Colleges in Massachusetts
69 colleges in Massachusetts that award bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates: 14 public and 55 private. 3 of them, mostly state colleges, award bachelor's degrees in fewer than a quarter of their undergraduate awards, and 1 award a substantial mix of both. Among colleges where most degrees awarded are bachelor's, the lowest average net price is at Worcester State University ($13,381 a year after grants). Numbers are averages for students receiving federal aid; open a school to see what a family at your income pays.
| College | City | Type | Undergrads | Acceptance | Avg. net price | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American International College | Springfield | Private | 1,017 | 100% | $23,274 | 46% | $53,124 |
| Amherst College | Amherst | Private | 1,911 | 9% | $23,367 | 94% | $77,644 |
| Anna Maria College | Paxton | Private | 906 | 50% | $28,333 | 46% | $46,651 |
| Assumption University | Worcester | Private | 1,669 | 83% | $29,498 | 75% | $74,895 |
| Babson College | Wellesley | Private | 2,728 | 17% | $40,514 | 93% | $123,938 |
| Bard College at Simon's Rock | Great Barrington | PrivateBachelor's & associate · 25% bachelor's | 225 | 96% | $31,625 | 68% | $46,543 |
| Bay Path University | Longmeadow | Private | 1,108 | 85% | $14,271 | 44% | $55,383 |
| Benjamin Franklin Cummings Institute of Technology | Boston | PrivateMostly 2-year · 3% bachelor's | 483 | — | $15,488 | 46% | $57,556 |
| Bentley University | Waltham | Private | 4,474 | 45% | $37,930 | 87% | $120,959 |
| Berklee College of Music | Boston | Private | 7,468 | 44% | $49,465 | 67% | $33,647 |
| Boston Architectural College | Boston | Private | 280 | — | $25,865 | 32% | $62,123 |
| Boston College | Chestnut Hill | Private | 10,085 | 16% | $41,704 | 91% | $103,937 |
| Boston University | Boston | Private | 18,248 | 11% | $24,402 | 89% | $83,238 |
| Brandeis University | Waltham | Private | 3,618 | 41% | $35,736 | 86% | $77,231 |
| Bridgewater State University | Bridgewater | Public | 7,829 | 88% | $16,383 | 53% | $57,466 |
| Cambridge College | Boston | Private | 532 | — | $31,072 | 11% | $45,998 |
| Clark University | Worcester | Private | 2,214 | 40% | $28,714 | 77% | $62,381 |
| College of Our Lady of the Elms | Chicopee | Private | 949 | 85% | $17,545 | 68% | $51,540 |
| College of the Holy Cross | Worcester | Private | 3,106 | 18% | $38,782 | 87% | $90,543 |
| Curry College | Milton | Private | 1,780 | 88% | $29,207 | 51% | $54,400 |
| Dean College | Franklin | Private | 1,089 | 74% | $30,684 | 54% | $38,109 |
| Emerson College | Boston | Private | 3,870 | 51% | $49,180 | 77% | $62,832 |
| Emmanuel College | Boston | Private | 1,854 | 76% | $26,706 | 68% | $68,245 |
| Endicott College | Beverly | Private | 3,125 | 71% | $40,654 | 76% | $58,336 |
| Fisher College | Boston | Private | 1,167 | 71% | $26,649 | 28% | $49,669 |
| Fitchburg State University | Fitchburg | Public | 2,752 | 87% | $14,262 | 55% | $53,874 |
| Framingham State University | Framingham | Public | 2,566 | 84% | $16,114 | 48% | $52,349 |
| Franklin W Olin College of Engineering | Needham | Private | 377 | 25% | $25,171 | 96% | $129,455 |
| Gordon College | Wenham | Private | 1,278 | 69% | $24,883 | 69% | $52,119 |
| Hampshire College | Amherst | Private | 839 | 75% | $24,034 | 54% | $46,938 |
| Harvard University | Cambridge | Private | 7,601 | 4% | $19,066 | 98% | $101,817 |
| Hult International Business School | Cambridge | Private | 618 | 60% | $45,447 | 67% | — |
| Laboure College of Healthcare | Milton | PrivateMostly 2-year · 23% bachelor's | 525 | 50% | $36,863 | 100% | $62,200 |
| Lasell University | Newton | Private | 1,226 | 81% | $27,511 | 59% | $49,705 |
| Lesley University | Cambridge | Private | 1,122 | 97% | $31,152 | 58% | $51,173 |
| MCPHS University | Boston | Private | 3,451 | 85% | $39,545 | 62% | $125,557 |
| MGH Institute of Health Professions | Boston | Private | 164 | — | — | — | $87,130 |
| Massachusetts College of Art and Design | Boston | Public | 1,831 | 76% | $24,100 | 69% | $43,582 |
| Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts | North Adams | Public | 713 | 90% | $16,068 | 56% | $48,102 |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Cambridge | Private | 4,535 | 5% | $20,111 | 96% | $143,372 |
| Massachusetts Maritime Academy | Buzzards Bay | Public | 1,395 | 95% | $21,582 | 74% | $82,392 |
| Merrimack College | North Andover | Private | 3,916 | 70% | $37,927 | 70% | $75,584 |
| Montserrat College of Art | Beverly | Private | 226 | — | $33,216 | 53% | $33,022 |
| Mount Holyoke College | South Hadley | Private | 2,169 | 36% | $26,441 | 84% | $58,418 |
| Nichols College | Dudley | Private | 1,163 | 81% | $33,036 | 63% | $58,063 |
| Northeastern University | Boston | Private | 17,326 | 5% | $30,915 | 91% | $92,538 |
| Northeastern University Professional Programs | Boston | Private | 1,802 | — | — | — | $92,538 |
| Quincy College | Quincy | PublicMostly 2-year · 3% bachelor's | 2,300 | — | $17,126 | 15% | $52,506 |
| Regis College | Weston | Private | 956 | 70% | $27,477 | 72% | $52,873 |
| Salem State University | Salem | Public | 4,291 | 96% | $15,996 | 50% | $56,662 |
| Simmons University | Boston | Private | 1,670 | 70% | $25,265 | 72% | $63,494 |
| Smith College | Northampton | Private | 2,544 | 21% | $27,579 | 89% | $64,027 |
| Springfield College | Springfield | Private | 1,751 | 72% | $30,587 | 74% | $48,036 |
| Stonehill College | Easton | Private | 2,528 | 66% | $33,016 | 76% | $77,745 |
| Suffolk University | Boston | Private | 4,268 | 82% | $29,618 | 61% | $67,506 |
| The New England Conservatory of Music | Boston | Private | 393 | 41% | $46,754 | 73% | $34,483 |
| Tufts University | Medford | Private | 7,061 | 11% | $39,998 | 94% | $83,214 |
| University of Massachusetts-Amherst | Amherst | Public | 23,671 | 60% | $22,383 | 83% | $71,631 |
| University of Massachusetts-Boston | Boston | Public | 11,512 | 84% | $17,707 | 49% | $65,865 |
| University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth | North Dartmouth | Public | 5,221 | 91% | $20,927 | 52% | $68,804 |
| University of Massachusetts-Lowell | Lowell | Public | 11,434 | 83% | $17,163 | 65% | $64,874 |
| Wellesley College | Wellesley | Private | 2,300 | 14% | $25,496 | 92% | $84,803 |
| Wentworth Institute of Technology | Boston | Private | 3,747 | 91% | $34,170 | 68% | $82,721 |
| Western New England University | Springfield | Private | 2,603 | 83% | $27,290 | 64% | $73,157 |
| Westfield State University | Westfield | Public | 3,615 | 81% | $16,721 | 54% | $57,346 |
| Wheaton College (Massachusetts) | Norton | Private | 1,773 | 68% | $29,822 | 73% | $67,725 |
| Williams College | Williamstown | Private | 2,076 | 8% | $17,716 | 94% | $88,665 |
| Worcester Polytechnic Institute | Worcester | Private | 5,447 | 60% | $43,071 | 90% | $103,470 |
| Worcester State University | Worcester | Public | 3,930 | 88% | $13,381 | 61% | $60,624 |
U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, latest reported year. Graduation within 6 years; earnings are the median 10 years after starting college.
Best value in Massachusetts for your income
The Massachusetts colleges that pay back fastest for a family at your income: what it costs to finish after grants, set against how much more former students earn than high school graduates in Massachusetts. Pick your income.
| # | College | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Earnings, 10 yrs | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Williams CollegePrivate | $0 | $0 | $88,665 | under 1 |
| 2 | Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyPrivate | $1,480 | $6,157 | $143,372 | under 1 |
| 3 | Harvard UniversityPrivate | $2,091 | $9,117 | $101,817 | under 1 |
| 4 | Franklin W Olin College of EngineeringPrivate | $9,528 | $40,208 | $129,455 | under 1 |
| 5 | Wellesley CollegePrivate | $6,587 | $27,270 | $84,803 | under 1 |
| 6 | Boston CollegePrivate | $13,112 | $52,841 | $103,937 | under 1 |
| 7 | Babson CollegePrivate | $16,861 | $68,456 | $123,938 | under 1 |
| 8 | Massachusetts Maritime AcademyPublic, in-state price | $10,547 | $43,770 | $82,392 | 1.0 |
| 9 | College of the Holy CrossPrivate | $12,682 | $51,108 | $90,543 | 1.0 |
| 10 | Smith CollegePrivate | $6,559 | $27,351 | $64,027 | 1.1 |
Colleges where most degrees awarded are bachelor's, ranked by years of earnings gain needed to repay the cost to finish at this income. Cost to finish = net price after grants × the average years graduates took (IPEDS). Earnings gain = former students' median earnings 10 years after starting (College Scorecard) minus $39,880 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in Massachusetts (Census ACS 2020-2024). Before taxes, interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
Common Data Set in Massachusetts
The Common Data Set is the standard form colleges fill out each year about admissions, the entering class and financial aid. It shows what a college weighs when deciding, its early decision and waitlist numbers, and how much aid it gives students with and without need. What it is and how to use it.
We have checked 25 Massachusetts colleges so far, starting with the largest (most recently on Oct 11, 2026). 14 are on our pages; 4 more have posted one we are adding. We are still confirming 6 more. 1 have no current Common Data Set on their website, or send it only on request.
On our pages (14)
- Berklee College of Music2024-25 edition on our pages
- Boston University2025-26 edition on our pages
- Brandeis University2025-26 edition on our pages
- Harvard University2025-26 edition on our pages
- Salem State University2025-26 edition on our pages
- Tufts University2025-26 edition on our pages
- University of Massachusetts-Amherst2025-26 edition on our pages
- University of Massachusetts-Boston2023-24 edition on our pages
- University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth2024-25 edition on our pages
- University of Massachusetts-Lowell2024-25 edition on our pages
- Wentworth Institute of Technology2025-26 edition on our pages
- Westfield State University2024-25 edition on our pages
- Worcester Polytechnic Institute2024-25 edition on our pages
- Worcester State University2025-26 edition on our pages
Posted; we're adding it (4)
- Boston College2024-25 edition posted; we're adding it
- College of the Holy Cross2023-24 edition posted; we're adding it
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology2025-26 edition posted; we're adding it
- Northeastern University2024-25 edition posted; we're adding it
Newest posted is too old (1)
- Bridgewater State UniversityNewest posted is 2020-21, more than two years old
A college is listed as having no Common Data Set only after a person has checked its website. Colleges: if yours posts one we missed, send the link to rick@educationguide.com. How to ask a college for its Common Data Set.
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