We offer undergraduate and graduate programs with an emphasis on career-orientated learning that is firmly grounded in the liberal arts, as well as selected majors in the traditional arts and sciences.
We feature small class sizes, hands-on professional education, and an accessible faculty dedicated to teaching. A compact campus provides the added bonus of a secure community where social and cultural activities abound and students assume a wide-range of leadership roles in the community, student government and social and artistic affairs.
An emphasis on faculty mentoring and internships has resulted in an extremely high success rate in placing students in careers or graduate school.
We support both traditional and nontraditional students. Full-time and part-time enrollment opportunities exist during the day and the evening, and at the graduate and undergraduate level.
The undergraduate day population is comprised of both commuter and residential students representing the entire state of Massachusetts and all of New England. The graduate and continuing education population includes the whole spectrum of learners — from people desiring to expand their career opportunities by pursuing graduate or undergraduate certificates and degrees, to a typical university student home for the summer taking a course or two to get ahead.
The School of Graduate, Online and Continuing Education offers diverse perspectives for part-time and full-time advanced study in a variety of professional and academic fields.
Accreditation
Fitchburg State University is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education, the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, the International Accreditation Council for Business Education, the Council for Standards in Human Service Education, and the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education. The university’s programs are also approved by the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education, the National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification, the Interstate Certification Compact of Educational Personnel, the State Board of Registration in Nursing, the Board of Higher Education, the Commonwealth Honors Program and ABET.
Admissions
We accept students on the basis of their high school and/ or college record and essay. When making admissions decisions, other factors, such as recommendations from teachers, extra-curricular and community activities are also considered. Students also have the option of submitting SAT and ACT scores for consideration (though they are required for some programs).
Alumni Association
The Alumni Association offers a number of programs and services to the university’s more than 48,000 graduates. It serves the campus community with scholarships, equipment grants and library materials.
Athletics
Fitchburg State University teams compete in NCAA Division III sports
Men’s Varsity Sports
- Baseball
- Basketball
- Cross Country
- Football
- Ice Hockey
- Soccer
- Track and Field
Women’s Varsity Sports
- Basketball
- Cross Country
- Field Hockey
- Lacrosse
- Soccer
- Softball
- Track and Field
- Volleyball
Board of Trustees
- Dr. Michael Fiorentino Jr. (chair)
- Lynn Tesconi Barrieau (vice chair)
- David C. Tiernan (clerk)
- Jennifer L. Flanagan
- Matthew Gill (student representative)
- Eric A. Gregoire (alumni representative)
- Michael Morris
- C. Deborah Phillips
- Karen J. Spinelli
- Carolyn Crowley Stimpson
- President Donna Hodge (ex officio)
Calendar
Two semesters: Early September to mid-December, and late January to early May (two summer sessions and a winter session are also offered by Graduate and Continuing Education).
Campus
Main campus: 48 buildings (six of which are over 100 years old) on 60 acres
McKay Teacher Education Center: 11 acres
Athletic Fields: 17 acres
We also own 122 acres in Lancaster used for nature and ecological study, 12.5 acres on John Fitch Highway, and 42 acres on Pearl Hill Road used for passive recreation.
Cultural Events
The theater program, the band, chorus and jazz groups, and the student dance and theater clubs, all offer performances throughout the year. Art exhibits are hosted annually at the Hammond Hall Art Gallery, Conlon Hall Media Wall, and Sanders Administration Building. Programming is also offered through the Office of Student Development, the Center for Italian Culture, and Adult Learning in the Fitchburg Area (ALFA).
Degrees Awarded (2024)
Bachelor's: 678
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate: 44
Master’s: 1,209
Certificates of Advanced Graduate Study (CAGS): 37
Economic Impact
$283.4 million (per UMass Donahue Institute analysis, November 2021).
Total full-time employees: 613
The university is the largest non-municipal employer in Fitchburg.
Enrollment (Fall 2024)
Total enrollment: 6,100
Undergraduate: 3,030
Graduate students: 3,070
Faculty
Full-time faculty: 191
Percent of full-time faculty with doctorate or highest degree in field: 91%
Day student-faculty ratio: 13:1
Financial Aid
Federal, state and institutional programs provide students with more than $43 million in grants, loans, work-study awards and scholarships. About 90% of first-time undergraduates receive some form of financial aid.
Library
The Amelia V. Gallucci-Cirio Library supports the teaching and scholarship mission of Fitchburg State University by providing dynamic collections, expert research support and collaborative learning spaces. The library is a comprehensive information center offering access to over 180,000 print books and 200,000 ebooks; 100,000 full text online periodical titles; 20,000 streaming films and documentaries; and access to approximately 165 electronic online databases. The library is student-focused and is dedicated to advancing students’ information literacy skills by providing research instruction classes and services that include reference, reserves, interlibrary loan and the university archives.
Location
Fitchburg, Mass. is a city of 40,000 located in the North Central part of the state, close to the New Hampshire border, about 50 miles from Boston.
Media
The university produces an electronic campus newsletter, Fitchburg State University Today. The Point, the student newspaper, is also published online. The university also publishes Fitchburg State Magazine, a digital repository of stories about alumni, students, faculty, and the institution as a whole. The university also has a website and a student-run radio station (WXPL, 91.3FM).
Recreation Center
The Recreation Center is the hub for recreational activities at Fitchburg State. The Recreation Center provides access to collegiate sports and a state-of-the-art fitness center equipped with racquetball courts, a dance studio, indoor track, group fitness classes, and recreation trips.
Residence Halls
The campus has four residence halls and three apartment communities. Half of the undergraduate student population lives in campus residences.
Revenues
Budget (FY2023): $115,581,726
Total FY2023 revenue: $130,759,629
Endowment (June 2023): $27,386,202, managed by the Fitchburg State University Foundation.
Student and Academic Support Services
The Office of Student and Academic Life oversees a variety of services, including:
- Academic Advising
- Athletic and Recreational Services
- Campus Center
- Career Services
- Counseling Services
- Disability Services
- Expanding Horizons
- Health Services
- International Education
- Center for Diversity and Inclusiveness
- Orientation
- Peer Tutor and Assessment Center
- Student Conduct
- Mediation and Education
- Student Development Office
Tuition and Fees
Annual tuition and fees for full-time day undergraduates (Massachusetts residents): $11,747 (fall 2024) See undergraduate tuition and fees for the most updated information.
Total annual cost for full-time residential student: $23,494 (fall 2024)
Graduate and continuing education costs are $327 per credit for undergraduate level courses and $347 per credit for graduate level courses (fall 2024). See graduate, continuing and evening tuition and fees for the most updated information.
University Officers
- Dr. Donna Hodge, President
- Dr. Patricia A. Marshall, Provost and Executive Vice President
- Dr. Laura A. Bayless, Vice President of Student Affairs
- Jeffrey A. Wolfman, Vice President for Institutional Advancement