Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger ProgramsPublic

Worcester State University

Worcester, Massachusetts·Public, 4-year or above·New England·worcester.edu
6-yr Graduation
61%
+7.5pp vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Total enrollment
5,745
peer median 5,819
Avg net price
$13,381
-$2.7k vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
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AdmissionsOutcomesProgram outcomesAccreditationCostFederal aidLoan defaultsAcademic programsEnrollment trendsAthleticsCampus safetyFacultyPeersIR OfficeCommon Data Set

Admissions & acceptance rate

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

IPEDS
Applied
5,156
5,156 candidates competed
Admitted
4,537
88.0% acceptance rate
Enrolled
756
16.7% yield

Graduation rate & outcomes

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

IPEDS
Overall completion
61%+7.5pp vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
4-year graduation
48%
6-year graduation (bachelor’s)
61%
Full-time retention
78%

Pell equity

11.4pp gap
Pell recipients
54%169 of 312
Non-Pell (all)
65%373 of 570
Subsidized loan, no Pell
65%150 of 230
No Federal Aid
66%223 of 340

Non-Pell students graduate at a 11.4-point higher rate than Pell recipients.

Source: IPEDS Graduation Rates (GR) — Pell/SSL cohort, 2024 cohort.

Program outcomes

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

FVT/GE

Of 73 Title IV programs, 25 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 1 fails. 47 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.

Total programs
73
Passing
25
34.2% of portfolio
Failing (GE)
1
1.4% of portfolio
Fail rate
1.4%
+0.8pp vs 0.6% national

Pass / fail distribution

73programs
  • Passing25 · 34.2%
  • No Data47 · 64.4%
  • Failing1 · 1.4%

Severity spectrum

Critical
0
Severe
0
Recoverable
1
At Risk
2
Watch
4
Safe
19
No data
47

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.

26
Visual and Performing Arts General
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
-1.0%
$39,037 vs $39,449
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services
Master's Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
+0.8%
$62,355 vs $61,854
Geography and Cartography
Bachelor Degree · Social Sciences
+4.1%
$41,054 vs $39,449
English Language and Literature General
Bachelor Degree · English Language And Literature/Letters
+10.1%
$43,416 vs $39,449
Business Administration Management and Operations
Master's Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
+21.1%
$81,000 vs $66,899
Sociology
Bachelor Degree · Social Sciences
+21.1%
$47,754 vs $39,449
Urban Studies/Affairs
Bachelor Degree · Social Sciences
+22.7%
$48,387 vs $39,449
Communication and Media Studies
Bachelor Degree · Communication, Journalism, And Related Programs
+28.0%
$50,511 vs $39,449

Near the line (±5%)

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

3
Visual and Performing Arts General
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
-1.0%
−$412
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services
Master's Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
+0.8%
+$501
Geography and Cartography
Bachelor Degree · Social Sciences
+4.1%
+$1,605

Debt vs earnings

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

20
English Language and Literature General
Bachelor Degree · English Language And Literature/Letters
46%
$20,000 debt · $43,416 earn
Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences Other
Bachelor Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
41%
$22,000 debt · $54,245 earn
Mathematics
Bachelor Degree · Mathematics And Statistics
39%
$22,553 debt · $57,434 earn
Teacher Education and Professional Development Specific Levels and Methods
Bachelor Degree · Education
39%
$20,422 debt · $52,337 earn
Communication and Media Studies
Bachelor Degree · Communication, Journalism, And Related Programs
38%
$19,000 debt · $50,511 earn
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services
Bachelor Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
37%
$21,448 debt · $58,126 earn
Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions
Bachelor Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
35%
$22,125 debt · $63,505 earn
Psychology General
Bachelor Degree · Psychology
35%
$19,753 debt · $57,244 earn

Accreditation status & history

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

DAPIP
AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

New England Commission of Higher Education

Accredited since 1957Next review Jun 2033

Programmatic accreditations · 8

Action history · 7

  1. Oct 2023Renewal of Accreditation
    Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education · Nursing (CNURED) - Nursing education programs at the baccalaureate degree levels
  2. Oct 2023Renewal of Accreditation
    Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education · Nursing (CNURED) - Nursing education programs at the graduate degree levels
  3. Apr 2023Renewal of Accreditation
    New England Commission of Higher Education
  4. Apr 2022Renewal of Accreditation
    American Occupational Therapy Association, Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education · Occupational Therapy (OTM) - Programs leading to a Master's Degree
  5. Aug 2021Renewal of Accreditation
    American Occupational Therapy Association, Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education · Occupational Therapy (OTM) - Programs leading to a Master's Degree

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Tuition & cost

What families actually pay, broken down by family income.

College Scorecard

Net price by family income

Aid exceeds costFamily pays
$0–30k$8,793
$30–48k$9,629
$48–75k$9,540
$75–110k$13,658
$110k+$19,679

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

Avg net price
$13,381
-$2,674vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs median $16,055
Federal loans
44.2%
In-state tuition
$11,786
Out-of-state
$17,866

Federal aid volume & trends

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

Federal Student Aid

In AY 2024–25, 1,788 students received $10.0M in Pell grants, alongside $18.1M in federal Direct Loans.

Pell recipients
1,788
AY 2024–25
Pell disbursed
$10.0M
$10,002,244 total
Direct Loans
$18.1M
3,639 loan awards

Pell recipients · 5-year trend

2k
’20
1k
’21
1k
’22
2k
’23
2k
’24

Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25

Subsidized$4.6M
1,344 loan awards
Unsubsidized · UG$7.3M
1,793 loan awards
Unsubsidized · Grad$3.6M
301 loan awards
Parent PLUS$2.6M
201 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.

Cohort Default Rate

Of 1,382 borrowers who entered repayment, 36 (2.6%) defaulted within three years — above the 2.3% national rate.

Default rate
2.6%
+0.3pp vs 2.3% national
Borrowers in repayment
1,382
Defaulted
36
Measurement window
3 years
Federal CDR standard

Default rate vs national, by cohort

2016
5.9%
2017
6.2%
2018
4.4%
2019
2.6%
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 Worcester State

Top program areas ranked by completions.

IPEDS
Distinct CIP programs81
UndergraduateOffered
GraduateOffered

Top program families by completions

1,114 total completions
01Education
26223.5%
02Health Professions
25422.8%
03Business
17315.5%
04Psychology
13211.8%
05Security/Protective
746.6%
06Biological Sciences
655.8%
07Social Sciences
504.5%
08Computer Sciences
423.8%
09Communication
353.1%
10Liberal Arts
272.4%

Enrollment trends & demographics

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

IPEDS
Fall total
5,745
12-mo unduplicated
7,767
Undergraduate
5,862
Graduate
1,905

Gender split

Men
36%2,775
Women
64%4,992

Race / ethnicity composition

White
58.6%
Hispanic
19.2%
Black
9.8%
Asian
5.5%
Two or more
2.9%
Non-resident
2.0%
Unknown
1.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native
0.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander
0.1%

Athletics & Title IX gender equity

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

EADA
Athletes
416
245 M · 171 W
Women athletes
41.1%
Athletic aid
$0
Total student aid
Budget
$2.7M
Total expenses

Men vs women · spending splits

Athletic student aid
$0
$0
Recruiting expense
$3K
$4K
Head-coach salaries
$13K
$17K
Men Women

Sport-by-sport · 13

Football
93 M · —
$181K
Soccer
29 M · 28 W
$108K
Ice Hockey
30 M · 25 W
$399K
Track and Field (Indoor)
25 M · 23 W
$63K
Track and Field (Outdoor)
25 M · 22 W
$70K
Baseball
38 M · —
$166K

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Campus safety & crime statistics

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

Clery Act
Criminal offenses · per 1,000 students
0.89
5 offenses · 5,611 students

3-year trend

2.402 yrs ago2.451 yr ago0.89Latest
Offenses · 3-yr
31
Last three years
VAWA · 3-yr
14
DV, dating, stalking
Hate crimes · 3-yr
0
Res-hall fires · 3-yr
0

Criminal offenses by type

Fondling
4
Rape
1

By location

5total
  • On campus5

Includes 5 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).

VAWA offenses

0
Domestic violence
2
Dating violence
4
Stalking
6 total under the Violence Against Women Act.

Hate crimes by bias

No hate crimes reported.

Arrests vs disciplinary referrals

CategoryArrestsReferrals
Weapons01
Drugs230
Liquor021

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.

IPEDS
Student-to-faculty
16.0:1
Instructional staff (full-time equivalent)
190

Worcester State vs Peer comparison

The peer institutions Worcester State selected for federal comparison reporting.

IPEDS
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
SubjectWorcester State University
61%—5,745$13,381Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Salem State University
50%95.9%6,230$15,996Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Fitchburg State University
55%86.9%5,892$14,262Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Framingham State University
48%83.6%4,002$16,114Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Westfield State University
54%81.4%4,588$16,721Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Bridgewater State University
53%87.8%9,727$16,383Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Peer group median54%86.9%5,819$16,055

Institutions like Worcester State

Explore the federal data for institutions in Worcester State's comparison group.

IPEDS

Worcester State Institutional Research office

The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.

Office
Office of Institutional Research
Reports to Institutional Assessment & Planning
Email
ir [at] worcester.edu
Phone
508-929-8119
Address
Shaughnessy Administration Building, 3rd Floor, Suite A-352, 486 Chandler St, Worcester, MA 01602

The office of Institutional Research at Worcester State University provides data and analyses to Worcester State stakeholders to support data-driven decision making. We comply with the reporting requirements of state, federal, and accrediting agencies and provide information for external publications such as the Princeton Review and Newsweek.

Visit IR office page

Common Data Set

Worcester State's own annual Common Data Set: the most detailed self-reported reference for selectivity, cost, outcomes, and the student body.

Source publications

Frequently asked questions about Worcester State University

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

What is the graduation rate at Worcester State University?

Worcester State University reports a 6-year graduation rate of 61% per the latest IPEDS.

How many students attend Worcester State University?

Worcester State University reports a total enrollment of 5,745 students per the latest IPEDS.

What is the average net price at Worcester State University?

The average net price at Worcester State University is $13,381 per the latest College Scorecard. Net price is the published cost of attendance minus grant aid.

What is the yield rate at Worcester State University?

Worcester State University's yield rate is 16.7%, the share of admitted students who enrolled, per the latest IPEDS.

Where is Worcester State University located?

Worcester State University is located in Worcester, Massachusetts 01602-2597.

Who runs Institutional Research at Worcester State University?

Worcester State University's IR work is done by the Office of Institutional Research, which reports to Institutional Assessment & Planning.

About the data on this page

Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.

IPEDS2025 provisional data (Fall 2025–26 release, July 28, 2026)
Enrollment, completions, graduation rates, tuition, financial aid, staffing, and finance for every U.S. institution in federal student aid programs.
National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education
College ScorecardJune 10, 2026 release (merged 2025–26 files)
Institution and field-of-study costs, graduate earnings, debt, completion, and admissions outcomes compiled from federal aid records, tax data, and IPEDS.
U.S. Department of Education
FVT/GE program performanceProvisional preview, May 18, 2026 release
Program-level debt-to-earnings and earnings-premium measures behind the FVT/GE and STATS accountability frameworks.
U.S. Department of Education
DAPIP accreditationContinuously refreshed
Accreditation status for institutions and programs, reported by recognized accrediting agencies.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Federal Pell Grant volumeAY 2025–26 (through Q3), through March 31, 2026
Pell Grant recipient counts, award amounts, and disbursements by institution and award year.
U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
Federal student loan volumeAY 2025–26 (through Q3), through March 31, 2026
Federal Direct Loan recipient counts and disbursement volume by institution and award year.
U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
Cohort Default RatesFY 2022 official rates
Institution-level federal student loan default rates, measuring borrowers who default within three years of entering repayment.
U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
Equity in Athletics (EADA)Academic year 2024–25
Athletics participation, coaching, revenues, and expenses by sport and gender for Title IV institutions.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Campus Safety & SecurityData through reporting year 2024
Criminal offenses, arrests, disciplinary actions, VAWA offenses, and fire statistics reported by campus under the Clery Act.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Last reviewed July 2026All data sources & release dates →

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