Chandler Street, on the west side of Worcester, is where you'll find Worcester State University. It began as a teacher-training school in 1874 and is now a public university known for nursing, health sciences and business. Occupational therapy and speech-language pathology have strong reputations, and biotechnology links well to the city's life sciences employers. Worcester is New England's second-largest city, about an hour west of Boston.
Worcester, Massachusetts, United States
Official website: worcester.edu
1874
Public university in Massachusetts
Nursing and health sciences
$15,000 – $18,000
Out-of-state undergraduate tuition and fees
$14,000 – $17,000
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 worcester.edu before you apply.
BS Nursing
Bachelors DegreeDuration
48 Months
Intake
Aug
Exam Score
IELTS: 6.0, TOEFL: 70
BS Business Administration
Bachelors DegreeDuration
48 Months
Intake
Aug, Jan
Exam Score
IELTS: 6.0, TOEFL: 70
BS Biotechnology
Bachelors DegreeDuration
48 Months
Intake
Aug, Jan
Exam Score
IELTS: 6.0, TOEFL: 70
MS Occupational Therapy
Masters DegreeDuration
24 Months
Intake
Aug
Exam Score
IELTS: 6.5, TOEFL: 79
MS Speech-Language Pathology
Masters DegreeDuration
24 Months
Intake
Aug
Exam Score
IELTS: 7.0, TOEFL: 90
Occupational therapy and speech-language pathology master's degrees.
Low public-university tuition near Boston.
Links to Worcester's hospitals and biotech firms.
Nursing and therapy graduates join UMass Memorial and other hospitals in central Massachusetts.
Biotechnology graduates work in labs across the Worcester and Boston life sciences corridor.
Graduates can apply for OPT to work in the US after finishing.
Undergrad
Rolling
Postgrad
Varies by programme
Undergrad
Rolling
Postgrad
Selected programmes
Campus is compact, with residence halls, a library and a quad, in a residential part of the city's west side. Worcester has around a dozen colleges, and they share some events and cross-registration through a local consortium.
The city is more affordable than Boston, with a growing restaurant scene around Shrewsbury Street and Canal District. MBTA commuter rail reaches Boston's South Station in about ninety minutes.
Form I-20 issued by Worcester 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
Undergraduate applications are read on a rolling basis; apply by May for fall or November for spring. Occupational therapy and speech-language pathology have fixed winter deadlines and often use centralised application services.
Undergraduates start in fall (September) or spring (January). Most graduate health programmes admit only for fall.
International students come in on an F-1 visa. The I-20 comes from Worcester State University after you confirm your place and show you can cover a year of costs; you then pay the SEVIS fee, fill in the DS-160 and book your consulate interview.
Nursing, business, biotechnology, occupational therapy and speech-language pathology are popular. Undergraduates need secondary school results and IELTS 6.0 or TOEFL 70. Graduate health programmes need a bachelor's degree and prerequisite courses, and some ask for observation hours.
Worcester State offers limited merit scholarships to international undergraduates. Tuition is already low, so most students fund their studies themselves.
