This is not a school brochure or a judgment about whether it is "good" or "bad." It is the map of one part of the plan. The other two—what your child wants and what your family can afford—are yours.
Who this school is and where it is located
Westfield State University is a public, four-year university located in Westfield, Massachusetts, within Hampden County and the Springfield metropolitan area. Being in that metropolitan area does not mean the campus is downtown: its census code places it in a suburb, within the urbanized area but outside the main urban core. What that feels like—whether it is walkable, whether there is activity nearby, whether your child would need a car—is something you can learn only by visiting. If your child is thinking about living at home while attending, I recommend something simple: drive the route on a weekday at the exact time of their classes. The actual travel time is almost never what the map promises.
Carnegie, the system that classifies the country's universities by what they do, describes it as a medium-sized, highly residential master's institution with large programs: at the time of that measurement, at least half of its undergraduate students lived in institution-provided housing and at least 80 out of every 100 attended full time. It also appears among schools that receive many transfer students. If your child comes here after studying somewhere else, ask in writing which courses will count and which will not. That "receives many transfer students" label does not say how many credits each person brings in or how many are lost along the way.
IPEDS—the federal data system underlying this entire article—records it as a public institution that awards bachelor's degrees or higher, with offerings reported through the graduate level. That does not confirm that your child's specific major exists here or that it connects to a graduate program. Verify the exact program.
And one note that sometimes carries more weight than it may seem: Westfield State University has none of these three federal designations: it is not a historically Black college or university (HBCU), it is not a tribal college or university, and it is not a land-grant institution. That says nothing about which students it serves or how your child would feel on that campus. Ask directly: which cultural centers currently exist, which student organizations are active, and better yet, speak with someone who already attends.
The size of the community and who makes it up
Westfield State University's official fall enrollment totaled 4,555: 3,788 undergraduates and 767 graduate students. Above all, it is a bachelor's-level school. Compared with similar public schools, it is on the smaller side: seven out of ten of them, or more, have more students.
Being small does not guarantee more attention for your child, just as being large does not guarantee more options. Ask about that by major, not for the school as a whole.
Among the undergraduates reported in fall 2023, Hispanic or Latino students accounted for 13 out of every 100. It is a small minority, although compared with similar public schools, the university ranks above the midpoint of that group. Having few Latino students does not take the school off the list, but it is a signal to investigate further: what student group exists, whether there is a cultural center, and whether anyone in the admissions office speaks Spanish. That comparison among schools does not account for where in the country each one is located, and that matters here: these are different things, not interchangeable ones.
The undergraduate population is almost evenly divided between men and women: women account for 54 out of every 100. Adults ages 25 through 64 are few, accounting for 12 out of every 100. And a permanent address in Massachusetts was reported by 87 out of every 100 first-time students: above all, this is a school for people from the state itself.
How the academic year is structured
The year is organized into semesters: two long terms of about 15 weeks each. The school stated that it accepts credit for AP exams and also for what IPEDS calls "credit for life experiences"—independent study, work experience, licenses, portfolios, and military training. Stating that it accepts such credit does not mean your child will receive it automatically: ask for the transfer-credit evaluation in writing before enrolling. Do not budget for the savings until you have it in hand.
It also enrolls high school students in college courses for credit through a formal dual-enrollment program.
As for what students study: in the latest year reported, Westfield State University awarded 893 bachelor's degrees across 21 fields of study. None accounts for a large share—not even business and management, the most popular field, which represented only 15 out of every 100 degrees awarded that year. The offerings are broad rather than concentrated in two or three paths. But 21 reported fields are not 21 exact majors: each field groups several programs, and some rows may report zero degrees. Verify the precise program that interests your child.
The student-to-instructional-staff ratio is 15 to 1, a middle-range figure compared with similar schools: neither among the lowest nor among the highest. This is not the actual size of a class; it is an institution-wide calculation that does not reach down to the first-year classroom.
The institution also reports structured opportunities: study abroad, a complete program that can be taken only during evenings or weekends, and pathways preparing students for teacher certification, including state approval for initial certification.
Getting in: what they require and what they do not
Westfield State University does not have open admissions. Of the nine considerations reviewed by IPEDS, it marked five as required: the high school record, grade point average, completion of the required college-preparatory curriculum, a formal demonstration of competencies (a portfolio or competency exam), and an English proficiency exam for applicants to whom it applies. It marked class rank, the personal essay, letters of recommendation, work experience, and whether a family member attended as not considered.
If your child studied outside the United States or attended high school in Spanish, ask now whether the English exam applies and what would qualify them for an exemption. It is one of those things people discover late, when there is no longer enough comfortable time to resolve it.
The undergraduate application fee is $0.
Now, the figure that usually answers the biggest question: out of 6,273 applicants in the 2023 cycle, 5,065 received an offer of admission. That is 81 out of every 100. It is an accessible admission rate, although it ranks near the middle compared with similar selective public schools. Put simply: this school receives thousands of applications, yet most applicants still receive a "yes." Your child has reason to apply and also reason to submit a complete application on time. Remember that this figure comes from a single cycle, not a fixed rule: check it again when it is time for your child to apply.
Here is a figure that often surprises people: from each group of 100 admitted applicants, only 14 ultimately enrolled. Put another way, approximately 1 out of every 7 admitted applicants chose to attend. The other 86 had a place here and did not take it. Do not read that as a mark against the school—the record does not say why each person made their choice—and do not let it tell you anything about what your family will be offered. What really matters is your own financial aid letter, with the actual net price. With that in hand, you can decide whether the school stays on the list.
As for standardized tests: the SAT and ACT are not required. If submitted, they are considered; if not, the application proceeds in the same way. SAT scores were submitted by fewer than 1 out of every 100 enrolled students. That very low figure does not indicate whether the test was used for admission, scholarships, or class placement—those are different questions that this figure does not answer.
And regarding transfers: among the bachelor's-degree-seeking cohort that entered in 2017, the share that transferred to another school without completing here was 29 out of every 100. That is a high proportion compared with similar schools. Keep this figure in mind when we reach graduation rates: someone who transfers does not count as a Westfield State University graduate, even if that person completes a degree elsewhere. And the fact that many leave does not mean they did poorly—the report tracks the movement, not the reason or the outcome.
The price: what the list says and what each family pays
At Westfield State University, among a population of 135 first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid, paid the in-state or in-district rate, and had EFC records showing family income below $30,000, the average net price was $11,168. Among 96 students from the same population with EFC family income from $48,001 through $75,000, it was $16,154; among 215 students with EFC family income above $110,000, it was $24,459. For dependent students, the band combines their parents' income with their own.
There is a difference of $13,291 between the average for the lowest-income band, based on 135 students, and the average for the highest-income band, based on 215 students. These are group averages, not a prediction of your family's price. Among first-year students who received any grant or scholarship aid, the average was $17,723.
$11,168 was the average net price for the lowest-income families in the 2022-23 academic year. That does not mean it is what your family will pay. It helps you determine whether it is worth requesting the aid letter.
Because the price varies so much from one income band to another, correctly identifying yours is the first step. The income bands in this profile describe first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid; at public institutions, they use the in-state or in-district rate. The overall average with grant or scholarship aid, when shown, describes first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal, state, local, or institutional grants or scholarships. The aid letter sent to you is what governs.
How it is paid: grants, loans, and options
At Westfield State University, the share of degree-seeking students who received aid that does not have to be repaid—grants and scholarships in the broad sense—was 67 out of every 100, with an annual average of $7,428 among recipients. And the share receiving Pell, the federal aid for low-income families, was 36 out of every 100. Remember: the percentage and the average do not share the same denominator, so do not multiply them by each other.
On the debt side, the share of undergraduate students who received a federal student loan in the 2022-23 school year was 55 out of every 100, with an average of $5,933 per borrowing student. That is a high proportion compared with similar schools—seven out of ten schools in that group, or more, had fewer students taking on debt. If your child borrowed a similar amount in each of the four years, the total would be around $23,732, not counting interest. That calculation should be made before the first signature, not afterward.
This average covers a single year and only federal loans in the student's name: it does not include Parent PLUS loans, bank debt, or the total debt someone has upon graduation. That figure—the one that ultimately matters—is not in this report.
The institution also reports a tuition installment payment plan as a support mechanism for managing the cost.
Life outside the classroom
Institution-controlled housing is available, with a reported capacity of 2,396. Living there is not required for all first-time, full-time students—which does not indicate whether a specific program might require it. Meal plans are available, with a fixed number of meals per week under the largest plan. Before removing room and board from the family budget, ask for the exact rule applying to your child's program and year, and whether housing is guaranteed or subject to a waiting list.
ROTC is available in two branches: Army and Air Force, but not Navy. Its appearance in the report does not mean your child has been accepted or that the program is taught on this specific campus—ask about it by name before building a plan around that idea.
The school competes in intercollegiate athletics and is affiliated with the NCAA, with reported participation in football, basketball, baseball, and cross-country or track and field. If your child wants to pursue that path, the next step is to write directly to the coach and ask in writing whether there is a place available, which division that sport competes in, and whether athletic scholarship aid is available.
It offers distance education at the undergraduate and graduate levels. In the fall count, the share of undergraduate students taking their entire course load remotely was 11 out of every 100; the rest took at least one in-person class. It also reports at least one complete program available through distance education, without specifying whether it is undergraduate or graduate—confirm the exact level if this interests your child.
The library has employed staff, physical and digital materials, and interlibrary lending. Reported support services include combined academic and career counseling, employment services, specific support for veterans and military service members, including participation in Yellow Ribbon, and a published webpage for services for students with disabilities. Their being reported does not indicate how many people staff them or how well they work: ask about that during the visit.
They stay, they leave, they graduate: the complete cycle
Here we reach the figures that carry the most weight when making a decision.
Among the full-time, bachelor's-degree-seeking cohort that entered in fall 2022, the share still enrolled here or already graduated one year later was 71 out of every 100. That retention rate ranks below similar schools: seven out of ten schools in that comparison group, or more, retained a larger share. This figure does not separate those still studying from those who had already graduated, nor does it say what happened to the rest. And something important: not returning is not the same as dropping out. In this figure, someone who transferred and is still studying elsewhere counts the same as someone who stopped studying altogether.
Of the cohort that started in 2017, the share that had graduated from this same school within six years was 55 out of every 100. Within four years, the figure falls to 44 out of every 100. Compared with similar schools, it ranks above the midpoint of the group. In exact numbers, the cohort numbered 1,008: 553 graduated here, 289 transferred to another school without completing at Westfield State, 19 remained enrolled without finishing, and 147 were no longer enrolled anywhere according to the federal record. Transferring does not establish that they completed a degree at their destination; "no longer enrolled" does not explain why.
And there is a third, longer view: among the cohort that entered between July 2015 and June 2016, the share that held a degree or certificate from this school eight years later was 63 out of every 100. Among Pell Grant recipients, the figure was 61 out of every 100—four points below the figure for nonrecipients. IPEDS reports that 27 out of every 100 had not received a credential from this institution by the reporting cutoff, although that figure contains an internal contradiction that makes it impossible to state precisely how many remained enrolled elsewhere. And 10 out of every 100 had an "unknown" status: the report simply could not determine where they were.
None of these three figures—retention, graduation within four or six years, and the eight-year outcome—measures the same thing or follows exactly the same people. When comparing Westfield State University with another school, compare the same figure with the same figure, not a mixture of them.
What you now know and what remains yours
You now know Westfield State University in as much depth as the official data allow: its size, its community, how it admits students, its listed cost and what each family ultimately pays according to income, how people stay or leave, and which support services it reports having. That is real information, and it is yours to use.
What this article cannot give you is what only your child knows—what they want to study, how far away they are willing to live, how much one major matters to them relative to another—or what only your family knows: how much you can and are willing to pay, and how much debt all of you are willing to accept.
Combine this piece with those other two. The plan comes from that combination, not from this school alone.
Source note: the information in this article comes from IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) and reports that Westfield State University submits to the United States Department of Education, corresponding primarily to the 2022-23 and 2023-24 cycles. Best College Aid does not represent Westfield State University or any government agency; this article organizes and explains existing public data.