WSU-Worcester vs Western Connecticut State University (WCSU)

Worcester State University and Western Connecticut State University, both public universities in the Northeast, offer distinct educational experiences. Worcester State, located in Massachusetts, boasts a higher acceptance rate (84%) compared to Western Connecticut's 73%. Worcester State's student body is more diverse, with a larger international student population. In contrast, Western Connecticut has a slightly higher graduation rate (58% vs. 56%) and a stronger focus on STEM fields, reflected in its popular majors such as Biology, Computer Science, and Engineering. 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.

	Western Connecticut State University	Worcester State University
Overview
Location	Danbury, Connecticut	Worcester, Massachusetts
Campus setting	City: Small	City: Midsize
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Public	Public
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	69.0%	73.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	84.9%	89.3%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $50 Graduate: $50	Undergraduate: $50 Graduate: $50
SAT range	N/A	1030 - 1193
ACT range	N/A	23 - 24
Students submitting SAT score		13.0%
Students submitting ACT score
Total number of applicants	4,688	3,446
Total number of admissions given out	3,978	3,078
Admitted students who chose to enroll	733	756
Yield rate	18.4%	24.6%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Not required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $28,783 Out of state: $42,187	In state: $19,554 Out of state: $25,634
Average net price	$15,660	$12,853
Tuition	In state: $6,162 Out of state: $18,436	In state: $970 Out of state: $7,050
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $8,020 Meal plan: $5,856	Room/dormitory: $8,573 Meal plan: $3,995
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	78.0% Average amount $6,312	94.0% Average amount $4,529
Students receiving federal student loan	58.0% Average amount $7,417	58.0% Average amount $4,816
Students taking out private loans	5.0% Average amount $12,388	12.0% Average amount $10,578

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	4,172 Men 47.6% Women 52.4%	4,640 Men 38.4% Women 61.6%
Graduate students	630 Men 25.4% Women 74.6%	777 Men 17.8% Women 82.2%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Low
Out-of-state students	28.6%	N/A
International students	0.4%	1.3%
Campus local/setting	City: Small	City: Midsize
Dormitory capacity	1,315	1,584
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Connecticut New York New Jersey Mississippi Maine	Mississippi Connecticut Rhode Island New Hampshire Vermont

Academics
Popular study areas	Business Psychology Health Professions Law Enforcement and Firefighting Visual & Performing Arts	Education Health Professions Business Law Enforcement and Firefighting Psychology
Students to faculty ratio	11:1	14:1
Institutional accreditation	New England Commission on Higher Education	New England Commission on Higher Education

Outcome
Graduation rate	52.9%	60.9%
Dropout rate	12.0%	13.1%
Transferred out	31.0%	24.4%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $75,081 Year 2: $75,104 Year 3: $76,468 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $51,332 Year 2: $57,995 Year 3: $70,455 Management Information Systems and Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $44,994 Year 2: $57,318 Year 3: $65,192 Education, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $56,867 Year 3: $58,464 Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $49,944 Year 2: $46,321 Year 3: $51,949 Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $43,260 Year 2: $41,464 Year 3: $50,288 Student Counseling and Personnel Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $47,672 Year 2: $46,087 Year 3: $49,639 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $42,963 Year 2: $45,340 Year 3: $47,607 Marketing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $40,029 Year 2: $41,441 Year 3: $44,462 Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $32,205 Year 2: $35,877 Year 3: $43,291	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $67,399 Year 2: $68,821 Year 3: $76,249 Biotechnology (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $55,547 Year 3: $67,589 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $61,868 Year 2: $56,776 Year 3: $61,253 Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: N/A Year 3: $60,590 Communication Disorders Sciences and Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $52,554 Year 2: $54,974 Year 3: $59,253 Chemistry (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $49,644 Year 3: $56,781 Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $60,231 Year 2: $46,087 Year 3: $55,176 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $56,792 Year 2: $53,775 Year 3: $53,760 Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $37,556 Year 2: $40,501 Year 3: $51,886 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $39,699 Year 2: $42,580 Year 3: $51,212

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