10-yr median earnings
$103,470
Federal aid recipients only
Private Nonprofit · Worcester, Massachusetts
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Worcester Polytechnic Institute is a private nonprofit institution in Worcester, Massachusetts. as a private nonprofit, published Scorecard outcomes cover federal-aid recipients at this campus — endowment and sticker price sit outside those cohort fields.
- $103,470
- 10-yr median earnings
- 60.2%
- Acceptance rate
- $43,071
- Avg net price / yr
- 89.1%
- 150%-time completion
The verdict
Worcester Polytechnic Institute pairs top-1% former-student earnings with a moderately open admit.
According to the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
- Top 1%
- former-student earnings, US
- 60.2%
- acceptance rate
- 89.1%
- 150%-time completion
- +22%
- earnings, 6→10 yrs
City: Midsize
Carnegie: R2
Institution data retrieved July 2026; field-of-study data retrieved March 2026.
How to read this Worcester Polytechnic Institute profile
Figures above come from IPEDS institution records published through the College Scorecard (retrieved July 2026 for institution fields; March 2026 for field-of-study). Peer groups and cost cohorts follow IPEDS ownership sector, Carnegie class ("Doctoral Universities: High Research Activity"), and locale, not an editorial shortlist.
Average net price subtracts grant and scholarship aid from cost of attendance for full-time, first-time undergraduate Title IV recipients. It is a defined cohort average, not a personalized price; income-band fields add context but do not replace the school's current net-price calculator.
Earnings use Treasury-linked records for federally aided former students who were working and not enrolled in the measurement year (completers and noncompleters). IPEDS completion and retention use separate first-time, full-time cohorts, so those denominators are not the earnings cohort. Read cost, completion, and earnings as distinct historical measures, not a causal verdict or individual forecast.
College Value Score
C+
College Value Score
64/100
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
A 6-metric composite of earnings, cost, and completion outcomes benchmarked against every reporting US college, not a ranking of teaching quality, campus life, or fit for any individual student. See the full methodology.
Earnings A+
$103,470
10-year median former-student earnings
Net Price F
$43,071
Average annual cost after grants and aid
Completion Rate A+
89.1%
Completion within 150% of normal time
Debt F
$27,000
Median federal debt at graduation
Loan Repayment A+
96.4%
Borrowers repaying loans within 3 years
Retention A
93.7%
First-year students returning for year two
Each axis is the percentile score shown in the breakdown at left; the shape shows this school's overall profile at a glance.
Avg net price
$43,071
After grants and scholarships
150%-time completion
89.1%
Full-time, first-time cohort
150%-time completion vs portal median (57.1%) 89.1%
Four-year-institution cohort
College ROI Quadrant - Worcester Polytechnic Institute vs peers
Each dot is a college plotted by 10-year median earnings (x-axis) vs average net price (y-axis), colored by completion within 150% of normal time. Bottom-right = high earnings/lower price; top-left = lower earnings/higher price.
How Worcester Polytechnic Institute ranks nationally
Where this school's former-student earnings fall within the full national distribution of every US college that reports to the College Scorecard, not just its peer set.
Worcester Polytechnic Institute: former-student earnings vs. every US college
10-year median earnings, College Scorecard
$103,470 Top 1% higher than 99% of 5,103 US colleges
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US colleges. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard · Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals
| Metric | Worcester Polytechnic Institute | National rank | Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-yr median earnings | $103,470 | #37 of 5103 | 99th |
| Average net price | $43,071 | #4929 of 5020 | 2nd (lower is better) |
| 150%-time completion | 89.1% | #252 of 4858 | 95th |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 5,447 | #689 of 5462 | 87th |
National ranks count every operating US college reporting each metric to the College Scorecard, separate from the earnings histogram above.
Quick Facts
5,447
Undergraduate enrollment
60.2%
Acceptance rate
-
SAT average
89.1%
150%-time completion
$103,470
10-yr median earnings
93.7%
First-year retention
How Worcester Polytechnic Institute ranks in Massachusetts
State rank among 106 reporting Massachusetts colleges with College Scorecard data, a separate lens from the national distribution above.
| Metric | Worcester Polytechnic Institute | State rank | Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-yr median earnings | $103,470 | #7 of 106 | 93rd |
| Average net price | $43,071 | #113 of 117 | 3rd (lower is better) |
| 150%-time completion | 89.1% | #17 of 109 | 84th |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 5,447 | #14 of 128 | 89th |
Highest former-student earnings in Massachusetts
| # | School | 10-yr earnings | Net price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | $143,372 | $20,111 |
| 2 | Franklin W Olin College of Engineering | $129,455 | $25,171 |
| 3 | Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences | $125,557 | $39,545 |
| 4 | Babson College | $123,938 | $40,514 |
| 5 | Bentley University | $120,959 | $37,930 |
| 6 | Boston College | $103,937 | $41,704 |
| 7 | Worcester Polytechnic InstituteThis school | $103,470 | $43,071 |
| 8 | Harvard University | $101,817 | $19,066 |
| 9 | Lawrence Memorial Hospital School of Nursing | $101,466 | - |
| 10 | Northeastern University | $92,538 | $30,915 |
| 11 | Northeastern University Professional Programs | $92,538 | - |
| 12 | College of the Holy Cross | $90,543 | $38,782 |
Admissions
| Admission Rate | 60.2% |
Costs & Financial Aid
Net price by family income at Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Average annual net price after grants; Title IV recipient cohort by income bracket
- $0 – $30k
$0 – $30k
$24,018 net price / yr
- $30k – $48k
$30k – $48k
$24,452 net price / yr
- $48k – $75k
$48k – $75k
$32,350 net price / yr
- $110k+
$110k+
$49,716 net price / yr
What this shows Need-based aid pulls net price down at lower brackets at Worcester Polytechnic Institute - compare the bar for your income band, not the overall average alone.
Tuition & Net Price
| In-State Tuition | $60,965 |
| Out-of-State Tuition | $60,965 |
| Average Net Price | $43,071 |
11.9%
Pell Grant Rate
51.7%
Federal Loan Rate
$27,000
Median Debt
$286/mo
Monthly Payment
2013–2023: what Worcester Polytechnic Institute costs has stayed close to flat
Average net price moved +22.0% over 10 years, from $35,483 to $43,273 in nominal dollars. The median college measured over the same span moved +14.6%.
11 reported years. Nominal dollars, not adjusted for inflation.
2013 · $35,4832023 · $43,273
Over the same years, enrollment went +33.2% (4,012 → 5,344 students).
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, per-year fields (2013–2023). Net price is the average cost after grant and scholarship aid for federally-aided undergraduates.
Student Demographics
Race & ethnicity
Student body at a glance
36.5%
Female
13.4%
First Generation
Outcomes
93.7%
Retention Rate
$85,038
Median Earnings (6yr)
89.9%
Earning Over $25K
96.4%
Loan Repayment, Completers (3yr)
Outcomes & debt snapshot
| Measure | Cohort / horizon | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Completion within 150% of normal time | First-time, full-time | 89.1% |
| First-year retention | First-time, full-time freshmen | 93.7% |
| Median earnings | 6 years after entry | $85,038 |
| Median earnings | 10 years after entry | $103,470 |
| Share earning over $25,000 | Working, not enrolled | 89.9% |
| Loan repayment rate | Completers, 3 years after leaving | 96.4% |
| Median federal student debt | At completion | $27,000 |
| Estimated monthly payment | Standard 10-year plan | $286/mo |
Programs & Earnings
Field-of-study summary by credential
| Credential | Programs | Award count | Avg earnings | Top earnings | Avg debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 19 | 1,168 | $98,052 | $134,208 | $26,250 |
| Master's | 11 | 446 | $130,327 | $163,424 | - |
Top programs at Worcester Polytechnic Institute by completer earnings
Median earnings of program completers, College Scorecard field-of-study file
- Multi/Interdisciplinary St…
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other
$163,424 median earnings
- Business Administration, M…
Business Administration, Management and Operations
$154,407 median earnings
- Systems Engineering
Systems Engineering
$143,717 median earnings
- Electrical, Electronics, a…
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering
$139,976 median earnings
- Computer Science
Computer Science
$134,208 median earnings
- Mechatronics, Robotics, an…
Mechatronics, Robotics, and Automation Engineering
$125,641 median earnings
- Mechanical Engineering
Mechanical Engineering
$117,441 median earnings
- Engineering, Other
Engineering, Other
$114,409 median earnings
What this shows The highest-earning programs at a school are not necessarily its most popular ones - a small specialized program can post strong median earnings without reflecting the outcome most students here actually see.
Explore Data-Matched Colleges
Independent Scorecard matches among reporting colleges — not recommendations from the institution or a counselor.
Similar Enrollment and Sector
Other Private Nonprofit institutions closest in reported enrollment, preferring the same Carnegie classification.
Similar Reported Net Price
Other Private Nonprofit institutions with the nearest reported average net price.
Moore College of Art and Design
Philadelphia, PA
$43,086 net price · $15 apart
Jewish Theological Seminary of America
New York, NY
$43,195 net price · $124 apart
Maryland Institute College of Art
Baltimore, MD
$42,729 net price · $342 apart
San Francisco Conservatory of Music
San Francisco, CA
$42,607 net price · $464 apart
Similar 2013–2023 Net-Price Trend
Same-sector institutions with the same direction and nearest fitted annual change; only series with R² of at least 0.40 qualify.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the acceptance rate at Worcester Polytechnic Institute? ▼
Worcester Polytechnic Institute is a private nonprofit institution in Worcester, Massachusetts. The acceptance rate is 60.2%. Undergraduate enrollment is 5,447 students.
How much do Worcester Polytechnic Institute former students earn? ▼
Federally aided former students at Worcester Polytechnic Institute who were working and not enrolled had median earnings of $103,470 ten years after entry; the cohort is not limited to graduates. Six years after entry, the corresponding median is $85,038.
How much does Worcester Polytechnic Institute cost? ▼
The average net price at Worcester Polytechnic Institute is $43,071. In-state tuition is $60,965 and out-of-state tuition is $60,965. Median student debt at graduation is $27,000.
What is the graduation rate at Worcester Polytechnic Institute? ▼
Worcester Polytechnic Institute has a 89.1% completion rate within 150% of normal time at a four-year institution (typically six years for a bachelor’s program). The first-year retention rate is 93.7%.
Is Worcester Polytechnic Institute worth the student debt? ▼
The median student debt at Worcester Polytechnic Institute is $27,000, while former students earn a median of $103,470 ten years after enrollment. That debt represents about 26% of those annual earnings. Among borrowers who completed their program, 96.4% are repaying their loans within 3 years. Estimated monthly loan payment is $286.
Sources & methodology
Private-nonprofit profiles emphasize Scorecard cost-after-aid and completion alongside IPEDS Carnegie class. Endowment, gifts, and sticker price are not Scorecard fields on this page.
Figures are the Mar–Jul 2026 federal retrievals. Nonprofit campuses vary widely in aid practice — net price here is the Title-IV-recipient cohort average, not an individual award letter. Read the full methodology for how the data is sourced, computed, and verified.
- College Scorecard, U.S. Department of Education - former-student earnings, cost & completion (collegescorecard.ed.gov).
- IPEDS, National Center for Education Statistics - enrollment, admissions, Carnegie class & demographics (nces.ed.gov/ipeds).
- U.S. Treasury / IRS earnings linkage - median earnings 6 & 10 years after enrollment for federal-aid recipients (irs.gov).
- College Scorecard, Field of Study - program-level (credential) earnings & debt (collegescorecard.ed.gov).
- Federal Student Aid (Title IV / NSLDS) - U.S. Department of Education - net price, student debt & aid-recipient repayment outcomes (studentaid.gov).
Where to go next from Worcester Polytechnic Institute
- Compare Worcester Polytechnic Institute against schools with similar outcomes at a lower average net price.Find similar schools that cost less
- Browse every reporting college in Massachusetts side by side.Browse Massachusetts
- See how fields of study differ on former-student earnings and debt.Explore programs
Nonprofit Scorecard medians describe federal-aid recipients who were working and not enrolled — they are not sticker-price ROI and not advice.
Every figure on PlainCollege is rendered directly from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard data, no number is typed in by an editor. Private-nonprofit profiles compile Scorecard net-price and earnings cohorts with IPEDS structure fields — no editor-typed figures. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error on this page. Review the public data changelog. Data current as of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals.