MA
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
2.37 incidents / 1,000 students
Worcester, MA · Clery Act 2024 · Private Nonprofit
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Across 2022–2024, Worcester Polytechnic Institute reported 45 incidents in the Clery Criminal Offenses section, and the yearly count rose over that span (largest filed category: Burglary). Nearby same-state same-level comparison: University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth.
- 2.37
- Incidents / 1k students
- #1,141
- Rank of 2,072
- #47
- MA rank
- 7,584
- Enrolled students
2.37 reported score-category incidents per 1,000 students
Worcester Polytechnic Institute reports 2.37 2024 score-category incidents per 1,000 - 9% above Ensign College. Similar-enrollment scored peers: Ensign College (1.19/1k); Adelphi University (4.74/1k); University of Southern Maine (3.02/1k); Coastal Alabama Community College (0.79/1k); Nevada State University (1.19/1k). Same-state same-level set also includes University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth (1.51/1k); Berklee College of Music (4.06/1k); Suffolk University (1.42/1k); Salem State University (4.82/1k); MCPHS University (0.17/1k); Fitchburg State University (1.87/1k); Merrimack College (1.88/1k); Worcester State University (1.91/1k). Largest Criminal Offenses total across filed years: Burglary.
Data source U.S. Department of Education, OPE Campus Safety and Security Survey
- incidents / 1,000 students
- 2.37
- of 2,072 ranked nationally
- #1,141
- report fewer incidents than this campus
- 55%
- Criminal Offenses, 2024
- 17
Source: U.S. Department of Education OPE Campus Safety and Security Survey
Data updated August 2026
Clery Act plate
Sheet 168421 · Worcester Polytechnic Institute 2.37/1k score rate · #1,141/2,072
RATE-MID · RANK-LOWER · ST-MID · BELOW-PEER · ZERO-NONE · TREND-UP · CAT-LEAD · ENR-MID · FIRE-REPORT
- RATE-MID 2.37/1k
- RANK-LOWER #1,141/2,072
- ST-MID #47 in state
- BELOW-PEER University of Southern Maine · 0.65 back
- ZERO-NONE Scored
- TREND-UP ↑ 42%
- CAT-LEAD Burglary
- ENR-MID 7,584
- FIRE-REPORT 2 fires
Nearest enrollment peer: University of Southern Maine (+0.65/1k)
Worcester Polytechnic Institute sheet RATE-MID · RANK-LOWER · ST-MID · BELOW-PEER · ZERO-NONE · TREND-UP · CAT-LEAD · ENR-MID · FIRE-REPORT · peer University of Southern Maine. Codes from this campus OPE filing: score-category rate, national/state rank, named enrollment peer, zero posture, Criminal Offenses trend, lead category, enrollment band, fire filing. Not a moving recommendation.
Clery plate RATE-MID · RANK-LOWER · ST-MID · BELOW-PEER · ZERO-NONE · TREND-UP · CAT-LEAD · ENR-MID · FIRE-REPORT. Nearest similar-enrollment peer is University of Southern Maine (+0.65/1k). National rank #1,141 of 2,072 scored campuses. Instrument codes from this campus OPE sheet; compare similarly sized peers before treating any single rate as decisive.
Worcester Polytechnic Institute reports 2.37 2024 score-category incidents per 1,000 - 9% above Ensign College. Similar-enrollment scored peers: Ensign College (1.19/1k); Adelphi University (4.74/1k); University of Southern Maine (3.02/1k); Coastal Alabama Community College (0.79/1k); Nevada State University (1.19/1k). Same-state same-level set also includes University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth (1.51/1k); Berklee College of Music (4.06/1k); Suffolk University (1.42/1k); Salem State University (4.82/1k); MCPHS University (0.17/1k); Fitchburg State University (1.87/1k); Merrimack College (1.88/1k); Worcester State University (1.91/1k). Largest Criminal Offenses total across filed years: Burglary.
Peer-rate neighbourhood around Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Lowest/highest enrollment peers plus campuses nearest Worcester on score-category rate. Full ladder: /rankings/safest-campuses.
- Coastal Alabama Community College · lowest peer 0.79
Coastal Alabama Community College — lowest peer
0.79 per 1,000 students
- Nevada State University · near 1.19
Nevada State University — near
1.19 per 1,000 students
- Ensign College · near 1.19
Ensign College — near
1.19 per 1,000 students
- Worcester Polytechnic Institute · this campus
Worcester Polytechnic Institute — this campus
2.37 per 1,000 students
- University of Southern Maine · near
University of Southern Maine — near
3.02 per 1,000 students
- Adelphi University · highest peer
Adelphi University — highest peer
4.74 per 1,000 students
What this shows Neighbourhood of similar-enrollment peers around Worcester Polytechnic Institute's 2.37/1k rate, not a full-corpus distribution reprint.
Reporting-period change
What changed in 2024
Worcester Polytechnic Institute increased from 16 to 17 reported on-campus incidents between the 2023 and 2024 reporting years in the U.S. Department of Education OPE Campus Safety Survey.
This is a change in reported incidents, not a measure of individual safety. Enrollment, reporting practice, and category coverage can affect the count.
See national reporting-year changesSignature insight · size does not equal danger
Campus size vs reported safety rate
Among 37 MA 4-year peers in this comparison, Worcester Polytechnic Institute is larger than 89% and safer-reporting than 56% - the larger, safer-reporting quadrant. Axes are within-sample percentiles so outliers share the same frame; a higher safety percentile means a lower Clery incidents-per-1,000 rate.
Read the chart as text
- Point 1: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 92, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 81
- Point 2: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 94, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 31
- Point 3: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 86, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 83
- Point 4: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 83, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 25
- Point 5: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 81, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 97
- Point 6: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 78, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 72
- Point 7: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 75, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 69
- Point 8: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 72, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 67
- Point 9: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 97, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 44
- Point 10: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 69, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 53
- Point 11: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 67, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 78
- Point 12: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 64, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 58
- Point 13: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 61, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 39
- Point 14: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 58, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 92
- Point 15: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 56, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 47
- Point 16: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 53, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 3
- Point 17: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 50, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 61
- Point 18: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 47, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 0
- Point 19: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 44, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 36
- Point 20: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 42, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 86
- Point 21: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 100, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 42
- Point 22: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 39, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 14
- Point 23: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 36, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 89
- Point 24: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 33, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 22
- Point 25: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 31, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 17
- Point 26: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 28, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 100
- Point 27: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 25, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 8
- Point 28: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 22, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 64
- Point 29: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 19, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 94
- Point 30: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 17, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 50
- Point 31: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 14, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 75
- Point 32: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 11, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 6
- Point 33: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 6, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 19
- Point 34: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 6, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 11
- Point 35: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 3, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 33
- Point 36: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 0, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 28
- Worcester Polytechnic Inst…: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 89, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 56
Read the chart as a table
| Campus | Enrollment | Rate / 1k | Size pct | Safety pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Curry College | 1,994 | 4.51 | 0 | 28 |
| Hult International Business School | 2,008 | 3.98 | 3 | 33 |
| American International College | 2,037 | 5.89 | 6 | 19 |
| Assumption University | 2,037 | 6.87 | 6 | 11 |
| Williams College | 2,164 | 9.24 | 11 | 6 |
| Mount Holyoke College | 2,275 | 1.76 | 14 | 75 |
| Wellesley College | 2,407 | 2.49 | 17 | 50 |
| Regis College | 2,517 | 0.40 | 19 | 94 |
| Lesley University | 2,557 | 1.96 | 22 | 64 |
| Springfield College | 2,599 | 9.23 | 25 | 8 |
| Bay Path University | 2,605 | 0.00 | 28 | 100 |
| Worcester Polytechnic Institute (this campus) | 7,584 | 2.37 | 89 | 56 |
Sample of 12 campuses from the plot (sorted by enrollment). Source: U.S. Department of Education OPE Campus Safety Survey + IPEDS enrollment. Rate = on-campus Criminal Offenses and VAWA incidents per 1,000 students; lower is safer-reporting, not a personal-risk forecast.
What changed between 2023 and 2024
Reported on-campus incidents at Worcester Polytechnic Institute rose from 16 to 17 (+6%). The increase shows up in Arson (0 to 1) and Motor Vehicle Theft (0 to 1). Falling over the same period: Rape (2 to 1).
This describes reported incidents, not crime. Clery counts move with reporting policy, awareness campaigns and how a campus staffs its security authorities, so a rise can reflect better capture of reports and a fall can reflect worse capture. One year of movement at a single campus is not a trend.
What actually gets reported at Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Across 3 reporting years, on-campus incidents were recorded in 6 Clery Act categories here: Burglary, Rape, Motor Vehicle Theft, Aggravated Assault, Arson and Fondling. Burglary accounts for most of them.
The remaining 5 categories were reported with no on-campus incidents, among them Incest, Murder / Non-Negligent Manslaughter, Negligent Manslaughter and Robbery. Under the Clery Act that zero is an affirmative report that nothing in the category occurred, not an absence of data, which is why the table below lists those rows rather than dropping them.
Counts describe incidents reported under the Clery Act for the on-campus geography. Reporting practice varies between institutions, so counts are not a direct measure of relative safety.
Crime Statistics by Year
11 categories 3 reporting years on-campus onlyWorcester Polytechnic Institute: Criminal Offenses by year
Rising 42% (12 → 17 incidents)
Read the chart as text
| Period | On-campus incidents |
|---|---|
| 2022 | 12 |
| 2023 | 16 |
| 2024 | 17 |
| Crime Type | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Burglary | 14 | 14 | 7 |
| Rape | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| Motor Vehicle Theft | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Aggravated Assault | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Arson | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Fondling | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Incest | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Murder / Non-Negligent Manslaughter | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Negligent Manslaughter | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Robbery | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Statutory Rape | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Source: US Dept of Education OPE Campus Safety Survey. Table figures show the Criminal Offenses section; other Clery tables are separate
Fire Safety
| Year | Fires | Inj. | Deaths | Cat I | Cat II |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Arrests & Disciplinary Actions
9 category-year records| Category | Year | Arrests | Discipline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drugs | 2024 | 0 | 2 |
| Liquor | 2024 | 0 | 58 |
| Weapons | 2024 | 0 | 2 |
| Drugs | 2023 | 0 | 6 |
| Liquor | 2023 | 0 | 52 |
| Weapons | 2023 | 0 | 3 |
| Drugs | 2022 | 0 | 4 |
| Liquor | 2022 | 0 | 39 |
| Weapons | 2022 | 0 | 3 |
Worcester Polytechnic Institute vs peer institutions
Side-by-side safety scores for 3 peers of similar enrollment
Scores are $2024 Criminal Offenses and VAWA incidents per 1,000 enrolled students (lower is fewer in those categories).
UT
Ensign College
1.19 incidents / 1,000 students
NY
Adelphi University
4.74 incidents / 1,000 students
Cost context
Where Worcester Polytechnic Institute sits on price and outcomes
At $43,071, Worcester Polytechnic Institute's reported average net price is cheaper than 96% among 117 Massachusetts colleges with a reported figure. The state median is $24,402.
- $43,071
- average net price
- $24,402
- Massachusetts median
- 3.1×
- six-year earnings to median debt
- $25,698
- reported income-bracket spread
Aid here is steeply income-scaled. Families reporting under $30,000 of income record a net price of $24,018, while those above $110,000 record $49,716 - roughly 2.1 times as much. A published average of $43,071 therefore describes very few families well; the bracket nearest your own income is the more useful figure.
Six-year median earnings of $85,038 run about 2.0 times the annual net price. The margin is real but narrow, so how many years of price a student actually pays matters a great deal here.
Average net price reflects grant and scholarship aid for aided students, not a personal offer. Earnings cover former students who received federal aid; neither measure predicts an individual's outcome.
Academic & Financial Profile
Tuition & Costs
- In-State Tuition
- $60,965
- Out-of-State Tuition
- $60,965
- Avg Net Price
- $43,071
- Median Debt
- $27,000
- Pell Grant Recipients
- 12%
Admissions
- Acceptance Rate
- 60%
Outcomes
- 4-Year Graduation Rate
- 89%
- Retention Rate
- 94%
- Median Earnings (6yr)
- $85,038
- Median Earnings (10yr)
- $103,470
- Loan Repayment (3yr)
- 96%
Source: IPEDS & College Scorecard. Methodology.
Similar Institutions
Showing 5 of 916 similar institutions by enrollment size.
Ensign College
Salt Lake City, UT · 7,594 enrolled
Safety Score 1.19
Adelphi University
Garden City, NY · 7,603 enrolled
Safety Score 4.74
University of Southern Maine
Portland, ME · 7,604 enrolled
Safety Score 3.02
Coastal Alabama Community College
Bay Minette, AL · 7,553 enrolled
Safety Score 0.79
Nevada State University
Henderson, NV · 7,549 enrolled
Safety Score 1.19
Closest by National Rank
Worcester Polytechnic Institute (national rank #1141) sits near University of Delaware (#1142) and American Samoa Community College (#1140) on the scored national list, nearest by rank, not by size or state.
University of Delaware
Newark, DE
National Rank #1142
American Samoa Community College
Pago Pago, AS
National Rank #1140
University of New Mexico-Gallup Campus
Gallup, NM
National Rank #1139
Oklahoma State University-Main Campus
Stillwater, OK
National Rank #1143
Asbury Theological Seminary
Wilmore, KY
National Rank #1138
Nationwide campuses with similar scale or Clery rate
Two Clery-derived peer sets for Worcester Polytechnic Institute, both outside MA so the neighborhoods are not state containment (Similar Institutions and national-rank neighbors above stay enrollment- or rank-based).
Similar enrollment (nationwide)
Ensign College
Salt Lake City, UT · 7,594 enrolled
Safety score 1.19
Adelphi University
Garden City, NY · 7,603 enrolled
Safety score 4.74
University of Southern Maine
Portland, ME · 7,604 enrolled
Safety score 3.02
Nevada State University
Henderson, NV · 7,549 enrolled
Safety score 1.19
Thomas Edison State University
Trenton, NJ · 7,544 enrolled
Safety score 0.00
St. Thomas University
Miami Gardens, FL · 7,652 enrolled
Safety score 0.91
Columbia Basin College
Pasco, WA · 7,510 enrolled
Safety score 1.60
The University of Tennessee-Martin
Martin, TN · 7,499 enrolled
Safety score 2.13
Similar 2024 Clery rate (nationwide)
American Samoa Community College
Pago Pago, AS · 843 enrolled
Safety score 2.37
University of Delaware
Newark, DE · 24,412 enrolled
Safety score 2.38
Asbury Theological Seminary
Wilmore, KY · 1,689 enrolled
Safety score 2.37
University of Memphis
Memphis, TN · 20,276 enrolled
Safety score 2.37
Oklahoma State University-Main Campus
Stillwater, OK · 27,278 enrolled
Safety score 2.38
University of North Georgia
Dahlonega, GA · 19,291 enrolled
Safety score 2.38
Green River College
Auburn, WA · 7,967 enrolled
Safety score 2.38
Medical College of Wisconsin
Milwaukee, WI · 1,677 enrolled
Safety score 2.39
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Worcester Polytechnic Institute safe?
Worcester Polytechnic Institute has a safety score of 2.37 (2024 on-campus Criminal Offenses and VAWA incidents per 1,000 enrolled students) and ranks #1,141 nationally out of 2,072 ranked institutions - nearest similar-enrollment comparison: Ensign College (1.19/1k). Same-state same-level set: University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth (1.51/1k); Berklee College of Music (4.06/1k); Suffolk University (1.42/1k); Salem State University (4.82/1k); MCPHS University (0.17/1k); Fitchburg State University (1.87/1k); Merrimack College (1.88/1k); Worcester State University (1.91/1k).
What crimes are reported at Worcester Polytechnic Institute?
For calendar year 2024, Worcester Polytechnic Institute reported Burglary (14), Arson (1), Motor Vehicle Theft (1) and Rape (1) in the Criminal Offenses section. Every other category in that section was reported at zero; other Clery tables are separate.
How does Worcester Polytechnic Institute compare to similar schools?
Worcester Polytechnic Institute reports 9% more 2024 score-category incidents per 1,000 than Ensign College. Scored similar-enrollment peers on this page: Ensign College (1.19/1k); Adelphi University (4.74/1k); University of Southern Maine (3.02/1k); Coastal Alabama Community College (0.79/1k); Nevada State University (1.19/1k). Same-state same-level set: University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth (1.51/1k); Berklee College of Music (4.06/1k); Suffolk University (1.42/1k); Salem State University (4.82/1k); MCPHS University (0.17/1k); Fitchburg State University (1.87/1k); Merrimack College (1.88/1k); Worcester State University (1.91/1k).
Does Worcester Polytechnic Institute have fire safety data?
Yes. Worcester Polytechnic Institute reports fire safety data for on-campus residential facilities, including total fires, injuries, deaths, and fire damage categories. 2 fires were reported in the most recent year.
Every figure on PlainCampus is rendered directly from federal Clery Act source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on federal Clery Act source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.
PlainCampus is for informational purposes only and does not constitute safety, security, legal, or enrollment advice; the data describes reported on-campus activity, it is not a complete picture of safety at any campus and cannot predict any individual student's experience. See our appropriate use guidance.
PlainCampus is for informational purposes only and does not constitute safety, security, legal, or enrollment advice.