Comparison tool
Rankings across 8 publishers plus admissions, cost, debt and outcome data for Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Colorado School of Mines. Every figure is sourced and dated.
| Metric | WPIWorcester, MA | MinesGolden, CO |
|---|---|---|
| Acceptance rate | 60.2% | 60.7% |
| SAT middle 50% | Not reportedWorcester Polytechnic Institute reports that it neither requires nor recommends admissions test scores, and does not report a score range to the Department of Education. | 1320–1480 |
| Average net price | $43,07111.9% on Pell grants | $28,69013.6% on Pell grants |
| Published tuition & fees | $60,965Most recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release | $21,914 in-state · $45,824 outMost recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release |
| 6-year graduation rate | 89.7% | 81.7% |
| First-year retention | 93.7% | 92.8% |
| Undergraduates on Pell grants | 11.9% | 13.6% |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $103,470 | $97,335 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $27,000 | $23,000 |
| Student-faculty ratio | 13:1 | 17:1 |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 5,447 | 6,155 |
| Consensus percentile | 19Lower is better | 17Lower is better |
| Methodology sensitivity | 26 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points | 21 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points |
Highlighted cells mark the most favourable value in that row where a direction is meaningful. No highlight appears for metrics like enrollment or SAT range, where “better” depends entirely on what you want.
“Not ranked by this source” means that publisher’s list does not include the school — not missing data and not a poor rank.
| Source | WPI | Mines |
|---|---|---|
| US News | #84 of 436National universitiesNational Universities · 2026 | #80 of 436National universitiesNational Universities · 2026 |
| Forbes | #160 of 500Top colleges (Forbes)America's Top Colleges · 2026 | #127 of 500Top colleges (Forbes)America's Top Colleges · 2026 |
| Washington Monthly | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source |
| WSJ | #90 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 | #104 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 |
| Niche | #147 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 | #116 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 |
| Money | Not ranked by this source | Listed |
| Princeton Review | Listed | Not ranked by this source |
| QS | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source |
Engineering and computing students who learn by building with a team rather than by lecture and exam, and who want international project work embedded in the degree.
Average net price of $43,071 is high relative to comparable public engineering programs.
Full profileStudents committed to engineering or applied earth and energy science who want elite earnings outcomes, a small campus, and mountain access — and who do not need academic breadth.
Very narrow academic scope; almost no humanities, business or arts pathway.
Full profile