Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Worcester Polytechnic Institute Review
Degree Overview
Check out the most popular majors and specific degrees students have earned at Worcester Polytechnic Institute.
*Sources for school statistics and data include the U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics and the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System. Data may vary depending on school and academic year.
* Number of people in 2019 that graduated with this degree and study level
* Number of people in 2019 that graduated with this degree and study level
* Number of people in 2019 that graduated with this degree and study level
* Number of people in 2019 that graduated with this degree and study level
Online Programs
Check out the online programs offered at Worcester Polytechnic Institute.
Accreditation Information
* Source data obtained from U.S. Department of Education's Office of Post-secondary Education (OPE)
Alumni & Student Reviews
Career Preparation
What letter grade would you give your school on how well it prepares students for a career in the real world?
Based on 6 Reviews-
Alumni
Mechanical Engineering, Class of 1978many real world case studies
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Alumni
Civil Eng., Class of 1993Program includes projects, some of which take place of campus and can lead to opportunities.
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Alumni
Computer Science, Class of 1980None - some job listings and an occasional interviewer but we generally setup those things ourselves. The recruiting office is totally useless.
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Alumni
Computer Science, Class of 1980Students can intern at various companies
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Alumni
Biochemistry/Biology/Biotechnology, Class of 2010Many programs through the career development office
Students and Culture
What letter grade would you give the students/culture at your school?
Based on 6 Reviews-
Alumni
Computer Science, Class of 1980No culture. Students do what they have to do to survive.
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Alumni
Computer Science, Class of 1980Students are students - study, test, grade Culture - techies who really want to learn
Facilities
What letter grade would you give the facilities at your school.
Based on 6 Reviews-
Alumni
Civil Eng., Class of 1993Dorms mediocre, food sucks, but everyone's there to play with the tech anyway.
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Alumni
Computer Science, Class of 1980Labs were few and there was a high demand at the end of the term. Lots of all-night work to get work done.
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Alumni
Computer Science, Class of 1980Low availability of computer hardware makes late nights necessary, especially at end of term
Activities and Groups
What overall letter grade would you give the activities/groups at your school?
Based on 6 Reviews-
Alumni
Civil Eng., Class of 1993Greek-letter groups as nerdy as everyone else, and sororities can function as women's engineering groups.
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Alumni
Computer Science, Class of 1980No idea - didn't participate in anything. They just sucked money from my wallet for a bunch of jocks so they could have new uniforms.
Questions & Answers
“ Who are the notable alumni? ”
1 Answer-
Worcester Polytechnic Institute's most famous alumnus also taught at the school: Robert Goddard, who built the world's first liquid-fueled rocket in 1926. Another famous scientist, aeronautical engineer Richard Whitcomb, is a WPI graduate who worked for NASA, specializing in transonic airflow. Famous entertainers also are among WPI alumni, including J. Geils, founder of the blues rock band, the J. Geils Band, and actress and South Park writer Nancy Pimental, who graduated from WPI with a degree in chemical engineering.
“ What is the campus setting like? ”
1 Answer-
The WPI campus is best known for the two towers on Tech Hill, which were constructed in the 1860s and symbolize the original vision of the campus – reconciling theory versus practice. The philosophy behind those symbols is in full use at Gateway Park, a 12-acre area of the WPI campus that fuels start-up businesses and research. Gateway Park includes special-purpose buildings with open space for future expansion. Located in Worcester, Mass., WPI is within an hour of travel of downtown Boston and Hartford.
“ What are the online learning and extension/adult learning opportunities? ”
1 Answer-
Those looking to further their high-tech education while working will find a dozen online graduate programs through Worcester Polytechnic Institute. WPI, which has offered off-campus educational opportunities for three decades, provides a mix of asynchronous and synchronous online graduate programs in individual areas of study, such as cyber security, systems engineering, and robotics engineering, among others. And online students receive complete access to any of WPI's facilities and services, just like an on-campus student.
“ What are the athletic highlights? ”
1 Answer-
Worcester Polytechnic Institute's athletic teams compete in NCAA Division III, offering more than a dozen sports. The Engineers' men's basketball team had one of its best seasons in 2012-13, winning 22 consecutive games and reaching the NCAA D-3 Tournament. WPI has fielded a football team every season since 1887, making it one of college football's oldest teams. Football, track, field hockey, and soccer teams all use the on-campus Alumni Stadium.
“ What are the school's academic highlights? ”
1 Answer-
WPI has long been known as one of the top universities in the United States for providing useful internships for students through what it calls the WPI Plan. Princeton Review has named WPI as a top 10 school in both providing study abroad programs and for career placement. All incoming students get introduced to the school's underlying philosophy through a Great Problems Seminar course, which introduces college-level research techniques and involves working on a project, as part of WPI's focus on problem-based learning.