Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Worcester Polytechnic Institute is a private school founded in 1865. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 5,453 (Fall 2023) and a 95-acre campus in the city. The university operates on a four-semester, seven-week semester. Worcester Polytechnic Institute is ranked 86th among national universities in the 2025 edition of Best Colleges. Its tuition and fees are $60,765.

Among the 10 colleges in Worcester, Massachusetts, Worcester Polytechnic Institute is a close-knit private school with a science-based education. Students are actively involved in campus activities such as rivalry games held throughout the year, such as a large tug-of-war between freshmen and sophomores. More than 30% students are members of the school's 15 or so fraternities and sororities. Many more students (nearly 70%) are involved in campus athletics to some degree.The WPI Engineers compete in the NCAA Division III New England Men's and Women's Athletic Conference with the support of their mascot, Gompei the goat. While the school's original mascot was the head of a live goat, the mascot the school now uses is a man-made replica.WPI students are also active in the school's club sports and intramurals, and all students are required to take four physical education courses, ranging from lifeguarding to weightlifting.

Freshmen do not have to live in the school's dormitory facilities, which consist of standard dormitories and four themed buildings of the students' choice. The ground in the center of campus bears the school's seal, but be sure not to step on it; school lore warns that any student who does will not graduate on time. Off-campus, students can use Woo Cards for discounts on food purchases and events around Worcester. Boston is 45 miles from the school, about an hour by train.

At WPI, "M*A*S*H" isn't just a decades-old hit TV show; it's also a student-led tutoring program more formally known as "Math and Science Help." The student body here is decidedly male-dominated, with men making up more than 70% of the undergraduate student body.Notable WPI alumni include Robert Goddard, the inventor of the liquid-fuel rocket, and Nancy Pimental, the writer of South Park and co-host of "Win Ben Stein's Money." Nancy Pimental.