Community & Culture

students in the quad

When visitors come to WPI, they notice right away that there is something special about the campus. While features like our charming urban setting and endearing goat mascot certainly make an impression, what really sets WPI apart are the people who make up our community.

Our students, faculty, and staff are an eclectic group of people with diverse backgrounds and interests, yet they all share WPI’s spirit of collaboration and inclusive outlook. The result is a welcoming and supportive community where anyone can find their place and everyone feels at home.

A Community of Support

From the moment you first arrive on campus to the day you cross Earle Bridge to receive your diploma, we’ve got you covered. Our extensive resource and support network is focused on helping you succeed––both personally and academically––throughout your WPI journey.

Campus Resources

Student Groups Celebrate Diversity

WPI’s approach to diversity, inclusion, and equity makes our campus a community where members feel an authentic sense of belonging. There are many opportunities on campus for students to connect with others who share their interests and experiences--from the Brazilian Student Association to the Gender Equality Club--through programming and events and student-run organizations. 

Our student community

Here’s some things to know about the WPI community:

Varied interests: WPI students––and our faculty and staff––are scientists, engineers, entrepreneurs, business leaders, and scholars who are passionate about advancing their knowledge and conducting meaningful research. Just as significantly, they are athletes, musicians, actors, gamers, writers, volunteers, and others who share their talents and express themselves in unique ways. Get to know some of our students.

The perfect size: WPI’s medium-sized community is large enough to include representation from many cultures and offer a wide range of activities, yet small enough so that students aren’t treated like numbers and are able to make impacts in the ways that matter to them.

Traditional yet innovative: The WPI community holds many treasured traditions that extend as far back as the institution’s founding in 1865. At the same time, WPI’s students, faculty, and staff are continually inspired by our history of milestones—from Robert Goddard’s creation of the first modern rocket to WPI’s early integration of project-based education—to innovate and push the limits of what is possible.

I love the size of the school. It's not so big that you walk across campus without saying hi or talking to someone, but it is not so small that you know everyone in your classes at the beginning of the term.
  • Matthew E.
  • Senior, Aerospace Engineering
I want everybody to know that WPI is so much more than a school—it’s a community where you grow intellectually and personally. It’s technically rigorous and warm and fuzzy at the same time. It’s the ultimate hard and soft.
  • Lizzy F.
  • Senior, Management Engineering
Be ready for some challenging classes, but also be ready to join an amazing community that will leave a positive impact on you for the rest of your life. The personal, social and academic growth you'll experience at WPI will amaze you.
  • Maggie K.
  • Junior, Chemical Engineering
My favorite thing about WPI are the traditions and its rich history. The crossing of the Earle Bridge, the seal, the class ring ceremony, the history behind Boynton Hall, Washburn Shops and Alden Hall - it's all so fascinating.
  • Gyneth C.
  • Senior, Mechanical Engineering
WPI is not just a factory that turns out engineers, but an amazing place that provides many ways to grow, both personally and as a leader.
  • Ari T.-M.
  • Sophomore, Biomedical Engineering & Mechanical Engineering
I love the interaction between students and faculty at WPI--from office hours to shooting hoops, the professors are real people that actually care about your future in academia or industry.
  • Rashid C.
  • Senior, Biochemistry

The WPI Alliance

From marching in the Worcester Pride parade to handing out “genderbread” cookies on the national Transgender Day of Visibility, the student-run WPI Alliance seeks to provide a voice for students of all sexual orientations and gender identities. Keep an eye out for Alliance members observing events like Asexual and Aromantic Awareness Week, National Coming Out Day, and LGBTQIA+ History Month.

LGBTQ+ Support Services 

Beyond Campus

No description of the WPI community would be complete without touching on our hometown of Worcester. After all, it is part of our school name. The historic city is home to nine institutions of higher education and enables students to take advantage of all the perks of a college town, including lively cultural events, museums and restaurants, and dozens of parks and playgrounds.

Explore Worcester

News

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Diversity & Inclusion
Multicultural Affairs
International House
Oasis Multicultural Center
100 Things to Do at WPI