Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) vs Harrisburg University of Science and Technology

Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) and Harrisburg University of Science and Technology (Harrisburg) are two distinct institutions offering unique educational experiences. WPI, a private research university in Worcester, Massachusetts, boasts a lower acceptance rate (49%) compared to Harrisburg's (75%), a private university in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. WPI's student body is more diverse, with international students comprising 15% of the population, while Harrisburg's international student population is 5%. Both universities excel in STEM fields, with popular majors including engineering, computer science, and business. However, WPI has a higher graduation rate (86%) than Harrisburg (75%). To help you make an informed decision, we've compiled a comprehensive comparison table highlighting key differences between these two universities. Explore the table to find the institution that best aligns with your academic goals and preferences.

	Harrisburg University of Science and Technology	Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Overview
Location	Harrisburg, Pennsylvania	Worcester, Massachusetts
Campus setting	City: Small	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	59.0%	94.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	Open Admission	60.2%
Application fees		$70
SAT range	N/A	N/A
ACT range	N/A	N/A
Students submitting SAT score
Students submitting ACT score
Total number of applicants		11,092
Total number of admissions given out		6,679
Admitted students who chose to enroll		1,410
Yield rate		21.1%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	Not required	N/A
High school GPA	N/A	Not required
Recommendation letters	N/A	Required
High school transcript	N/A	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	N/A	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$38,442	$74,271
Average net price	$13,789	$48,230
Tuition	$23,900	$54,640
Room & board		Room/dormitory: $9,250 Meal plan: $7,030
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Prepaid tuition plan Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	100.0% Average amount $19,144	98.0% Average amount $23,821
Students receiving federal student loan	60.0% Average amount $4,986	51.0% Average amount $5,212
Students taking out private loans	2.0% Average amount $7,183	39.0% Average amount $13,871

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	637 Men 67.3% Women 32.7%	5,224 Men 60.3% Women 39.7%
Graduate students	2,569 Men 51.3% Women 48.7%	2,006 Men 68.8% Women 31.2%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	N/A
International students	78.3%	13.4%
Campus local/setting	City: Small	City: Midsize
Dormitory capacity	285	2,508
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	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	Mathematics and Statistics Business Engineering Technologies Computer and Information Science Health Professions	Engineering Computer and Information Science Multidisciplinary Studies Business Mathematics and Statistics
Students to faculty ratio	17:1	14:1
Institutional accreditation	Middle States Commission on Higher Education	New England Commission on Higher Education

Outcome
Graduation rate	32.4%	87.2%
Dropout rate	64.9%	12.2%
Transferred out	1.8%	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $38,866 Year 2: $38,289 Year 3: $43,684 Natural Sciences (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $21,419 Year 2: $30,554 Year 3: $33,110	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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Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) vs Harrisburg University of Science and Technology

Harrisburg University of Science and Technology

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Overview

Admission

Tuition and Fees

Financial Aid

Students and Campus

Academics

Outcome

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