Western Connecticut State University Scholarships (2026–2027)
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Last Updated on July 29, 2026- Tuition, housing, and average family net price
- Automatic merit ranges and qualifier benchmarks
- Flagship and hidden-gem awards
- Honors and stacking strategy
📊 Admissions Snapshot
- Acceptance Rate: ~87%
- Middle 50% ACT: N/A
- Middle 50% SAT: 1040-1170
- Average GPA: N/A
Western Connecticut State University, or WestConn as most families around Danbury call it, is unusual in a way that matters a lot to your wallet. Most public universities have two prices that are miles apart: a friendly in-state number and an out-of-state number that is roughly double it. WestConn has two prices that sit about $3,500 apart. Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey residents all pay the same “Tri-State” rate, and everybody else pays a single National rate that WCSU’s own rate schedule identifies as the New England regional rate.
The scholarship side is just as straightforward. There is no essay contest, no finalist weekend, and no interview panel. WestConn runs an eight-step ladder of merit awards, and your student gets placed on one rung of it during the regular admissions review. No separate scholarship application exists. Three of those rungs also carry an invitation to the Kathwari Honors Program, which means the honors decision and the money decision are the same decision at this school. Get the application in, file the FAFSA, and the rest is handled for you.
Comparing multiple schools? Try the Scholarship Tool to search by GPA, test scores, and state →
📌 Western Connecticut State University at a Glance
- You get one merit award, not several. WestConn is explicit about this: eligible students may not hold more than one of the listed merit scholarships. Your student lands on a single rung of the ladder. The one exception is the Wolves Den Housing Scholarship, which stacks on top if they live on campus.
- “Full tuition” means base in-state tuition, not your whole bill. The Presidential Merit Scholarship covers annual base in-state tuition and fees. It specifically does not cover program-specific fees, the regional rate fee, or other miscellaneous charges. An out-of-state Presidential winner still owes roughly the $3,500 rate differential.
- The merit deadline appears as two different dates. WCSU’s merit scholarship page says accepted by May 1. Its own cost flyer and course catalog both say accepted by February 1. Funding is described as contingent on availability, so treat February 1 as your working target and stop worrying about which page is right.
- Nursing applicants must send test scores. WestConn is test-optional overall, but the Department of Nursing requires SAT or ACT scores for consideration. Nursing is one of the school’s strongest programs, so this trips up a lot of families.
- Getting admitted does not enter you for the donor money. Merit is automatic. The WCSU Foundation and university scholarship pool is a separate general application with a March 1 priority date. Two different processes, and most families only do the first one.
- The published SAT range is not a cutoff. That 1040 to 1170 figure only reflects the small share of admitted students who chose to submit scores. WestConn publishes no GPA or test minimums for any merit tier.
FAQ
Is this college test-optional? Yes — Western Connecticut State University is test-optional.
What is the middle 50% ACT/SAT? ACT: N/A; SAT: 1040-1170.
Average net price? About $17,185/year after aid.
Does this school use waivers/reciprocity? Yes — participates in NEBHE.
WCSU Admissions - Merit Scholarships: https://www.wcsu.edu/admissions/merit-scholarships/
WCSU University Scholarships - General Application Portal: https://www.wcsu.edu/scholarships/
CollegeScorecard / Admissions: https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/
💰 Cost of Attendance at Western Connecticut State University 2026-2027
📅 2027–2028 Planning Note: The costs below reflect the most recently published figures (2026–2027). Universities typically finalize the next year’s rates in the spring, and we’ll update this page once official 2027–2028 numbers are released.
Planning tip: At large public universities, tuition, fees, and housing usually increase modestly each year (often in the 2–5% range). For early budgeting, families may want to plan for roughly $1,000–$1,500 more in-state or $2,000–$3,000 more out-of-state in total direct costs once new rates are published.
| Category (2026–2027) | In-State | Out-of-State |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition & Mandatory Fees (2 semesters) | $13,401 | $16,901 |
| Housing & Meals (typical) | $15,479 | $15,479 |
| Total (Direct Costs) | $28,880 | $32,380 |
Average Federal Net Price: $17,185 — this is what families actually paid after grants and scholarships (no loans), based on the most recent federal data. Your specific cost could be significantly lower or higher depending on your financial aid eligibility and merit scholarships. New to Net Price & SAI? Read our guide.
📌 Regional Tuition & Waiver Options
WestConn publishes exactly two undergraduate rates. The Tri-State rate of $13,401 applies to residents of Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey. The National rate of $16,901 applies to everyone else, and WCSU’s official Full-Time Rate Schedule states that this National rate is the New England regional (NEBHE) rate. That has two practical consequences worth understanding.
First, if you live in New York or New Jersey, you are paying Connecticut’s in-state price with no application, no approved-major list, and no paperwork. Second, if you live anywhere else in the country, the regional discount is already baked into your rate, so there is no separate NEBHE Tuition Break form to chase down. That is genuinely different from how the Tuition Break works at most New England publics, where you have to qualify through an approved program.
Parent translation: a family in Poughkeepsie or Paramus pays the same tuition as a family in Danbury. A family in Ohio pays about $290 more per month. For a residential student, total published direct cost runs about $28,880 in-state and $32,380 out-of-state before a dollar of aid.
FAQ — Cost of Attendance at Western Connecticut State University
Why is out-of-state tuition only about $3,500 more than in-state?
Because WestConn only has two undergraduate rates instead of the usual three or four, and the higher one is already the New England regional rate rather than a full non-resident price. Most public universities charge non-residents two to three times the resident rate. WestConn charges about 26% more. It is one of the least expensive out-of-state options in the Northeast for a residential student.
Do New York and New Jersey residents really pay the in-state rate?
Yes. WCSU’s rate schedule defines the Tri-State rate as the in-state rate for Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey residents. There is no separate application, no major restriction, and no reciprocity certification to file. If your driver’s license says NY or NJ, you are in.
Do I need to apply for the NEBHE Tuition Break?
Not at WestConn. The school’s Full-Time Rate Schedule notes that the National rate reflects the New England regional rate for out-of-state residents outside New York and New Jersey. The discount is the default, not a program you opt into. Confirm this with the Cashier’s Office before you commit, since rate structures are set at the system level and can change.
If my student wins the Presidential Merit Scholarship, is the tuition bill zero?
Close, but not quite. The award covers annual base in-state tuition and fees. It excludes program-specific fees, the regional rate fee, and other miscellaneous charges. So a Connecticut resident is very near zero on the tuition line, while an out-of-state Presidential winner still owes roughly the $3,500 rate difference plus any program fees. Housing and food are a separate bill either way.
What is not in the direct-cost table above?
Books and supplies (WestConn estimates $1,200), transportation, personal expenses, and loan fees. WCSU’s full published cost of attendance for a residential student comes to $31,733 at the Tri-State rate and $35,233 at the National rate once those indirect items are added. Those extras are not billed by the university, which is why we keep them separate here.
Is the average net price what we will actually pay?
Treat it as a starting reference, not a quote. It is a federal average across all aided students from an earlier year, so it blends together families with very different incomes. WestConn rebuilt its net price calculator recently, and running it takes a few minutes. That estimate will be far closer to your reality than any published average.
Does the price hold steady for four years?
No. Rates are set annually by the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities Board of Regents, and they generally drift upward. Your merit award, on the other hand, is a fixed dollar figure that renews for up to eight consecutive full-time semesters. That means the award covers a slightly smaller share of the bill each year, so budget for the gap to widen a little as you go.
Are there deposits we should plan for?
Yes. There is a $50 non-refundable application fee up front, a $200 admissions binder due May 1 that gets applied toward tuition, and a $250 housing deposit if your student is living on campus. One nice detail: the admissions binder can transfer to another Connecticut State university if your student changes course.
https://www.wcsu.edu/finaid/cost-of-attendance/
https://www.wcsu.edu/cashiers/tuition-fees/
https://www.wcsu.edu/finaid/net-price-calculator/
📅 WestConn Scholarship Timeline (Simple Version)
- December 1: Fall admission decisions begin going out and continue on a rolling basis.
- February 1: The date to actually aim for. Two of WCSU’s own publications name this as the merit consideration cutoff.
- February 15: If no Kathwari Honors invitation has arrived by now, submit the direct honors application yourself.
- March 1: Triple deadline. Test-optional applicants must have applied, FAFSA priority date, and the general application for foundation scholarships closes for priority consideration.
- April: Scholarship reconsideration requests start getting reviewed.
- May 1: Merit deadline of record, reply to your admission offer, appeal deadline, and the $200 binder is due.
Parent rule of thumb: apply in the fall of senior year. Rolling admission means the earlier your student is in the pile, the earlier the award letter arrives and the more room you have to compare offers.
Automatic Merit Scholarships — Western Connecticut State University
Three of these awards, the Presidential Merit, the CSU Trustee, and the Honors Scholarship, come with an invitation to join the Kathwari Honors Program. At most universities honors admission is a separate application with its own essays and its own deadline. At WestConn, the scholarship offer and the honors invitation arrive in the same envelope. That makes those three rungs worth more than their dollar amount suggests, since honors students get priority registration and can carry 21 credits instead of 18 at no extra charge.
Note: Eligible students may not receive more than one of the listed merit scholarships. Your student gets the single award they are matched to, not a combination. The Wolves Den Housing Scholarship is the one award that layers on top, and only for students living on campus. All grants and scholarships combined cannot exceed billed tuition and fees, housing and food, plus a book allowance.
Automatic Merit — FAQs (Western Connecticut State University)
Do we have to apply for these scholarships?
No. Scholarship offers are made through the admissions process itself. What you do have to do is get the application in on time and file a FAFSA or AACTUS every year your student is enrolled. Skip the FAFSA and the merit award does not pay out, even if it was offered.
What are the GPA or test-score requirements for each tier?
WestConn does not publish them. The awards are assigned during the admissions review based on the academic record as a whole. We are not going to invent cutoffs for you. If your student is on the bubble between tiers, that is exactly what the reconsideration process below is for.
Can my student stack two of these?
No. WestConn states plainly that eligible students may not hold more than one of the listed merit scholarships. If your student qualifies for more than one, they receive one. The Wolves Den Housing Scholarship at $1,500 annually is the exception and does stack, but it requires on-campus residency.
Is the Presidential Merit Scholarship really full tuition?
It covers annual base in-state tuition and fees. It does not cover program-specific fees, the regional rate fee, or other miscellaneous charges, and it does not touch housing and food. For a Connecticut resident that is close to a zero tuition bill. For an out-of-state student it leaves the roughly $3,500 rate differential in place.
What happens if our award seems too low?
WestConn publishes an actual appeal path, which is rare. Submit a Scholarship Appeals Request Form along with senior year grades, your FAFSA or AACTUS, and scholarship offers from other colleges. Reviews begin in April and the deadline to request one is May 1. If your student’s grades improved senior year, or another school made a stronger offer, this is a real conversation you are invited to have.
Do these renew all four years?
Yes, for up to eight consecutive full-time semesters for first-time freshmen. Transfers may have fewer eligible semesters. Renewal requires completing at least 12 credits per term and holding a minimum GPA that varies by award, ranging from 2.5 on the Wolves Distinction up to 3.2 on the Presidential Merit.
Are transfer students eligible?
Yes. The merit program covers newly admitted first-time, full-time freshmen and transfers. That is worth knowing, because plenty of schools quietly restrict their best automatic money to incoming freshmen only.
https://www.wcsu.edu/admissions/merit-scholarships/
https://www.wcsu.edu/finaid/grants/
🏆 Flagship Scholarships (Competitive Scholarships)
That is not a knock on the school. It is a design choice, and for most families it works in your favor. Competitive scholarship programs are lotteries dressed up as meritocracies: hundreds of strong applicants chase a handful of packages, and the students who lose walk away with nothing extra. WestConn instead sets a modest sticker price, spreads a predictable ladder of awards across a wide group of admitted students, and tells you the rules up front. A family can look at the tiers, look at the Tri-State rate, and get within a few thousand dollars of their real cost before they ever submit an application. Very few public universities let you do that.
The trade-off is a ceiling. The single biggest institutional award here is base in-state tuition and fees, not tuition plus housing plus a stipend. Nobody is getting a $60,000 package. If your student has the profile that wins national competitions, they should absolutely apply here as a financial safety, and then also apply where those big packages exist.
✅ Can You Stack Scholarships at WestConn?
| Aid Type | Stacks with Merit? | WestConn Parent Translation |
|---|---|---|
| The eight automatic merit tiers | No, pick one | WestConn says it directly: eligible students may not receive more than one of the listed merit scholarships. Your student sits on exactly one rung. |
| Wolves Den Housing Scholarship | Yes, this is the exception | $1,500 annually, up to $6,000, layered on top of any merit tier. Requires living on campus. If your student was already planning to live in the dorms, this is free money for a decision you had made anyway. |
| WCSU Foundation & university scholarships | Generally yes | The donor-funded pool you reach through the March 1 general application. These are the gap fillers. Subject to the billed-cost ceiling described below. |
| Need-based grants (Pell, CSU Grant, Connecticut state aid) | Usually | Meant to fill in behind merit. Connecticut residents with demonstrated need should look closely at state grant programs. FAFSA timing drives all of it, so hit that March 1 priority date. |
| Outside and private scholarships | Usually, but report them | Your local Rotary or employer award can layer in, but it counts toward the ceiling. If your student is already at the cap, a new outside award may reduce institutional aid rather than lower your bill. |
WestConn caps total grants and scholarships at your direct, university-billed costs: tuition and fees, housing and food if you live on campus, plus an allowable book allowance. Once you hit that number, additional awards stop reducing your bill. This is the single most useful thing to understand about stacking here. It also means a commuter has a much lower ceiling than a residential student, because housing and food are not in their billed costs.
This institution does not offer designated Competitive scholarships at this time.
❓ Flagship / Competitive Scholarship FAQs
Does WestConn have a full-ride scholarship?
No. The largest institutional award is the Presidential Merit Scholarship, which covers base in-state tuition and fees. Housing, food, books, and program fees stay on your side of the ledger. A student could theoretically combine Presidential with Wolves Den housing money and need-based grants and get close to covered, but there is no single named full-ride award to apply for.
Is there any scholarship here that requires an essay or interview?
Not on the merit side. Some individual donor-funded awards in the foundation pool ask for a short questionnaire or essay once you complete the general application, and the system tells your student when that applies. Nothing at WestConn involves a finalist competition.
Is WestConn a Stamps Scholars, National Merit, or QuestBridge partner?
No to all three. If your student is a National Merit Finalist or a QuestBridge applicant, those credentials will not unlock a special package here. They will, however, strengthen the admissions record that determines which merit tier your student lands on.
Can we negotiate the award we were offered?
You can request a reconsideration, which is the closest thing to a negotiation that any public university will put in writing. WestConn asks for senior year grades, your FAFSA or AACTUS, and scholarship offers from other colleges and universities, submitted with a Scholarship Appeals Request Form. Reviews begin in April and requests close May 1. Bring your competing offers. They explicitly ask for them.
Where should we spend our essay energy instead?
On the foundation scholarship general application and on outside awards. WestConn’s donor pool is real money that most admitted students never apply for. Our Essay Toolkit and Brag Sheet Builder will get more return pointed at that pool than at anything on the merit side, which requires no writing at all.
https://www.wcsu.edu/admissions/merit-scholarships/
https://www.wcsu.edu/scholarships/
https://www.wcsu.edu/finaid/grants/
The Kathwari Honors Program at WestConn
The Kathwari Honors Program works differently from the honors colleges you have probably been reading about, and the difference is worth understanding before you go looking for an application. Every first-year applicant to WestConn is automatically considered for honors as part of the regular admissions review. There is no separate essay, no separate deadline, and no separate portal for the initial look. If your student is admitted to honors, an invitation arrives by email.
The program takes its name from a $1 million endowment given by Mr. and Mrs. Farooq Kathwari in 2015, which also turned the old Alumni Hall into the Irfan Kathwari Honors House. That building is the practical center of the program: honors students have around-the-clock access to it, including a full kitchen and communal study space.
- With test scores: a combined SAT of 1200 or higher, or a 25 on the ACT, plus a high school GPA of 3.5 or above.
- Test-optional route: a 3.5 GPA or above, plus 8 honors courses and 3 AP or college-level courses completed in high school.
- If no invitation arrives by February 15: your student can submit a direct online application. Do not wait for someone to reach out.
- Current and transfer students: may apply directly during their first two years, up to 60 credits, with a 3.5 cumulative GPA, references, and an essay that the program describes as crucial.
- Juniors and seniors: not eligible. The program does not consider applications from students who have already begun junior year.
Honors Scholarships & Fellowships
This institution does not offer designated Honors College scholarships at this time.
WestConn’s honors program states it plainly: scholarships are not offered directly through the Kathwari Honors Program. There is no honors scholarship application, because the money flows the other direction. Three of the eight automatic merit awards, the Presidential Merit Scholarship, the Connecticut State University (CSU) Trustee Scholarship, and the Honors Scholarship, each carry an invitation to join Kathwari Honors. The scholarship comes first and the honors invitation rides along with it.
So the honors strategy at this school is simply the admissions strategy. Apply early, apply strong, and the honors invitation and the larger merit tier tend to arrive together. You will find all three of those awards listed in the Automatic Merit section above.
- Credit boost: honors students may register for up to 21 credits per term instead of 18, with no additional charge or fee. Over four years that is potentially a full semester of coursework you are not paying extra for, and a faster path to graduation.
- Priority registration: honors students register two to three days ahead of the seniors’ registration date. Getting the classes you need on the first try is how students avoid an extra semester.
- Honors Housing: first come, first served. The program tells students to apply as soon as possible because some benefits are time sensitive. This is one of them.
- Kathwari Honors Student Travel Fund: program funding that supports conference travel and study abroad, on top of anything in your aid package.
Kathwari Honors — FAQs (Western Connecticut State University)
Does my student have to apply to honors separately?
Not initially. All first-year applicants are reviewed for honors admission alongside their regular application. The direct application exists as a backup, for students who were not selected through that review and want to make their own case, and for current and transfer students. If nothing has arrived by February 15, use it.
Is there scholarship money attached to being in honors?
Not from the honors program itself. The program is explicit that scholarships are administered through the admissions office instead. In practice the two travel together, because the Presidential, CSU Trustee, and Honors Scholarship awards all come with honors invitations. But you cannot apply to honors as a way of chasing money.
What does staying in the program require?
A 3.2 minimum cumulative GPA either way. The full program, for first-years and rising sophomores, requires six honors courses including HON 100 and the HON 400 capstone, plus 20 Honors Engagement Points. The associate program, for sophomores and rising juniors, requires three honors courses and 10 points. Points come from volunteering, internships, study abroad, campus employment, athletics, club involvement, conference presentations, and approved campus events, so most engaged students accumulate them naturally.
Are honors classes just more work?
They are structured around depth rather than volume. Courses are built on interdisciplinary “Modes of Inquiry,” with heavy discussion, research, and community engagement. Students report the workload feels different rather than heavier.
Can out-of-state students join?
Yes, and given that WestConn’s out-of-state rate runs only about $3,500 above in-state, an out-of-state student with honors and a strong merit tier can end up with a cost that beats their own state’s flagship. That combination is the most underrated financial play at this school.
One catch worth knowing about:
If your student is accepted to Kathwari Honors as an incoming freshman but enrolls somewhere else, and then transfers to WestConn later, that honors admission does not carry over. They have to reapply. Do not assume the invitation stays open.
https://www.wcsu.edu/honors/
https://www.wcsu.edu/honors/admission/
https://www.wcsu.edu/honors/benefits/
https://www.wcsu.edu/admissions/merit-scholarships/
⭐ College Specialty
WestConn is a mid-sized public university in Danbury, sitting in the corner of Connecticut where the New York border is close enough that plenty of students commute across it. It started life in 1903 as a teachers’ college, and that origin still shows in the shape of the place: the strongest programs here are the ones that put graduates directly into a licensed profession. This is a school built around nursing, business, teaching, and public service, not around graduate research output.
Nursing — This is the university’s signature program and its academic center of gravity. WestConn offers both a traditional BSN and a pathway for registered nurses, plus a master’s, a nursing education doctorate, and a Doctor of Nursing Practice. The regional pipeline into Danbury Hospital and the surrounding health systems is the real asset here. It also shows up in the money: nursing has more named donor scholarships in WestConn’s foundation pool than any other field. Two practical notes for families: nursing applicants must submit SAT or ACT scores even though the university is test-optional, and the department may hold higher admission requirements than the general guidelines.
- Ancell School of Business: WestConn’s business school, with majors in accounting, finance, marketing, management, management information systems, and economics, plus an MBA. It also holds the second-deepest cluster of donor scholarships on campus, and several are funded by regional employers who hire from it.
- Justice & Law Administration: a distinctive undergraduate major that draws students headed toward law enforcement, corrections, legal careers, and public policy. Paired with the graduate Homeland Security program, WestConn has built a genuine public-safety and justice pipeline.
- Psychology and Social Work: two of the largest undergraduate programs, feeding into counseling, social services, addiction studies, and graduate work. WestConn’s own graduate offerings in counselor education, addiction studies, and applied behavior analysis let students continue on the same campus.
- Musical Theatre and the performing arts: housed in the School of Visual, Performing & Communication Arts, and more serious than most people expect from a school this size. Musical theatre requires a pre-screen audition before your student is considered for an in-person audition, so build that into your timeline early. Music applicants audition as well.
- Music, including Jazz Studies and Audio & Music Production: a set of specialized tracks you rarely find at a regional public. Worth a look if your student is a serious musician who wants a professional program without a conservatory price tag.
- Cybersecurity and Applied Computing: newer additions, and WestConn now runs a master’s in Artificial Intelligence, which is unusual for a school of this size. These are the growth areas to watch.
One structural thing to understand about WestConn: it runs two campuses, the Midtown campus and the Westside campus, connected by a shuttle. Housing rates and meal plans differ between them, so where your student lives affects your bill. Athletics are NCAA Division III, which means no athletic scholarships, though plenty of students do compete.
🔗 Official Western Connecticut State University Links
Every link below was checked directly against WestConn’s live site. Use these pages to confirm final deadlines, award terms, and rates before you make any decisions. Tuition at WestConn is set at the system level by the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities Board of Regents, so the Cashier’s Office page is your authoritative source on cost.
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Undergraduate Admissions:
Admissions
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Freshman Admission Requirements (includes the test-optional rules and the March 1 date):
Freshman Applicant Requirements for Admission
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Apply to WestConn:
Apply Now!
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Merit Scholarships (all eight tiers, renewal GPAs, and the appeals form):
Merit Scholarships
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University Scholarships — General Application Portal:
https://www.wcsu.edu/scholarships/ -
Available Grants & Academic Scholarships:
Available Grants & Academic Scholarships
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Financial Aid Office:
Office of Financial Aid
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Cost of Attendance (full 2026–2027 tables, all three rate categories):
Cost of Attendance
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Tuition & Fees — Cashier’s Office (Tri-State, National, housing, and meal rate PDFs):
Tuition and Fees
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Net Price Calculator:
Net Price Calculator
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Kathwari Honors Program:
Home
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Kathwari Honors — Admission & Requirements:
Admission and Requirements
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Aid for Undocumented Students (AACTUS):
Undocumented Students
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Student Consumer Information:
WCSU Student Consumer Information
Note: this federally required disclosure page carries an older update date, so verify any figure on it against the Cashier’s Office and Financial Aid pages above.
WestConn does not publish a Common Data Set, which is why you will not find one linked here. For comparable institutional data, use the Student Consumer Information page above alongside the federal College Scorecard and IPEDS.