Franklin W Olin College of Engineering is a private nonprofit institution offering bachelor's degrees based in Needham, Massachusetts. It enrolls 377 students (a very small, intimate student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Every figure on this page is reported by the federal government, not supplied by the college, so it can be compared like for like against anywhere else you are looking.
AccreditorNew England Commission on Higher Education
Academic CalendarSemester
How It Measures Up
These four scores answer one question: compared with similar colleges, is this one worth the money? Each runs 0 to 100 and is judged only against its peer group (4-Year Selective), so a community college is never marked down for not being Harvard. Everything is computed from federal data. Nobody can pay to move a score, and a pillar with missing data is left unscored rather than guessed.
Strong
80/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes99
Value92
Affordability16
Selectivity96
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
Franklin W Olin College of Engineering admits 25.2% of applicants, which makes it genuinely competitive, so your application needs to be strong.
Acceptance Rate
25.2%
Selective
SAT Range (25th–75th)
1493 – 1558
Reading + Math combined
ACT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
Test PolicyNot ConsideredStandardized test scores are not used in admissions decisions.
5-Year Admission Trend
Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether Franklin W Olin College of Engineering is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.
Becoming less selective ↑
6.0 pts
since 2019
Cost & Financial Aid
Ignore the sticker price. What matters is the net price, which is what a typical family pays here after grants and scholarships come off. At $25,171 a year on average, it sits in line with what private nonprofit colleges charge nationally. Plan for the gap between that and what you can pay without borrowing. Figures are College Scorecard 2023-24.
Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.
Tuition & Fees
$66,398
Room & Board (on-campus)
$20,810
Books & Supplies
$240
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$2,221
Total Cost of Attendance
$86,474
Application fee: $85 (one-time, due at submission)
Net Price by Family Income
Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.
$30,001 – $48,000
$3,100
$48,001 – $75,000
$9,528
$75,001 – $110,000
$12,271
Over $110,000
$27,096
Debt at Graduation
Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.
$6,50025%percentile
$19,500Medianpercentile
$21,50075%percentile
Median Debt by Student Type
Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.
GroupDebtvs Median
Pell recipients $12,500
↓ $7,000
No Pell $15,304
↓ $4,196
Female students $14,391
↓ $5,109
Male students $14,287
↓ $5,213
Worth knowing:
Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $6,825, less than completers ($19,500), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.
Graduation Rate & Retention
98% come back after first year. Students who arrive tend to stay, which is usually a good sign. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Completion and earnings carry the most weight in this college's score, and how the UCD Score weighs each measure sets out exactly how they are combined.
6-Year Graduation Rate
—
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
98%
Returning for their second year
What this means:
High first-year retention. Students who arrive tend to stay.
After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes
Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $129,455 a year, well above the national median. Strong earnings, though the field studied drives much of that. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$129,455
Earning > $25K
95%
10 yrs after entry
Earnings Growth After Graduation
Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.
What this means:
Strong return on investment. Every dollar of net annual cost is matched by ~$5.1 of median earnings 10 years out.
Who Studies Here
Who you would actually be sitting next to: 377 students, an intimate, close-knit community.
Total Enrolled
377
Part-Time
0%
First-Generation
—
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
White 41.6%157
Asian 23.6%89
Hispanic 12.5%47
Other 8.2%31
International 7.4%28
Black 2.1%8
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at Franklin W Olin College of Engineering. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
Setting
Large SuburbNeedham, Massachusetts
Housing
Strongly residential366 beds for 377 students
Athletics
NAIAathletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
Semesterscheduling structure
What You Can Study
Franklin W Olin College of Engineering offers
a focused set of programs:
3 distinct programs across
1 major.
Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings.
Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.
There are 9 students for every instructor here: small classes, and staff who are likely to know your name.
Student : Faculty
9:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Endowment
$320M
Solid financial position
Avg Faculty Salary
$124,810
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
47 instructional faculty across 5 ranks.
The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.
Rank
Faculty Count
Share
Avg Salary
Full Professors
20
43%
$146,426
Associate Professors
12
26%
$124,788
Assistant Professors
8
17%
$113,795
Instructors
6
13%
$69,098
Lecturers
1
2%
$115,135
Pros & Cons of Franklin W Olin College of Engineering
No college is right for everyone. Here is where Franklin W Olin College of Engineering is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.
Very high published cost of attendance (full-pay families pay much more than the net-price average)
Predominantly serves middle- and upper-income families
Best for:
Based on the data, Franklin W Olin College of Engineering is a fit for
students prioritizing post-graduation earnings; students who thrive in small, close-knit environments.
Frequently Asked Questions about Franklin W Olin College of Engineering
The questions families ask most about Franklin W Olin College of Engineering, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.
Is Franklin W Olin College of Engineering hard to get into?
Franklin W Olin College of Engineering is highly selective. Its acceptance rate is 25.2%, so admitted students generally have strong grades, competitive test scores, and a well-rounded application.
What is the acceptance rate at Franklin W Olin College of Engineering?
25.2% of applicants are admitted. Fewer than a third of applicants get in, so treat it as a stretch rather than a safe bet. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What SAT score do you need for Franklin W Olin College of Engineering?
Aim for 1558 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 1493 and 1558 (Reading plus Math), so anything above the top of that range makes you competitive and anything below the bottom means the rest of your application has to carry more weight. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
How much does Franklin W Olin College of Engineering cost?
Budget around $25,171 a year. That is the net price, what families typically pay once grants and scholarships come off, not the sticker price. Your own figure depends on household income, so treat this as a midpoint rather than a quote. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Franklin W Olin College of Engineering worth it?
On the numbers, yes: strong return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $129,455 a year against a net price of $25,171, about 5.1 dollars of earnings for every dollar of annual cost. That ratio ignores whether you finish and what you study, which matter just as much. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is Franklin W Olin College of Engineering known for?
Mostly General Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering. Those are the fields where it awards the most degrees, which is a better guide to where the teaching strength sits than any reputation ranking. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What do Franklin W Olin College of Engineering graduates earn?
About $129,455 a year, measured ten years after students first enrolled. Half earn more and half earn less, and what you study moves that figure far more than where you study. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Franklin W Olin College of Engineering accredited?
Yes. Franklin W Olin College of Engineering is accredited by the New England Commission on Higher Education.
How many students attend Franklin W Olin College of Engineering?
377 students. Small enough that you will recognize faces across campus, and small enough that course choice can be limited. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is Franklin W Olin College of Engineering a public or private college?
It is Private Nonprofit. Private nonprofit, so the sticker price is higher but institutional aid is often larger too.
Where is Franklin W Olin College of Engineering located?
Franklin W Olin College of Engineering is located in Needham, Massachusetts.
What programs does Franklin W Olin College of Engineering offer?
3 different programs, most commonly General Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering. If the subject you want is not among them, check the full list before applying rather than assuming it is offered.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at Franklin W Olin College of Engineering?
9 students per instructor. Low enough that staff are likely to know who you are. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
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