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Worcester State University: Shaughnessy
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Regional university

Worcester State University

Worcester, MA · Public · 4-year

Your real cost

Average price after aid $13,381 a year

Median debt at graduation: $19,500 (all students)

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

Rankings

Where this college places on our top lists. Lists are worked out from official data and our own research; places in the top quarter of each list are shown. See every list

In America

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.61%
  • First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.78%
  • Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.SAT 1,150
  • Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.16 to 1
  • Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$9,709

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$8,793
$30,001–$48,000$9,629
$48,001–$75,000$9,540
$75,001–$110,000$13,658
Over $110,000$19,679

Full cost of attendance before aid: $22,874 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)
4,734
Men and women
College Scorecard, fall 2023
Men 40% · Women 60%
First-generation students
College Scorecard
36%
First-year students from another state
IPEDS, fall 2023
6%
Total students5,611
Average net price (per year)
After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid
$13,381
Cost of attendance (per year)$22,874
Median federal debt at graduation$19,500
Graduation rate
First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time
61%
Graduation rate for Pell grant recipients
College Scorecard, within 6 years
31%
Graduation rate for first-generation students
College Scorecard, within 6 years
30%
Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years
College Scorecard, within 3 years
66%
First-year retention78%
Median earnings 10 years after entry$60,624
Admission rate88%
Application fee
IPEDS, 2023–24
$50
Typical rent
HUD fair market rent, FY2026
About $1,599 a month for a one-bedroom
Students receiving Pell grants30%
Admitted students’ middle range:SAT 1026–1283
Admission test scores (middle 50% of admitted students who submitted scores)
Average SAT1150
SAT reading & writing533–665
SAT math493–618
ACT composite—
Test policyConsidered but not required

Value: Exceptional · Top 9% (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
Nursing$92,133
Computing and information science$92,068
Biotechnology$90,565
Rehabilitation and therapy$74,386
Biology$68,459
Business administration$66,405
Criminal justice$65,588
Counseling and mental health$63,505
Economics$62,138
Speech-language pathology$58,126
Mathematics$57,434
Psychology$57,244
Liberal arts$55,273
Other health professions and related clinical sciences$54,245
History$53,455
Teacher education$52,337
Communication studies$50,511
Urban Studies/Affairs$48,387
Sociology$47,754
English$43,416
Geography$41,054
Visual and performing arts$39,037

Also offered (no earnings published yet): Audiovisual Communications Technologies/Technicians, Biological and physical sciences, Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology, Business (general), Chemistry, Education (general), Health sciences, Natural resources and conservation, Physical Sciences, Political science, Romance languages.

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
Business18%
Health professions16%
Psychology13%
Criminal justice and security10%
Biology8%

Campus life

School colors
SettingCity
Part-time undergraduates14%
Undergraduates aged 25 and older12%
On-campus room and board (per year)$14,307
SportsNCAA Division III · Massachusetts State College Athletic Association
ROTCArmy · Navy · Air Force
Study abroadOffered
Students per faculty member16 to 1
Undergraduates registered with the disability officeAbout 13%IPEDS, 2023–24
Disability servicesVisit the office’s pageThe college’s own page
Faculty who are full-time47%College Scorecard, fall 2023
Endowment per student$5,545IPEDS, 2023, per student
Dorm spaceFor about 33% of studentsBeds per undergraduate; not who lives on campus
Nearest airport with airline serviceWorcester Regional Airport (ORH)About 2 miles away · about 10 minutes by car
Nearest major airportBoston Logan International Airport (BOS)About 43 miles away
Town population207,055Census, 2020–2024
Nearest city of 250,000 people or moreBostonAbout 42 miles away · about 1 hour 5 minutes by car
Typical weather25°F in January · 71°F in JulyNOAA, 1991–2020, from Worcester Regional Airport, MA

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
Rape0.170.07
Robbery0.000.01
Aggravated assault0.000.04
Burglary0.000.08
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 Worcester State University’s Compass Score?
Good (grade B). It ranks in the top 36% of rated colleges. 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 Worcester State University cost after financial aid?
The average net price is $13,381 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 Worcester State University?
Worcester State University admitted 88% of applicants in the most recent federal data.
How do Worcester State University’s graduates do?
61% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $60,624; the median federal debt at graduation is $19,500.

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