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Worcester, MassachusettsPhoto: Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.0
Colleges in and near Worcester

Worcester is home to seven colleges, with about 28,000 students on campus

Worcester Polytechnic Institute (6,695 students on campus) and Quinsigamond Community College (5,550) are inside the city. About 14% of Worcester’s residents are enrolled in college, above Massachusetts (8%).

Worcester Polytechnic InstituteClark UniversityWorcester State UniversityAssumption UniversityCollege of the Holy CrossUniversity of Massachusetts Chan Medical SchoolQuinsigamond Community College

From the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard, June 2026; IPEDS fall 2023 enrollment) and the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, 2020–24. Straight-line distances from the center of Worcester. Colleges are described, not graded.

Within 15 miles
8
28,549 students on campus
Nearest college
0.4 mi
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Residents in college
14%
Above MA (8%)
Nearest community college
3.1 mi
Quinsigamond · $6,262 tuition
Nearest public university
1.9 mi
Worcester State · $11,786 in-state
Median household income
$70K
prices below start here

What stands out about college in Worcester

Facts about the town and its distance to campus; each college’s own figures follow.

Seven colleges within 3.1 milesWorcester Polytechnic Institute admits 60% of applicants; Clark University admits 40%; Worcester State University admits 88%. Together they have 27,558 students on campus.In-state price at Worcester StateLiving in Massachusetts, Worcester State University charges $11,786 in tuition and fees; from out of state, $17,866. State residency rules decide which a new arrival pays.A community college 3.1 miles awayQuinsigamond Community College in Worcester: tuition and fees $6,262 a year for Massachusetts residents.Students are 14% of residentsAbove Massachusetts (8%). The Census counts anyone enrolled, including part-time and online students.
Every college

Colleges within 15 miles of Worcester

Five private colleges within 7.1 miles, two public colleges within 2.4 miles, and Quinsigamond Community College 3.1 miles away.

5 mi10 mi15 miWorcester Polytechnic InstituteQuinsigamondWorcester StateWorcester
University or collegeCommunity college
Worcester Polytechnic InstituteUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 6,695 on campus · In Worcester60%admitted$43knet price90%graduate$103kearningsClark UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 4,118 on campus · In Worcester40%admitted$29knet price77%graduate$62kearningsWorcester State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · 4,994 on campus · In Worcester88%admitted$13knet price61%graduate$61kearningsAssumption UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 1,812 on campus · In Worcester83%admitted$29knet price75%graduate$75kearningsCollege of the Holy CrossUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 3,035 on campus · In Worcester18%admitted$39knet price87%graduate$91kearningsUniversity of Massachusetts Chan Medical SchoolUniversity or college · Public · 1,354 on campus · In WorcesterGraduate students only; the Scorecard reports no undergraduate figures.Quinsigamond Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · 5,550 on campus · In Worcester$9knet price22%graduate$46kearningsTuition and fees: $6,262 a year. The net price counts housing and food at full cost.Anna Maria CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 991 on campus · 7.1 mi · Paxton50%admitted$28knet price46%graduate$47kearnings

Degree-granting colleges with 100 or more students on campus (fall 2023 enrollment, minus students who study only online). Admitted: share of applicants offered a place. Net price: the average a year after grants, for students on federal aid. Graduate: within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting.

What it costs

What would your family pay?

The average a year after grants, for families on federal aid, at the colleges within 15 miles. Pick your family’s income.

Family income

Starts at $48–75k, where Worcester’s median household income ($70,102) falls.

Quinsigamond Community CollegeIn Worcester · sticker $15,921 · tuition $6,262$8,169a year
Worcester State UniversityIn Worcester · sticker $22,874$9,540a year
College of the Holy CrossIn Worcester · sticker $80,334$12,682a year
Clark UniversityIn Worcester · sticker $68,432$21,971a year
Anna Maria College7.1 mi · Paxton · sticker $61,888$25,366a year
Assumption UniversityIn Worcester · sticker $65,551$25,471a year
Worcester Polytechnic InstituteIn Worcester · sticker $78,679$32,350a year

The average a year after grants and scholarships, for first-time, full-time students on federal aid, from the College Scorecard. Your own price depends on your aid package; every college has a net price calculator. For community colleges the net price counts housing and food at full cost, so tuition is shown beside it. “—”: not reported for that income.

Outcomes

Do students finish, and does it pay?

Each dot is a college within 15 miles of Worcester: across is the share who graduate, up is what they earn ten years after starting.

$0$20k$40k$60k$80k$100k$120k0%25%50%75%100%Graduate →Worcester Polytechnic InstituteClark UniversityWorcester StateAssumption UniversityCollege of the Holy CrossQuinsigamond
Worcester Polytechnic Institute90% graduate$103k earnings$27k typical debt
Quinsigamond Community College22% graduate$46k earnings$17k typical debt
Worcester State University61% graduate$61k earnings$20k typical debt
Clark University77% graduate$62k earnings$27k typical debt
College of the Holy Cross87% graduate$91k earnings$27k typical debt
Assumption University75% graduate$75k earnings$27k typical debt
Anna Maria College46% graduate$47k earnings$25k typical debt

Graduation: first-time, full-time students within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 years (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting, for students who got federal aid.

Majors

What students study in Worcester

Share of bachelor’s and associate degrees by field across Worcester’s 6 colleges, weighted by undergraduates; then the biggest programs.

Health professions 15%Engineering 14%Business 11%Computer science 8%Social sciences 7%Biology 6%Everything else 39%

Biggest programs

Computer ScienceWorcester Polytechnic Institute · 222 graduates a year
$134k4 yrs out
Mechanical EngineeringWorcester Polytechnic Institute · 211 graduates a year
$97k4 yrs out
Psychology, GeneralWorcester State University · 154 graduates a year
$57k4 yrs out
Business Administration, Management and OperationsWorcester State University · 144 graduates a year
$66k4 yrs out
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingQuinsigamond Community College · 141 graduates a year
$90k4 yrs out
EconomicsCollege of the Holy Cross · 130 graduates a year
$118k4 yrs out
Political Science and GovernmentCollege of the Holy Cross · 129 graduates a year
$88k4 yrs out
Psychology, GeneralCollege of the Holy Cross · 125 graduates a year
$74k4 yrs out

College Scorecard: degree shares (PCIP; each college’s six largest fields are kept, the rest count as everything else) and the field-of-study file, median earnings 4 years after graduating.

Questions about college in Worcester

Is Worcester a college town?

No. About 14 of every 100 Worcester residents are enrolled in college (Census, 2020–24), above Massachusetts (8). The largest campus in the city, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, has 6,695 students on campus.

What colleges are in Worcester?

Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Quinsigamond Community College, Worcester State University, Clark University and 3 more are inside the city.

What is the closest community college to Worcester, and what does it cost?

Quinsigamond Community College in Worcester, 3.1 miles away. Tuition and fees are $6,262 a year for Massachusetts residents; the federal net price, $9,090, counts housing and food at full cost.

How much does Worcester State University cost if we live in Massachusetts?

Tuition and fees are $11,786 a year in-state and $17,866 from out of state. After grants, families on federal aid paid an average of $8,793 (under $30,000 income) to $19,679 (over $110,000), housing and food included.

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Colleges: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS (Scorecard 06/10/2026 · IPEDS 2024 · fall 2023 enrollment). “On campus” is fall enrollment minus students who study only online. Distances are straight-line from the center of Worcester. Residents in college, age, rent and poverty (including poverty without college students, table B14006): U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–24. Colleges are described, not graded; the College town label marks towns where 15% or more of residents are enrolled. How TownRatings describes colleges →