Just The Facts

History

WPI, the nation's third oldest private technological university, established in 1865 by New England industrialists John Boynton and Ichabod Washburn

Location

80 acres set in a safe, residential section of Worcester, Massachusetts-the second largest city in New England-home to 13 colleges, and situated 40 miles west of Boston

Student Population

• 3,841 undergraduate students


• 1,734 full- and part-time graduate students


• 68% male, 32% female


• 18% multicultural, 12% international

Faculty

• 458 full- and part-time


• 91 percent of full-time faculty have a PhD or terminal degree


• 14:1 student-to-faculty ration

Motto

Lehr und Kunst (Theory and Practice)

Colors

Crimson and Gray

Mascot

Gompei the Goat...it all dates back to the class mascot of 1893: a goat! A japanese student, Gompei Kuwada, was selected as the original goat keeper-simply because his initials fit the title. The traditions continue today with the Goat's Head Rivalry and other events.

Academics

• Over 50 undergraduate and graduate degree programs (BS, BA, MS, MEng, MBA, PhD)


• Four 7-week terms


• Three classes per term


• Average class size: 15-25


• Grading Policy: A, B, C, or NR (No Record)


• Over 90 percent job/grad school placement rate


• First university to offer a BS, MS, and PhD in Robotics Engineering


• 350 master's and 25 doctorate degrees typically awarded each year

The WPI Plan - Project Program

• 
  Interactive Project: Team-based project that examines the impact of science and technology on society (often done at an off-campus project center)


• 
  Major Project: Team-based project in major field of study that focuses on the synthesis of previous study

Rankings

• WPI ranks No. 4 among all national universities for average starting salary by Payscale.com.


• Worcester ranks No. 9 on Forbes' list of "America's Most Livable Cities."


• The National Survey of Student Engagement ranks WPI No. 1 for student-faculty interaction.


• 
  BusinessWeek ranks WPI's part-time MBA program No. 1 in the Northeast and No. 9 in the U.S.


• The Princeton Review ranks WPI No. 20 among national college and universities for career services.

Student Activities

200+ clubs and organizations, including...
• 40 professional and honor societies


• 38 club sports and intramural teams


• 22 societal issues and awareness groups


• 21 programming and community service clubs


• 20 NCAA Division III varsity teams


• 19 fraternities and sororities


• 18 cultural and religious organizations


• 14 musical ensembles and theatrical groups


• 13 science and technology groups


• 7 fitness and outdoor clubs


• 1 FIRST Robotics team

Sports and Recreation

• 
  NCAA Division III Varsity Sports
  • 20 teams (10 Men's, 10 Women's)
  
  
  • NEWMAC, ECAC, NECCWA, Liberty League conferences
  
  


• 
  Club Sports
  35 intercollegiate teams ranging from fencing to rugby to frisbee to snowboarding


• 
  Intramural Sports
  Intracampus competition in 6 sports

Student Awards

• Fulbright Scholars (2), Marshall Scholars (2), and Goldwater Scholars (19)


• National Institutes of Health-Oxford/Cambridge Biomedical Research Scholarship


• 
  USA Today All-USA College Academic Team Members


• National Science Foundation Fellowships


• Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarships


• Society of Women Engineers Scholarships


• NASA robotics competition awards (2)

Faculty Awards

• 13 members of the current faculty have received Fulbright Scholarships


• 21 current faculty members have won the CAREER Award, the National Science Foundation's most prestigious honor for young faculty members

Admissions Requirements

• High school transcript with four years of English, four years of math (including pre-calculus), two years of lab sciences


• SAT or ACT scores or alternative materials through the Flex Path
  
  Applicants have the option of choosing WPI's Flex Path, which allows applicants to submit alternative materials in lieu of test scores


• Recommendation from math or science teacher and guidance counselor


• Personal essay


• TOEFL or IELTS if English is not first language

Admissions Profile

• Average GPA: 3.85


• Average class rank: top 11 percent


• SAT Range (middle 50%):
  
  • 1240-1470 (CR + MA)
  
  
  • 1830-2180 (CR, MA, WR)
  
  


• ACT Range (middle 50%): 28-32

Financial Aid and Scholarships

• FAFSA and CSS Profile required


• All applicants are considered for academic merit scholarships


• National Merit, National Achievement, and National Hispanic Recognition finalists


• Academic scholarships are guaranteed to valedictorians and salutatorians

Cost of Attendance (2013-14)

• Tuition and fees: $42,978


• Room and board: $13,082


• Estimated personal costs: $2,200

Source: Wpi