Horace Mann helped start this school in 1838 to train teachers, and education is still one of the things Westfield State does well. It is now a public university in the Pioneer Valley of western Massachusetts, with criminal justice among its largest majors, along with business, psychology, communication and movement science. Most undergraduates live on campus. Springfield is about ten miles east.
Westfield, Massachusetts, United States
Official website: westfield.ma.edu
1838, as a teacher-training school
Public university in Massachusetts
Small city in the Pioneer Valley
$16,000 – $19,000
Out-of-state undergraduate tuition and fees
$13,000 – $16,000
Rent, food and local transport
Approximate figures for 2026-27, please verify. Fees change every year and vary by course, so check the latest amount on westfield.ma.edu before you apply.
BS Criminal Justice
Bachelors DegreeDuration
48 Months
Intake
Aug, Jan
Exam Score
IELTS: 6.0, TOEFL: 61
BS Business Management
Bachelors DegreeDuration
48 Months
Intake
Aug, Jan
Exam Score
IELTS: 6.0, TOEFL: 61
BA Psychology
Bachelors DegreeDuration
48 Months
Intake
Aug, Jan
Exam Score
IELTS: 6.0, TOEFL: 61
MS Criminal Justice
Masters DegreeDuration
24 Months
Intake
Aug, Jan
Exam Score
IELTS: 6.5, TOEFL: 79
Master of Education
Masters DegreeDuration
24 Months
Intake
Aug, Jan
Exam Score
IELTS: 6.5, TOEFL: 79
One of the larger criminal justice programmes in New England.
A long record of training Massachusetts schoolteachers.
Public-university tuition with a residential, small-college feel.
Criminal justice graduates join police departments, courts, corrections and federal agencies across the Northeast.
Education graduates teach in Massachusetts and Connecticut schools.
Graduates can apply for OPT to work in the US after finishing their degree.
Undergrad
Rolling
Postgrad
Rolling
Undergrad
Rolling
Postgrad
Rolling
Campus sits on Western Avenue on the edge of town, with residence halls, playing fields and wooded hills beyond. Downtown Westfield is a short shuttle ride away.
Springfield has the Basketball Hall of Fame and Amtrak trains to Hartford and New York. Bradley International Airport is about half an hour south, and the Berkshires are close for hiking.
Form I-20 issued by Westfield State University
Proof of funds for one academic year
SEVIS I-901 fee payment receipt
Completed DS-160 online application
US embassy or consulate interview
Passport valid six months beyond stay
Westfield State reads international applications on a rolling basis. Aim to apply by May for a fall start and by November for spring, so the I-20 and visa interview can be done in time.
There are two main intakes, fall (late August or early September) and spring (January). A few graduate programmes also accept summer starts.
You'll need an F-1 visa. Once you accept your offer and send proof of funding, Westfield State University issues the Form I-20. After that it's the SEVIS fee, the DS-160 form and an interview at a US embassy or consulate.
Criminal justice, business management, psychology and education draw the most interest. Undergraduates need a completed secondary school record and roughly IELTS 6.0 or TOEFL 61. Master's applicants need a bachelor's degree, and some education programmes ask for teaching experience.
Westfield State offers some merit awards to international undergraduates at admission. They reduce the bill rather than cover it, so budget for most of the cost yourself.
