Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Founded in 1865, Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) is a private technical institution located in Worcester, Massachusetts. One of America’s first engineering and technology universities, WPI is well known for its focus on project-based learning and for continually modernizing its curriculum and pedagogy. Notable alumni include Segway inventor Dean Kamen, physicist and inventor of the first liquid-fueled rocket Robert H. Goddard, and Foursquare.com founder Naveen Selvadurai.

Ranked 67 nationwide, WPI’s acceptance rate is 59%, and its graduation rate is 89%. Undergraduate tuition is $56,006 per year, plus fees, and graduate tuition is $29,040 per year, plus fees. A total of 6,920 students are enrolled. WPI offers more than 70 undergraduate and graduate programs. The university follows a semester-based academic calendar.

Student life mixes a very important combination of study and activity. Students are actively engaged in WPI’s 235 clubs and organizations. Activities include rivalry contests between freshman and sophomores, membership in the university’s 15 fraternities and sororities, and campus sports. Club and intramural sports are very popular, and all students must take four physical education courses, ranging from lifeguarding to plyometrics. The WPI Engineers compete in the NCAA Division III New England Men’s and Women’s Athletic Conference. At the center of campus, a university seal is embedded in the ground; a school legend cautions that if students step on it, they won’t graduate on time. Off campus, students enjoy the college town of Worcester, where Woo Cards earn them discounts at local establishments. With Boston just 45 miles away, students can soak in plenty of the area’s rich history and culture.