901-950 in the world · QS 2027

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

A STEM university where every undergraduate completes team projects for real sponsors, often at project centers abroad.

Worcester, Massachusetts, United States Private research university Founded 1865 Official website

Acceptance rate: 62%; First-year entry, fall 2025
Students: 7,388; 5,461 undergraduates
International: 6%; of students
Student–faculty: 13:1; ratio
Tuition: $63,936; 2026-27

About WPI

Worcester Polytechnic Institute was founded in 1865 by tinware manufacturer John Boynton and wire maker Ichabod Washburn and opened in 1868 as the Worcester County Free Institute of Industrial Science. Its motto, Lehr und Kunst (theory and practice), still describes the place: WPI is a private STEM-focused university of about 7,400 students, 5,461 of them undergraduates, organised into the School of Arts and Sciences, the School of Engineering, The Business School and The Global School. It holds R1 status for very high research spending and doctoral production.

What sets WPI apart is the WPI Plan, its project-based curriculum. First-years can take the Great Problems Seminar, a two-term course built around global problems; every student completes the Interactive Qualifying Project, a nine-credit team project on a problem where technology meets society; and every senior completes a Major Qualifying Project, a professional-level design or research project often sponsored by a company or organisation. Many students do these projects at one of more than 50 project centers in the Americas, Africa, Asia-Pacific and Europe. The year runs in four seven-week terms, two per semester.

WPI admitted 7,647 of 12,355 first-year applicants for fall 2025 (61.9%) and is test-optional. It suits applicants who like math and science, want to work in teams on real problems, and are comfortable with a fast seven-week pace.

Lehr und Kunst

“Theory and Practice” — university motto

Why students choose WPI

Every student completes two major team projects, the Interactive Qualifying Project and the Major Qualifying Project, many for outside sponsors.

More than 50 project centers, from Cape Town and Copenhagen to Monteverde and the MIT Lincoln Laboratory, let you do degree projects off campus.

Early Decision admits for fall 2026 onward are offered a minimum $25,000-a-year merit scholarship for up to four years.

WPI reports that over 86% of its class of 2025 graduates were employed, in graduate school, in the military or in volunteer service six months after graduation.

Admissions

First-year entry, fall 2025

About 1 in 2 applicants is admitted

7,647 admitted from 12,355 applicants

Early Decision admitted 310 of 397 applicants and Early Action 6,151 of 8,882 for fall 2025. WPI's accepted-student profile gives an average GPA of 3.92 and an average class rank in the top 9%. For international applicants WPI is need-aware.

Testing Test-optional: SAT or ACT not required but considered if submitted (fall 2027 entry). WPI publishes no SAT or ACT ranges.

Grades Average high school GPA of enrolled fall 2025 first-years who reported one: 3.9 (Common Data Set); 60% had a 4.0. The admissions page gives 3.92 for accepted students.

Typical entry requirements

US high school	Four years of math including pre-calculus, four years of English and two years of lab science; accepted students average a 3.92 GPA and top-9% class rank
IB Diploma	No published minimum; admitted first-years with a diploma score of 40 or more are guaranteed a Presidential merit scholarship of at least $25,000
English language	IELTS 7 · TOEFL iBT 90 Recommended scores: TOEFL iBT 90 with no sub-score below 20 (tests before January 21, 2026) or 4.5 on the new scale; IELTS 7.0 with no band below 6.5; Duolingo 125; PTE 61. InitialView or Vericant interviews may supplement, but not replace, a test. Four years at an English-speaking high school in an English-speaking country may exempt you.

Deadlines

Early Decision I Binding Next deadline · In 25 days

November 1, 2026

Decision in early December; enroll by January 15. CSS Profile and FAFSA also due November 1.
Early Action I Non-binding In 25 days

November 1, 2026

Decision date is stated inconsistently by WPI: mid-December on the apply page deadline table, late January on the Application Options page (the 2025-26 Common Data Set says February 1). Expect a decision between mid-December and late January and confirm with admissions; reply by May 1. Aid forms due December 1, 2026.
Early Decision II Binding In ~3 months

January 5, 2027

Decision in mid-February; enroll by March 15.
Early Action II Non-binding In ~3 months

January 5, 2027

Decision in mid-February per the deadline table, late February per the Application Options page; reply by May 1.
Regular Decision Non-binding In ~4 months

February 1, 2027

Decision in mid-March per the deadline table, late March per the Application Options page; reply by May 1. Aid forms due March 1, 2027.

WPI's deadline table lists the dates without a year; its financial aid page dates the matching CSS Profile and FAFSA deadlines November 1, 2026 to March 1, 2027, confirming these are the fall 2027 cycle. WPI's own pages disagree on Early Action notification times: the deadline table at wpi.edu/admissions/undergraduate/apply says mid-December (EA I), mid-February (EA II) and mid-March (RD), while wpi.edu/admissions/undergraduate/apply/application-options says late January, late February and late March. Both give the same application deadlines; check the decision dates with WPI admissions. January entry is also available.

How to apply

Common Application only. Choose Early Decision I or II (binding, with the signed ED Agreement), Early Action I or II, or Regular Decision. Tests are optional. International applicants add proof of English proficiency and, if seeking aid, the CSS Profile (code 3969) by the application deadline; US applicants seeking aid file both the CSS Profile and the FAFSA (code 002233).

What admissions looks for

Very important in the Common Data Set: rigor of the secondary school record and academic GPA.
Important: class rank, recommendations, extracurricular activities and character or personal qualities.
Strong coursework with an emphasis on math and science, including four years of math through pre-calculus.
Curious, team-minded problem solvers who, in WPI's words, elevate what if to here's how.

Tips for applying to WPI

1 If WPI is your first choice, Early Decision comes with a minimum $25,000-a-year merit scholarship (not combinable with the Innovation Award), and 310 of 397 ED applicants were admitted for fall 2025.
2 Use the essays and recommendations to show team projects and hands-on problem solving, since the whole curriculum is built on project work.
3 International applicants needing aid should submit the CSS Profile by the admission deadline; WPI is need-aware and says competitive applicants can typically contribute at least $25,000 a year.
4 IB students scoring 40 or more are guaranteed at least $25,000 a year in merit aid if admitted.

What are your chances?

Costs & financial aid

2026-27 · figures in USD

2026-27 undergraduate tuition; tuition and required fees total $65,438 for first-years Tuition $63,936

+ 2026-27 annual on-campus housing ($10,660) plus food ($9,072) $19,732 ≈ $83,668 per year

Tuition 2026-27 annual on-campus housing ($10,660) plus food ($9,072)

Official cost of attendance $87,570

Financial aid

All admitted students are automatically considered for merit scholarships, including the Presidential Scholarship and program-specific awards, and Early Decision admits get at least $25,000 a year. Need-based aid uses the CSS Profile and FAFSA; WPI met an average 74% of need for aided undergraduates in 2025-26. International students can receive merit aid and a limited number of need-based International Grants (typically $5,000 to $25,000), but WPI is need-aware for them and does not guarantee to meet full need.

$87,570 including $1,200 books and $1,200 personal expenses
2026-27 cost of attendance (first-year, on campus): 99% (2026)
Undergraduates receiving grant aid: $36,485 (Common Data Set 2025-2026)
Average need-based grant, full-time undergraduates: 74% (full-time undergraduates, 2025-26)
Average share of need met: At least $25,000 a year for up to four years
Early Decision merit scholarship

Academics

Academic calendar: Four seven-week terms (two per semester)

Interactive Qualifying Project (IQP)

A nine-credit team project, required of every student, on a problem linking science and technology to society, often at an off-campus project center.

Major Qualifying Project (MQP)

A professional-level senior design or research project in your major, often sponsored by a company, presented at the spring Undergraduate Research Projects Showcase.

Great Problems Seminar

A two-term first-year course in The Global School that puts new students on research teams tackling global themes, such as using Worcester as a living lab for urban sustainability.

Global Projects Program

More than 50 project centers, including Cape Town, Copenhagen, Reykjavik, Monteverde and the MIT Lincoln Laboratory, with global scholarships for students with unmet need.

Robotics Engineering

WPI runs dedicated FIRST and VEX Robotics scholarships for applicants coming from competitive robotics.

Research

WPI holds R1 status (very high research spending and doctoral production) from ACE and the Carnegie Foundation.
Faculty submitted 461 research proposals in fiscal year 2025.
Rocketry pioneer Robert H. Goddard earned his physics degree at WPI in 1908 and taught there as an instructor.

Schools & faculties

School of Arts & Sciences
School of Engineering
The Business School
The Global School

Graduation rate

90%

First-year students who return

95%

WPI reports that over 86% of class of 2025 graduates (all degree levels) were employed, in graduate school, in the military or doing volunteer service six months after graduation.

Student life

WPI's campus sits on Boynton Hill in Worcester, with Boynton Hall and the Washburn Shops, both built in 1868, at the center of campus. Most first-years live in triple rooms in dedicated first-year residence halls. There are more than 270 student clubs and organizations, and WPI teams, the Engineers, compete in NCAA Division III with a goat mascot named Gompei, after the student who looked after the class of 1893's goat. The seven-week terms mean frequent fresh starts, and many students leave campus for a term to complete a project at one of the project centers.

More than 270 student clubs and organizations.
20 varsity teams in NCAA Division III, mainly in the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (per Wikipedia).
Gompei the goat, the mascot since the class of 1893 adopted a goat in 1891.
The spring Undergraduate Research Projects Showcase, where every senior team presents its MQP.

Housing. Most first-years live in triple rooms in first-year residence halls, which upper-level students cannot live in.

Location

Worcester is a mid-sized city in central Massachusetts with more than 38,000 college students. Boston, Providence and Hartford are each under an hour away, and the MBTA Commuter Rail and Amtrak run from Union Station, 1.5 miles from campus. The Worcester Art Museum and American Antiquarian Society are next to campus, and the Worcester Red Sox play at Polar Park, less than two miles away.

Nearest airport: Worcester Regional Airport (ORH), under five miles away; Boston Logan (BOS) is within driving distance

Notable alumni

RH
Robert H. Goddard

Rocketry pioneer who built the first liquid-fueled rocket; BS in physics, 1908
RS
Robert Stempel

Former chairman and CEO of General Motors; BS in mechanical engineering, 1955
PA
Paul Allaire

Former CEO and chairman of Xerox; BS in electrical engineering, 1960
RT
Richard T. Whitcomb

Aeronautical engineer at the Langley Research Center behind the area rule and winglets; BS in aeronautical engineering, 1943
MY
Mei Yiqi

President of Tsinghua University; bachelor's in electrical engineering, 1914
NS
Naveen Selvadurai

Co-founder of Foursquare; BS and MS in computer science
NP
Nancy Pimental

Television and film writer (South Park); chemical engineering graduate, 1987
DK
Dean Kamen

Inventor of the Segway and founder of DEKA; attended WPI but left in 1976 without a degree

Frequently asked questions

What is the WPI acceptance rate?

For fall 2025, WPI admitted 7,647 of 12,355 first-year applicants, about 61.9%. Early Decision admitted 310 of 397 applicants.

Is WPI test-optional?

Yes. SAT and ACT scores are not required but are considered if you submit them, and WPI publishes no score ranges for enrolled students.

What are the WPI application deadlines for fall 2027?

Early Decision I and Early Action I are due November 1, 2026; Early Decision II and Early Action II January 5, 2027; and Regular Decision February 1, 2027.

Is WPI need-blind for international students?

No. WPI is need-aware for international applicants and says competitive international applicants can typically contribute at least $25,000 a year; limited International Grants usually range from $5,000 to $25,000.

What are the IQP and MQP at WPI?

They are the two required team projects at the core of the WPI Plan: the Interactive Qualifying Project tackles a problem where technology meets society, often at a project center abroad, and the Major Qualifying Project is a senior design or research project in your major.

Sources & methodology

Figures on this page were checked against official university publications, national application services and ranking publishers in September 2026. Each number is shown with the year or admissions cycle it describes. Always confirm deadlines and fees on the university's own website before applying.