Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI)

wpi.md

Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI)

Admissions (Class of 2029 / Fall 2025)

  • Total applicants: ~12,000 (estimated)
  • Overall acceptance rate: 60%
  • Early round: ED I (Nov 1) and EA I (Nov 1), ED II (Jan 1), EA II (Feb 1) -- ED rate slightly higher than RD
  • Class size: ~1,200
  • Yield: ~22%

Academics

  • SAT middle 50%: 1300-1470 (estimated; WPI is test-optional and many do not submit)
  • ACT middle 50%: 30-34
  • Avg unweighted GPA: 3.8
  • Top 10% of HS class: ~55%
  • Testing policy: Test-optional (permanent policy)

Demographics

  • Women: 34%, Asian: 11%, White: 57%, Hispanic: 7%, Black: 3%, International: 14% (undergraduate: 7%; overall including graduate: 15%)

Financial Aid / Net Cost

Income Bracket Net Price
$0-$30,000 $30,503
$30,001-$48,000 $29,911
$48,001-$75,000 $36,391
$75,001-$110,000 $38,190
Over $110,000 $42,591

99% of first-year students receive grant or scholarship aid. Average aid package: $38,924. Total COA: ~$78,000/yr. Average net price: $47,799. Student-to-faculty ratio: 13:1.

Athletics

821 varsity athletes (~16% of undergrads) across 20 NCAA Division III sports (10 men's, 10 women's). WPI competes in the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC). No athletic scholarships (Division III).

Notable

WPI operates on a unique academic calendar with four 7-week terms per year instead of traditional semesters. The curriculum is project-based: all students complete a Junior-year Interactive Qualifying Project (IQP) -- typically done at one of 50+ global project centers -- and a senior-year Major Qualifying Project (MQP) with industry sponsors. WPI does not assign traditional letter grades on transcripts; instead, only passing grades are recorded (A, B, C -- no D or F appears). This "no-fail" transcript policy encourages academic risk-taking. Located in Worcester, MA, the second-largest city in New England.

Sources

  • WPI Admissions Dashboard (wpi.edu/offices/strategic-initiatives-university-analytics/data-dashboards/admissions)
  • CollegeFactual - WPI Net Price
  • BigFuture - WPI Tuition and Costs
  • Niche - WPI Admissions
  • WPI Financial Aid (wpi.edu/admissions/financial-aid)