwide for influence in Biology.
biology DegreesWorcester Polytechnic Institute ranks #358 in the U.S. and #1249 worldwide for influence in Business.
business DegreesWorcester Polytechnic Institute ranks #394 in the U.S. and #2377 worldwide for influence in Economics.
economics DegreesWorcester Polytechnic Institute ranks #431 in the U.S. and #1502 worldwide for influence in Sociology.
sociology DegreesWorcester Polytechnic Institute ranks #478 in the U.S. and #1795 worldwide for influence in Medical.
medicine DegreesWorcester Polytechnic Institute ranks #501 in the U.S. and #1809 worldwide for influence in Communications.
communications DegreesWorcester Polytechnic Institute ranks #511 in the U.S. and #2120 worldwide for influence in Political Science.
political-science DegreesWorcester Polytechnic Institute ranks #658 in the U.S. and #1703 worldwide for influence in Psychology.
psychology DegreesWho Are Worcester Polytechnic Institute's Most Influential Alumni?
Worcester Polytechnic Institute's most influential alumni include professors and professionals in the fields of Engineering, Chemistry, and Physics. Here are some of Worcester Polytechnic Institute's most famous alumni:
- Robert H. Goddard
- An American physicist.
- Red Whittaker
- An American roboticist.
- Harold Stephen Black
- An American electrical engineer.
- C. Chapin Cutler
- An American electrical engineer.
- Michael D. Smith
- An American computer scientist.
- Don Lavoie
- An American economist.
- James Pierpont
- An American mathematician .
- Arthur E. Martell
- An American chemist .
- Helen Guillette Vassallo
- An American scientific researcher, educator, author, lecturer, and business leader.
- Pascale Fung
- A Professor.
- William Herbert Hobbs
- An American geologist.
- Michael Ahearne
- An American academic.
Who Are Worcester Polytechnic Institute's Most Influential Faculty?
Worcester Polytechnic Institute's most influential faculty include professors in the fields of Engineering, Chemistry, and Physics. Here are some of Worcester Polytechnic Institute's most famous faculty:
- Ryan S. Baker
- An Associate professor of education and computer science at the University of Pennsylvania.
- Neil Heffernan
- An American computer scientist, Ph.D. Carnegie Mellon University 2001.
- Suzanne Weekes
- An African-American mathematician.
- Michael Sokal
- A Historian of Science.
- Jennifer Wilcox
- An American chemical engineer.
- Nick Bertozzi
- A Comic writer.
- Emily M. Douglas
- A Psychologist.
