Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) vs Duke University

Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) and Duke University, two esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. WPI, a private research university in Worcester, Massachusetts, is renowned for its project-based learning approach, while Duke, a private research university in Durham, North Carolina, is known for its rigorous academics and vibrant campus life. With acceptance rates of 48% and 8%, respectively, both universities attract a diverse student body. WPI's student population is predominantly male (63%), while Duke's is more evenly balanced (53% female, 47% male). Engineering and computer science are popular majors at WPI, while Duke students often pursue degrees in social sciences, biological sciences, and public policy. While WPI boasts a higher graduation rate (88%) than Duke (86%), both universities prepare their graduates for successful careers. Explore the comparison table to discover more about these two exceptional universities and determine which one aligns best with your

	Duke University	Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Overview
Location	Durham, North Carolina	Worcester, Massachusetts
Campus setting	City: Large	City: Midsize
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	98.0%	94.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation	Methodism

Admission
Acceptance rate	5.9%	60.2%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $85 Graduate: $95	$70
SAT range	1468 - 1558	N/A
ACT range	33 - 35	N/A
Students submitting SAT score	47.0%
Students submitting ACT score	46.0%
Total number of applicants	49,703	11,092
Total number of admissions given out	2,927	6,679
Admitted students who chose to enroll	1,744	1,410
Yield rate	59.6%	21.1%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Not required	Not required
Recommendation letters	Required	Required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Not required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$79,860	$74,271
Average net price	$27,297	$48,230
Tuition	$58,085	$54,640
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $9,164 Meal plan: $6,862	Room/dormitory: $9,250 Meal plan: $7,030
Available payment plans	Prepaid tuition plan	Prepaid tuition plan Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	46.0% Average amount $50,731	98.0% Average amount $23,821
Students receiving federal student loan	20.0% Average amount $4,537	51.0% Average amount $5,212
Students taking out private loans	3.0% Average amount $22,957	39.0% Average amount $13,871

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	6,883 Men 48.4% Women 51.6%	5,224 Men 60.3% Women 39.7%
Graduate students	10,737 Men 45.5% Women 54.5%	2,006 Men 68.8% Women 31.2%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	N/A
International students	21.4%	13.4%
Campus local/setting	City: Large	City: Midsize
Dormitory capacity	5,718	2,508
First year students are required to live on campus?	Yes	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	Connecticut New York New Hampshire New Jersey Rhode Island

Academics
Popular study areas	Business Health Professions Engineering Legal Profession Social Sciences	Engineering Computer and Information Science Multidisciplinary Studies Business Mathematics and Statistics
Students to faculty ratio	6:1	14:1
Institutional accreditation	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges	New England Commission on Higher Education

Outcome
Graduation rate	95.9%	87.2%
Dropout rate	4.0%	12.2%
Transferred out	N/A	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	International Business (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $151,472 Year 2: $213,978 Year 3: $201,782 Law (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $155,031 Year 2: $168,098 Year 3: $200,300 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $143,622 Year 2: $148,189 Year 3: $163,560 Health and Medical Administrative Services (Graduate/Professional Certificates) Year 1: $163,977 Year 2: $138,342 Year 3: $159,598 Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $115,135 Year 2: $106,898 Year 3: $134,542 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $123,138 Year 2: $116,541 Year 3: $124,406 Computer Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $108,817 Year 2: $97,071 Year 3: $117,262 Economics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $94,699 Year 2: $90,856 Year 3: $112,646 Engineering-Related Fields (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $97,661 Year 2: $91,078 Year 3: $108,736 Economics (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $76,460 Year 3: $104,348	Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $111,634 Year 2: $119,061 Year 3: $127,598 Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $97,509 Year 2: $96,405 Year 3: $113,831 Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $86,601 Year 2: $95,207 Year 3: $109,222 Systems Engineering (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $100,114 Year 2: $97,959 Year 3: $101,375 Mechanical Engineering (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $86,644 Year 2: $79,598 Year 3: $91,716 Engineering, Other (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $82,311 Year 2: $78,814 Year 3: $91,318 Engineering, Other (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $79,688 Year 3: $91,034 Industrial Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $72,720 Year 2: $76,460 Year 3: $82,909 Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $63,868 Year 2: $69,338 Year 3: $81,510 Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $74,310 Year 2: $72,507 Year 3: $80,789

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