Quick Facts

• Established in 1968, the Colleges of Worcester Consortium, Inc. is a not-for-profit association of public and private accredited colleges and universities located in Greater Worcester.

• The 12 college and university members which comprise the Colleges of Worcester Consortium, Inc. include nine Worcester-based institutions and three institutions in greater Worcester.  Member institutions are: Anna Maria College, Assumption College, Becker College, Clark University, College of the Holy Cross, Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University, MCPHS University Nichols College, Quinsigamond Community College, UMass Medical School, Worcester State University, Worcester Polytechnic Institute.
  

Academics

• More than 30,000 full- and part-time students

• About 7,000 students earned degrees (associate’s through doctoral) or complete certificates last year in one of nearly 300 majors and concentrations.

• More than 450 undergraduate students took advantage of 380 courses through cross-registration among Consortium institutions during 2011-12.

• The Consortium facilitates a Certificate in College Teaching program which prepares graduate students, adjunct and full-time faculty as well as career changers for a career in academia.

Community Engagement/Economic Impact

• Consortium member institutions represent one of the largest industries in Greater Worcester, employing more than 16,000 full-and part-time faculty and staff.

• Consortium institutions total more than 70,000 alumni living in Worcester County.

• The Consortium maintains an online database for local and regional businesses, nonprofit organizations, and government agencies to post internship opportunities for area college students. More than 530 employers have posted approximately 1,000 internships on the site.
• The total economic impact of Consortium member institutions on the state of Massachusetts is estimated to be more than $2.5 billion.

• In 2011-12, there were 21,000 undergraduate and graduate student placements which provided more than 1.4 million hours of services with community agencies and other organizations as volunteers, within service learning classes, through federal work study, internships, clinical and field placements.

Higher Education Access

• The Collegiate Success Institute (CSI) Worcester served approximately 175 Worcester Public School juniors and seniors in collaboration with college partners Anna Maria, Assumption, Clark, Holy Cross and Worcester State, and corporate partners Unum, Hanover Insurance, EBS Foran, and Morgan Stanley.

• 72% of the Consortium’s annual revenues (approximately $2.7 million) are derived from funds received through the U.S. Department of Education and the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education to provide higher education access services for disadvantaged students and adults across the state.

• The Consortium’s GEAR UP provided college and career readiness services/workshops to approximately 1,000 students in grades 7-12 at Worcester East Middle and North High schools.

• The Consortium implemented the College Access Challenge Grant of $250,000 from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in Worcester, Southbridge, Springfield and New Bedford.

• The Consortium's Educational Opportunity Center (EOC) in Worcester provided postsecondary education planning services to approximately 1,500 low-income, first-generation adults clients.

• The Consortium's Educatonal Talent Search (ETS) program provided college and career readiness services/workshops to approximately 700 students in grades 9-12 at Burncoat, Doherty, South and Worcester Technical high schools, and Claremont Academy, and in 7-8 grades at Sullivan Middle School.

• Provided career and education case management services to approximately 100 early childhood educators in partnership with the Mass. Dept. of Early Education and Careers and the Center for Childcare Careers of Family Services of Central Mass.

• With local partners, the Consortium provided EOC (Educational Opportunity Center) services in Boston, Lynn, New Bedford, Pittsfield and Springfield; ETS (Educational Talent Search) services in New Bedford and Springfield; and GEAR UP services in Holyoke, New Bedford and Springfield.