Westfield State University

Public · Moderately Selective · MA

Photo: John Phelan (CC BY 3.0)

School data & stats

TypePublic

LocationMA · Northeast

SettingSuburban

Undergrads3,615

Student:faculty17:1

Outcomes

4-yr grad rate42.9%

6-yr grad rate54.4%

Drop-out rate26.1%

Study abroad—

Cost

In-state tuition$12k

Out-of-state tuition$18k

Application fee—

Community

Racial diversity31.8%

Gender diversity55.3%

International1.1%

Identity—

Overview

Westfield State University, in western Massachusetts near the Berkshire foothills, was founded in 1839 by education reformer Horace Mann as one of the first teacher-training schools open without barriers of race or economic class, a founding mission that still informs the university's identity as an access-oriented public institution.

Academics

Criminal justice, education, and communication are the most established and recognized programs, reflecting the school's long history as a teacher-training institution alongside newer professional fields.

Campus & student life

The campus is residential, set in a quieter part of western Massachusetts distinct from the Boston-area college cluster, with a traditional New England campus feel and easier access to the Berkshires than to a major city.

Getting in

Admission is not highly selective, with a straightforward process typical of a regional public university drawing primarily from Massachusetts.

Worth knowing

The Horace Mann founding history is a genuine point of institutional identity, not incidental trivia; Westfield State presents itself explicitly as carrying forward that access-focused, egalitarian founding mission.

westfield.ma.edu ↗

Admissions

Acceptance rate81.4%

Enrolled mid-50%1080

Test policyoptional

Rec letters0

Deadlines (2026–27 cycle)

AdmissionRolling

Applying