Worcester State University — College Profile

About

Worcester State University is a high-value public institution best known for its top-tier undergraduate and graduate programs in nursing, education, business administration, and the health sciences. Set on a leafy 58-acre campus in Massachusetts' second-largest city, the university fosters a welcoming, close-knit community with a balanced mix of residential and commuter students who actively participate in NCAA Division III Lancers athletics and undergraduate research. Worcester State stands out for its formal state designation as a "Civic Learning" institution, which seamlessly embeds hands-on community engagement, internships, and social responsibility into the academic curriculum. Additionally, as a member of the Higher Education Consortium of Central Massachusetts, students enjoy the unique advantage of cross-registering for courses and accessing resources at neighboring institutions like WPI and the College of the Holy Cross.

Wikipedia:Worcester State University (WSU) is a public university in Worcester, Massachusetts, United States. The fourth largest of the Commonwealth’s nine Universities, WSU enrolls over 4800 undergraduates and nearly 900 graduate students in more than 80 undergraduate majors and minors and 32 graduate programs.

Location

Worcester, MA, 01602-2597 · City campus

✈

Nearest airport from college

ORH · Worcester

2 mi away

Open in Google Maps

Cost & aid

Cost of attendance

In-stateOut-of-state

Tuition & fees$11,786$17,866

Housing & food (on campus)$14,307$14,307

Books & supplies$1,368$1,368

Cost of attendance$22,874$37,443

Average net price$13,381Not published

Out-of-state prices

Tuition & fees$17,866

In-state: $11,786

Housing & food (on campus)$14,307

Books & supplies$1,368

Cost of attendance$37,443

In-state: $22,874

Average net priceNot published

In-state: $13,381

Source: U.S. College Scorecard · published total: www.worcester.edu

How it’s made up · out-of-state, 2026-27

Worcester State University’s own figures for 2026-2027, newer than the 2024-25 federal figures above, so the amounts differ.

Tuition$7,050

Fees$11,824

Housing$9,624

Food$5,848

Books & supplies$1,200

Personal expenses$1,194

Transportation$710

Total published by the school$37,443

Source: www.worcester.edu · checked Sep 13, 2026

Net price by family income · in-state students, 2023-24

$0–30k

$8,793

$30–48k

$9,629

$48–75k

$9,540

$75–110k

$13,658

$110k+

$19,679

Your family's actual price → Worcester State University net price calculator

Source: U.S. College Scorecard

Merit aid · 2024-25

Awarded without financial need. Students with financial need can get merit awards too; they're counted as need-based aid.

Average award$2,715

First-years who got one111

Source: Worcester State University's Common Data Set — the school's own yearly report of its admissions and aid figures (PDF).

Outcomes

Completion

Within 6 yrs

58%

Entered 2017–18

Within 4 yrs

48%

Back for yr 2

78%

Transferred

24%

8 yrs after starting · first-time, full-time students

61% graduated · 25% transferred · 1% still enrolled · 13% left or unknown

Earnings · measured 2020 & 2021

6 yrs after entry$50,233

10 yrs after entry$60,624

Debt

Median at graduation$19,500

Monthly payment$207

Middle 50% owe$5.5k–$22.5k

90th percentile$28,500

Green marks a figure above the typical Master's (larger programs): 54% graduate within 6 yrs, $55,177 earned 10 yrs after entry.

Admissions

Getting in · applied for fall 2024

Admit rate

88%

Test policy

Test optional

Per College Scorecard

SAT average

1150

R 533–665 · M 493–618

ACT midpoint

SAT middle 50%: 1026–1283

40080012001600

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Essay prompts

If Worcester State University asks for supplemental essays, the prompts are in the Common App.

The personal essay is separate: see the Common App essay prompts.

Student Body

Gender

Men 40%Women 60%

Who enrolls

Faculty ratio

16 : 1

Pell grant

30%

First-gen

36%

Family income

$54,212

Independent

22%

Veterans

Age at entry

22.0

Part-time

14%

Race & ethnicity

White

59%

Hispanic

19%

Black

10%

Asian

Two or more

Non-resident

Unknown

Varsity sports

NCAA Division III with football · EADA 2024-25

Baseball
Men's
Basketball
Men's · Women's
Cross Country
Men's · Women's
Field Hockey
Women's
Football
Men's
Golf
Men's · Women's
Ice Hockey
Men's · Women's
Lacrosse
Women's
Soccer
Men's · Women's
Softball
Women's
Track and Field (Indoor)
Men's · Women's
Track and Field (Outdoor)
Men's · Women's
Volleyball
Women's

Programs & Earnings

Bachelor's degrees by annual completions · 4yr national median earnings

Median earnings, all programs · measured 2020 & 2021

After 6 yrs

$50,233

After 10 yrs

$60,624

Psychology, General154

Business Administration, Management and Operations144

Criminal Justice and Corrections83

Biology, General66

Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions65

Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods63

Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing62

Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities47

Communication and Media Studies44

Sociology35

Communication Disorders Sciences and Services34

History30

Computer and Information Sciences, General27

Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions25

English Language and Literature, General24

Natural Resources Conservation and Research18

Type your major above to highlight and detail relevant programs.

Institutional

Resources

Endowment

$26M

Full-time faculty

47%

Faculty salary

$10,308/mo

Teaching spend

$9,709

per student

Federal loans

44%

Classification

Carnegie type

Master's (larger programs)

Undergraduate profile

Four-year, selective admissions