2024 Power 100: Barry Maloney
Photo | Courtesy of Worcester State University
Barry Maloney, president of Worcester State University
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As the higher education industry struggles with falling enrollment, Worcester State University is bucking the trend. In September 2023, Worcester State welcomed an incoming freshman class of 938, up from 825 the previous fall, making WSU the only one of the nine Massachusetts state universities with an enrollment increase for this school year.
For Barry Maloney, persistence pays off. He is the longest serving of the nine presidents of Massachusetts state universities, and nearly the longest serving of all 29 public college and university presidents, second only to UMass Chan Medical School Chancellor Dr. Michael Collins. Maloney's 13-year tenure has given him ample time to produce results, doubling down on enrollment and graduation rates at Worcester State while nurturing connections between the university and the surrounding community.
Importantly, the Worcester State student body is growing in diversity, with 44% of all new students being people of color, up 22% from the previous year
Worcester State students are vital to the area workforce, with 90% of students remaining in Massachusetts after graduating.
The positive trends are no accident. By expanding early college offerings to high school students, Worcester State helped create a larger pipeline of students into the university with some college credits already in hand. This spring, the number of early college classes increased to 61 and the number of high school partners rose to 20. This opens Worcester State to a wider pool of applicants and helps make school more affordable to increase retention and graduation rates.
Maloney and his team were able to balance the $34-million fiscal 2024 budget without resorting to layoffs or deep budget cuts, thanks to the work of a task force he convened to address a budget gap.
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