Dear WPI Community,
Everywhere I go, alumni talk with me about their WPI education with pride, and employers tell me how much they value WPI graduates. They stress how well prepared WPI students are, not just for starting a career, but for navigating change and undertaking leadership.
That makes WPI stand out, particularly when the higher education sector is at an inflection point and a nationwide discussion about the return on investment of a college education is ongoing.
So, what makes a WPI education not just distinct, but distinctly valuable?
Our high job placement rates, first-year salaries, and the lifetime value of a WPI degree speak volumes about how desirable WPI graduates are. Yet, a WPI education is much more than a pathway to jobs and salaries.
Today, as technologies rapidly advance and the nature of jobs and workplaces continues to evolve, WPI provides a learning experience that not only builds careers but also enables personal growth.
WPI provides a learning experience that not only builds careers but also enables personal growth.
That is what makes a WPI education distinctly valuable. WPI focuses on each student as an individual. WPI educates tomorrow’s dreamers, doers, and leaders—intentionally and systematically.
For more than 50 years, we have placed project-based learning at the center of our curriculum. Our students learn by exploring and designing solutions to real-world problems together. They master how to learn, think critically, communicate effectively, work as a team, pivot when needed, and iterate and adapt.
Our Global Projects Program celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2024. From a single center in Washington, D.C., the program has grown to more than 50 locations in 31 countries on six continents.
More than 85% of WPI undergraduate students leave campus for at least one term to work on their Interactive Qualifying Project or Major Qualifying Project, or complete their Humanities and Arts Requirement at one of these sites.
Working as a team while immersed in a culturally and intellectually stimulating—yet unfamiliar—environment builds empathy, teamwork, communication skills, and a deep motivation to work on critical issues impacting society.
When we recently surveyed our alumni about project-based learning, 94% said it enhanced their ability to develop ideas, 93% said it improved how they function on a team, and 88% said their projects helped them build a stronger personal character.
WPI is turning 160 years old in 2025 and has seen multiple industrial revolutions. While technological change is constant, what remains unchanged is our commitment to an excellent STEM education. Our faculty and staff continue to update curriculum, create new degree programs, innovate in pedagogy, and motivate our students to explore, to learn, and to grow.
A distinctly valuable WPI education provides leading-edge knowledge and skills, opens exciting career pathways, and, most importantly, builds character.
Sincerely,
Grace
Data from a recent alumni survey prove that working on multiple hands-on projects throughout a college career equips students with valuable skills that contribute to their personal and professional success.
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