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WASHINGTON, D.C. (Jan. 30, 2026) — WorldQuant University reached 2,000 graduates from its Master of Science in Financial Engineering program with the addition of the class of 2025, the institution announced today.

WQU will mark the milestone at today’s commencement ceremony, where 286 graduates will celebrate completion of the free, online, two-year program.

WQU received accreditation from the Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC) in 2021 and entered a period of rapid growth. The university passed 1,000 graduates in 2022, and the alumni community has doubled in size over the next three years.

This trend is projected to continue. As of Oct. 1, 2025, the program had 9,400 active learners from more than 150 countries. About 93 percent of these students live outside North America and over 70 percent are in the Global South, reflecting WQU’s mission to expand opportunity at scale.

Ritabrata Bhattacharyya, the university's first instructor, has been with WQU since its founding in 2015 and helped design the inaugural program, launched 10 years ago in 2016. “From the first blueprint to the vibrant global institution it is today, my decade with WorldQuant University has been a profound privilege,” Bhattacharyya said.

He described watching a single idea grow into a widespread source of opportunity, reaching hundreds and now thousands of students worldwide through free education. “It has been an honor to help shape the foundations of WorldQuant University and to continue teaching, witnessing firsthand the boundless potential we unlock,” he said.

WQU CEO John Endrud said today’s milestone confirms the power of the institution’s commitment to make advanced, high-quality education accessible to learners worldwide, free of cost. “My pride in our mission is matched only by my excitement for the future,” he said. “We are proud of our graduates and look forward to supporting many more as they apply their skills to address real-world challenges.”

Eric Anku, a 2025 graduate from Ghana, said the program is already unlocking career opportunities for him. “The financial engineering course opened me up to the financial market,” he said. “More importantly, I gained hands-on technical, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills.”

WQU is a not-for-profit institution founded by Igor Tulchinsky and dedicated to the belief that talent is global, opportunity is not. Offering free online education in advanced technical and quantitative fields, WQU empowers students in over 150 countries with industry-driven curricula and expert faculty to develop in-demand, future-ready skills. Accredited by the Distance Education Accrediting Commission, WQU is committed to making quality, rigorous education accessible worldwide.