Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger ProgramsPublic

Fitchburg State University

Fitchburg, Massachusetts·Public, 4-year or above·New England·fitchburgstate.edu
6-yr Graduation
55%
+1.5pp vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Total enrollment
5,892
peer median 5,819
Avg net price
$15,432
-$1.9k vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Use this data
Ask Clema

Admissions & acceptance rate

First-time freshman admissions: how selective the college is, and how many admitted students choose to enroll.

Applied
4,582
4,582 candidates competed
Admitted
3,983
86.9% acceptance rate
Enrolled
539
13.5% yield

Graduation rate & outcomes

Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.

Overall completion
55%+1.5pp vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
4-year graduation
38%
6-year graduation (bachelor’s)
55%
Full-time retention
69%

Pell equity

12.0pp gap
Pell recipients
47%
Non-Pell
59%

Non-Pell students graduate at a 12.0-point higher rate than Pell recipients.

Program outcomes

Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.

Of 61 Title IV programs, 20 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 1 fails. 40 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.

Total programs
61
Passing
20
32.8% of portfolio
Failing (GE)
1
1.6% of portfolio
Fail rate
1.6%
+1.0pp vs 0.6% national

Pass / fail distribution

61programs
  • Passing20 · 32.8%
  • No Data40 · 65.6%
  • Failing1 · 1.6%

Severity spectrum

Critical
0
Severe
0
Recoverable
1
At Risk
1
Watch
2
Safe
17
No data
40

Tiers band programs by how far graduate earnings sit above or below the benchmark, from Critical (below −15%) through Safe (above +25%). No data means earnings were privacy-suppressed.

Earnings premium gap

Graduate earnings versus the federal benchmark, worst gaps first.

21
Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions
Master's Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
-2.6%
$60,251 vs $61,854
Design and Applied Arts
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
+8.9%
$42,946 vs $39,449
Communication and Media Studies
Bachelor Degree · Communication, Journalism, And Related Programs
+16.9%
$46,129 vs $39,449
Teacher Education and Professional Development Specific Levels and Methods
Bachelor Degree · Education
+18.4%
$46,696 vs $39,449
Psychology General
Bachelor Degree · Psychology
+26.9%
$50,046 vs $39,449
Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies General
Bachelor Degree · Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
+27.0%
$50,089 vs $39,449
English Language and Literature General
Bachelor Degree · English Language And Literature/Letters
+29.6%
$51,141 vs $39,449
Teacher Education and Professional Development Specific Levels and Methods
Master's Degree · Education
+32.4%
$61,409 vs $46,391

Near the line (±5%)

Programs within five points of the pass line, one cohort year from flipping.

1
Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions
Master's Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
-2.6%
$1,603

Debt vs earnings

Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.

18
Design and Applied Arts
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
61%
$26,000 debt · $42,946 earn
Teacher Education and Professional Development Specific Levels and Methods
Bachelor Degree · Education
55%
$25,500 debt · $46,696 earn
Communication and Media Studies
Bachelor Degree · Communication, Journalism, And Related Programs
51%
$23,500 debt · $46,129 earn
Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies General
Bachelor Degree · Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
50%
$25,000 debt · $50,089 earn
Leisure and Recreational Activities
Bachelor Degree · Leisure And Recreational Activities
49%
$27,000 debt · $54,813 earn
Human Services General
Bachelor Degree · Public Administration And Social Service Professions
47%
$25,000 debt · $52,945 earn
Psychology General
Bachelor Degree · Psychology
47%
$23,250 debt · $50,046 earn
English Language and Literature General
Bachelor Degree · English Language And Literature/Letters
46%
$23,505 debt · $51,141 earn

Accreditation status & history

Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.

AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

New England Commission of Higher Education

Accredited since 1953Next review Dec 2032

Programmatic accreditations · 3

Action history · 2

  1. Sep 2022Renewal of Accreditation
    New England Commission of Higher Education
  2. Sep 2012Renewal of Accreditation
    New England Commission of Higher Education

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Tuition & cost

What families actually pay, broken down by family income.

Net price by family income

Aid exceeds costFamily pays
$0–30k$10,430
$30–48k$10,705
$48–75k$15,224
$75–110k$19,690
$110k+$22,603

Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.

Avg net price
$15,432
-$1,902vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs median $17,334
Federal loans
50.0%
In-state tuition
$11,046
Out-of-state
$17,126

Federal aid volume & trends

Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.

In AY 2024–25, 1,266 students received $6.9M in Pell grants, alongside $16.7M in federal Direct Loans.

Pell recipients
1,266
AY 2024–25
Pell disbursed
$6.9M
$6,882,864 total
Direct Loans
$16.7M
2,888 loan awards

Pell recipients · 5-year trend

1k
20
1k
21
1k
22
1k
23
1k
24

Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25

Subsidized$3.7M
953 loan awards
Unsubsidized · UG$4.9M
1,192 loan awards
Unsubsidized · Grad$6.5M
638 loan awards
Parent PLUS$1.4M
99 loan awards
Grad PLUS$66K
6 loan awards

Loan awards count each loan type a student holds, not unique borrowers; one student may carry several (e.g. subsidized and unsubsidized), so the per-type figures are the reliable detail.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student loan default rate

The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.

Of 1,287 borrowers who entered repayment, 20 (1.5%) defaulted within three years below the 2.3% national rate.

Default rate
1.5%
-0.8pp vs 2.3% national
Borrowers in repayment
1,287
Defaulted
20
Measurement window
3 years
Federal CDR standard

Default rate vs national, by cohort

2016
6.5%
2017
6.4%
2018
4.8%
2019
1.5%
2020*
0.0%
This institutionNational rate

* Cohorts 2020 and later read near 0% because the federal COVID-19 payment pause (CARES Act) suspended defaults nationwide. These years reflect a national policy, not institutional performance; the 2019 cohort is the last measured under normal repayment.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Academic programs at Fitchburg State

Top program areas ranked by completions.

Distinct CIP programs83
UndergraduateOffered
GraduateOffered

Top program families by completions

1,765 total completions
01Business
65737.2%
02Education
42924.3%
03Computer Sciences
21011.9%
04Health Professions
1739.8%
05Security/Protective
854.8%
06Communication
643.6%
07Psychology
482.7%
08Visual/Performing Arts
392.2%
09Biological Sciences
352.0%
10Multi/Interdisciplinary
251.4%

Enrollment trends & demographics

Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.

Fall total
5,892
12-mo unduplicated
9,604
Undergraduate
3,825
Graduate
5,779

Gender split

Men
36%3,436
Women
64%6,168

Race / ethnicity composition

White
61.7%
Hispanic
16.0%
Black
12.9%
Asian
3.1%
Two or more
2.9%
Unknown
2.2%
Non-resident
1.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native
0.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander
0.0%

Athletics & Title IX gender equity

How athletic participation, aid, and spending are split between men and women.

Athletes
331
210 M · 121 W
Women athletes
36.6%
Athletic aid
$0
Total student aid
Budget
$2.0M
Total expenses

Men vs women · spending splits

Athletic student aid
$0
$0
Recruiting expense
$4K
$6K
Head-coach salaries
$11K
$13K
Men Women

Sport-by-sport · 12

Football
62 M ·
$152K
Soccer
31 M · 21 W
$128K
Track and Field (Indoor)
35 M · 14 W
$60K
Track and Field (Outdoor)
28 M · 13 W
$49K
Baseball
37 M ·
$137K
Basketball
18 M · 13 W
$153K

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Campus safety & crime statistics

Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.

Criminal offenses · per 1,000 students
0.92
6 offenses · 6,554 students

3-year trend

0.592 yrs ago0.601 yr ago0.92Latest
Offenses · 3-yr
14
Last three years
VAWA · 3-yr
9
DV, dating, stalking
Hate crimes · 3-yr
0
Res-hall fires · 3-yr
0

Criminal offenses by type

Rape
4
Aggravated assault
1
Motor vehicle theft
1

By location

6total
  • On campus5
  • Public property1

Includes 3 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).

VAWA offenses

0
Domestic violence
0
Dating violence
1
Stalking
1 total under the Violence Against Women Act.

Hate crimes by bias

No hate crimes reported.

Arrests vs disciplinary referrals

CategoryArrestsReferrals
Weapons01
Drugs00
Liquor056

Residence-hall fires

No residence-hall fires reported.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student-faculty ratio

Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.

Student-to-faculty
11.0:1
Instructional staff (full-time equivalent)
180

Fitchburg State vs Peer comparison

The peer institutions Fitchburg State selected for federal comparison reporting.

GraduationRetentionSelectivityEnrollmentAffordabilityYield
This institutionPeer median

A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.

Carnegie
SubjectFitchburg State University
55%5,892$15,432Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Bridgewater State University
53%87.8%9,727$17,970Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Worcester State University
61%88.0%5,745$14,738Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Salem State University
50%95.9%6,230$18,441Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Framingham State University
48%83.6%4,002$16,698Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Westfield State University
54%81.4%4,588$18,561Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Peer group median54%87.8%5,819$17,334

Frequently asked questions about Fitchburg State University

Quick answers to the questions most often asked about Fitchburg State.

What is the graduation rate at Fitchburg State University?

Fitchburg State University reports a 6-year graduation rate of 55% per the latest IPEDS.

How many students attend Fitchburg State University?

Fitchburg State University reports a total enrollment of 5,892 students per the latest IPEDS.

What is the average net price at Fitchburg State University?

The average net price at Fitchburg State University is $15,432 per the latest College Scorecard. Net price is the published cost of attendance minus grant aid.

What is the yield rate at Fitchburg State University?

Fitchburg State University's yield rate is 13.5%, the share of admitted students who enrolled, per the latest IPEDS.

Where is Fitchburg State University located?

Fitchburg State University is located in Fitchburg, Massachusetts 01420-2697.

Have a question this page can’t answer?

Ask Clema anything about Fitchburg State University and its peers — plain language in, cited answers out, in minutes instead of days.

Free for teams up to 3 · No credit card