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Western Connecticut State University: Western Connecticut State University (53564936634)
Photo: ajay_suresh, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Regional university

Western Connecticut State University

Danbury, CT · Public · 4-year

Your real cost

Average price after aid $17,604 a year

Median debt at graduation: $24,147 (all students)

Estimate your own price · the college’s net price calculator

Academic Excellence

BAcademic Excellence: Good (grade B): 70 to 100 points out of 100, from federal data.
Good · Top 40%
From federal data, on fixed published scales.

Each measure counts for the share shown.

  • Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.52%
  • First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.73%
  • Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.SAT 1,110
  • Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.11 to 1
  • Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$16,024

Bars show points on each measure’s scale. How Academic Excellence is computed.

Source: College Scorecard (College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026))

What families pay, by income

Average yearly price after grants and scholarships, for students who receive federal aid.

Average net price by family income
Family incomePrice after aid
Up to $30,000$13,507
$30,001–$48,000$13,716
$48,001–$75,000$16,697
$75,001–$110,000$18,737
Over $110,000$21,318

Full cost of attendance before aid: $24,877 a year.

Use the college’s net price calculator for your own estimate.

Cost and value

Federal data: what families pay after aid, what graduates earn, and what they owe.

Value and outcomes
Undergraduate students
Fall enrollment (IPEDS)
3,542
Men and women
Undergraduates, fall 2023 (College Scorecard)
Men 50% · Women 50%
First-generation students
Share of students who are first-generation, by the College Scorecard’s definition
38%
First-year students from another state
Of first-time students whose home is a U.S. state, fall 2023 (IPEDS)
29%
Total students4,137
Average net price (per year)
After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid
$17,604
Cost of attendance (per year)$24,877
Median federal debt at graduation$24,147
Graduation rate
First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time
52%
Graduation rate for Pell grant recipients
Finishing within 6 years (College Scorecard)
51%
Graduation rate for first-generation students
Finishing within 6 years (College Scorecard)
52%
Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years
Borrowers who repaid at least $1 of principal within 3 years (College Scorecard)
64%
First-year retention73%
Median earnings 10 years after entry$59,115
Admission rate87%
Application fee
Undergraduate application fee, 2023–24 (IPEDS)
$50
Students receiving Pell grants35%
Admitted students’ middle range:SAT 1040–1170
Admission test scores (middle 50% of admitted students who submitted scores)
Average SAT1110
SAT reading & writing510–580
SAT math530–590
ACT composite—
Test policyConsidered but not required

Value: Very good · Top 34% (how it’s computed)

Sources: College Scorecard · IPEDS College Navigator · Net price calculator
College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026); IPEDS 2024-25 directory and institutional characteristics; fall 2023 enrollment.

Earnings by major

Median earnings of bachelor’s graduates a few years after finishing, by major (College Scorecard).

Median earnings by major
MajorMedian earnings
Computing and information science$118,324
Nursing$96,483
Finance$81,768
Accounting$80,895
Management information systems$72,291
Marketing$68,490
Management science$66,878
Criminal justice$66,510
Counseling and mental health$63,218
Secondary education$56,882
Social work$56,058
Biology$52,458
Communication studies$52,385
Theatre$50,955
Psychology$50,410
History$49,967
Broadcasting$43,257
Liberal arts$40,555
Leisure and Recreational Activities$39,609
Music$35,889

Also offered (no earnings published yet): Anthropology, Applied mathematics, Area studies, Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology, Business administration, Chemistry, Clinical laboratory science, Economics, English, Fine arts, General studies, Geology and earth science, Mathematics, Political science, Programming, Romance languages, Social sciences, Sociology and Anthropology, Teacher education, Writing and rhetoric.

What students study most

Share of bachelor’s degrees by field, first majors in 2023–24 (IPEDS).

Most common bachelor’s fields
FieldShare of degrees
Business25%
Health professions13%
Psychology10%
Criminal justice and security9%
Visual and performing arts9%

Campus life

School colors
SettingCity
Part-time undergraduates9%
Undergraduates aged 25 and older12%
On-campus room and board (per year)$15,659
SportsNCAA Division III · Little East Conference
ROTCArmy · Air Force
Study abroadOffered
Students per faculty member11 to 1
Faculty who are full-time100%Of instructional faculty, fall 2023 (College Scorecard)
Endowment per student$7,231Endowment at the end of fiscal year 2023, per full-time-equivalent student (IPEDS)
Dorm spaceFor about 45% of studentsCampus beds divided by undergraduate enrollment. Not how many students live on campus (IPEDS)
Nearest airport with scheduled flightsWestchester County Airport (HPN)About 27 miles away in a straight line (OurAirports)
Town population87,2632020–2024 five-year estimate (U.S. Census Bureau)
Nearest city of 250,000 people or moreNew YorkAbout 57 miles away in a straight line (U.S. Census Bureau)
Average temperature in January28°F1991–2020 normal, from DANBURY, CT US, about 1 miles away (NOAA)
Average temperature in July75°F1991–2020 normal, from DANBURY, CT US, about 1 miles away (NOAA)

Federal data (IPEDS and College Scorecard), except school colors.

Campus safety reports

On-campus crimes reported in 2024, per 1,000 students.

On-campus crimes per 1,000 students
CategoryThis campusU.S. rate
Rape0.120.07
Robbery0.000.01
Aggravated assault0.120.04
Burglary0.120.08
Motor vehicle theft0.000.15

Numbers reflect what each campus reported. They differ with campus size and how reporting is done, so compare with care. U.S. rate: total reported offenses divided by total students at every institution in the report.

Source: Official data: U.S. Department of Education

Questions families ask

What is Western Connecticut State University’s Compass Score?
Good (grade B-). The grade comes from outcomes (40%: graduation, retention and earnings), entering students (40%: test scores and selectivity), cost (15%: debt and price after aid) and teaching (5%: class size), all from federal data.
How much does Western Connecticut State University cost after financial aid?
The average net price is $17,604 a year for students who receive federal aid, after grants and scholarships. What your family pays depends on income; the college’s net price calculator gives your own estimate.
How hard is it to get into Western Connecticut State University?
Western Connecticut State University admitted 87% of applicants in the most recent federal data.
How do Western Connecticut State University’s graduates do?
52% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $59,115; the median federal debt at graduation is $24,147.

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