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

• 3,537 undergraduate students
• 1,354 full- and part-time graduate students
• 70% male, 30% female
• 17% multicultural, 10% international

Faculty

• 396 full- and part-time
• 93 percent have PhDs
• 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

• Four 7-week terms
• Three classes per term
• Average class size: 15-25
• Grading Policy: A, B, C, or NR (No Record)
• More than 50 undergraduate and graduate degree programs (BS, BA, MS, MEng, MBA, PhD)
• Over 90 percent job/grad school placement rate
• First university to offer a BS, MS, and PhD in Robotics Engineering

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. 6 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 in the top 20 for "Happiest Students."

Student Activities

• 200+ clubs and organizations, including...
  • 44 professional and honor societies
  • 37 club sports and intramural teams
  • 36 programming and community service clubs
  • 22 musical ensembles and theatrical groups
  • 20 NCAA Division III varsity teams
  • 20 societal issues and awareness groups
  • 19 cultural and religious organizations
  • 18 fraternities and sororities
  • 12 science and technology groups
  • 4 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
  • 31 intercollegiate teams ranging from fencing to rugby to frisbee to snowboarding
• Intramural Sports
  • Intracampus competition in 10 sports

Student Awards

• One Fulbright Scholar, two Marshall Scholars, and 17 Goldwater Scholars since 2002
• 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

Faculty Awards

• 13 members of the current faculty have received Fulbright Scholarships
• 16 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

2011 Admissions Profile

• Average GPA: 3.8
• Average class rank: top 10 percent
• SAT Range (middle 50%):
  • 1240-1410 (CR + MA)
  • 1820-2070 (CR, MA, WR)
• ACT Range (middle 50%): 27-32

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 (2011-12)

• Tuition and fees: $40,030
• Room and board: $11,934
• Estimated personal costs: $2,200

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