Worcester State University
Worcester State University 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 State University Featured Rankings
About Worcester State University
According to Wikipedia, Worcester State University is a public university in Worcester, Massachusetts. It was founded in 1874 and enrolls nearly 5,500 undergraduates and over 900 graduate students. History Founded in 1874 as the Massachusetts State Normal School at Worcester, WSU was the fifth of nine teacher training colleges in the state. Spurred by the success of a city-run normal school founded two years earlier, its school committee successfully petitioned the Massachusetts General Court for a state-sponsored institution in Worcester. The original campus was located in a Second Empire-style stone building on St. Ann's Hill, near the city's downtown. By 1900, the campus included a president's house, the "Stoddard Terrace" residence hall, and a turreted gymnasium annex. This site would serve WSU for nearly sixty years until the current Chandler Street campus opened in 1932.
Worcester State University Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information
| Annual Applications | Acceptance | Retention Rate | Graduation Rate | Median SAT Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4,745 | 88% | 78% | 57% | 1154 |
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 State University Cost To Attend?
| Tuition and fees (in-state) |
|---|
| $12,344 |
| Income | Average Net Cost |
|---|---|
| 0 - 30K | $9,813 |
| 30K - 48K | $9,923 |
| 48K - 75K | $9,825 |
| 75K - 110K | $12,995 |
| 110K+ | $20,358 |
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 State University Graduates Make?
Ten years after starting college, former Worcester State University students who received federal financial aid earn a median of $65,784 a year, and 95% 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 State University's Demographics
Students enrolled at any time during the 2023–24 school year, including part-time and online students.
| Student Body | Under-Grads | Graduates |
|---|---|---|
| 7,785 | 5,813 | 1,972 |
Source: National Center for Education Statistics; 12-month enrollment for 2023–24.
Where is Worcester State University?
Worcester State University is located at 486 Chandler St, Worcester, MA 01602-2597.
How Safe is Worcester State University?
Worcester State University reported 0.2 violent and property offenses on campus per 1,000 students in 2024, fewer than most midsize partly residential campuses. Its figures can also be looked up in the U.S. Department of Education’s Campus Safety and Security database.
Relative to its enrollment, Worcester State University has a violent crime rate of 0.02% and a property crime rate of less than 0.01%. Worcester has a violent crime rate of 0.64% and a property (including theft) 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 State University Known For?
Worcester State University is known for its academic work in the following disciplines:
- Sociology
- Physics
- Economics
- Nursing
- Chemistry
- Medical
- Psychology
- Computer Science
- Criminal Justice
- Biology
- Mathematics
- History
- Education
- Communications
- Literature
- Political Science
- Social Work
- Business
Worcester State University's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered
Each rank compares how much Worcester State University'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 State University ranks #479 in the U.S. and #1642 worldwide for influence in Sociology.
sociology DegreesWorcester State University ranks #905 in the U.S. and #3780 worldwide for influence in Physics.
physics DegreesWorcester State University ranks #1019 in the U.S. and #5576 worldwide for influence in Economics.
economics DegreesWorcester State University ranks #1037 in the U.S. and #2655 worldwide for influence in Nursing.
nursing DegreesWorcester State University ranks #1114 in the U.S. and #4586 worldwide for influence in Chemistry.
chemistry DegreesWorcester State University ranks #1259 in the U.S. and #4326 worldwide for influence in Medical.
medicine DegreesWorcester State University ranks #1326 in the U.S. and #3459 worldwide for influence in Psychology.
psychology DegreesWorcester State University ranks #1329 in the U.S. and #5632 worldwide for influence in Computer Science.
computer-science DegreesWorcester State University ranks #1388 in the U.S. and #2693 worldwide for influence in Criminal Justice.
criminal-justice DegreesWorcester State University ranks #1392 in the U.S. and #5692 worldwide for influence in Biology.
biology DegreesWorcester State University ranks #1568 in the U.S. and #5897 worldwide for influence in Mathematics.
math DegreesWorcester State University ranks #1608 in the U.S. and #5188 worldwide for influence in History.
history DegreesWorcester State University ranks #1619 in the U.S. and #6359 worldwide for influence in Education.
education DegreesWorcester State University ranks #1846 in the U.S. and #6883 worldwide for influence in Communications.
communications DegreesWorcester State University ranks #1998 in the U.S. and #6234 worldwide for influence in Literature.
literature DegreesWorcester State University ranks #2061 in the U.S. and #8754 worldwide for influence in Political Science.
political-science DegreesWorcester State University ranks #2194 in the U.S. and #5866 worldwide for influence in Social Work.
social-work DegreesWorcester State University ranks #2271 in the U.S. and #8133 worldwide for influence in Business.
business DegreesWho Are Worcester State University's Most Influential Alumni?
Worcester State University's most influential alumni include professors and professionals in the fields of Sociology, Nursing, and Criminal Justice. Here are some of Worcester State University's most famous alumni:
