More selective than 39% of Massachusetts colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $34,239. College Scorecard.
Higher than 53% of Massachusetts colleges we cover and 77% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 6% of Massachusetts colleges we cover and 22% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
Massachusetts College of Art and Design acceptance rate & admissions
Of 3,027 applicants, Massachusetts College of Art and Design admitted 2,345 and 432 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class).
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
Massachusetts College of Art and Design tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for Massachusetts residents who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (in-state, federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
What Massachusetts College of Art and Design costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Massachusetts College of Art and Design took 4.3 years on average to finish, so the yearly price adds up to the total below. Payback compares former students' earnings with what high school graduates earn in Massachusetts. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $16,351 | $70,146 | 18.9 years |
| $30–48k | $17,636 | $75,658 | more than 20 years |
| $48–75k | $18,513 | $79,421 | more than 20 years |
| $75–110k | $26,265 | $112,677 | more than 20 years |
| $110k+ | $31,882 | $136,774 | more than 20 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.3 years, the average time graduates took (53% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of former students 10 years after starting ($43,582) minus $39,880 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in MA (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $3,702 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard (net price, earnings); IPEDS Graduation Rates (time to finish); U.S. Census Bureau ACS (high school earnings). Calculated by EducationGuide.
Massachusetts College of Art and Design majors, earnings & careers
Massachusetts College of Art and Design offers 8 bachelor's majors across 4 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Arts & Design · 4
- Engineering · 2
- Communications & Media · 1
- Education · 1
Highest-earning majors at Massachusetts College of Art and Design
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Education (Subject Teaching) | $54,947 | $27,000 |
| Film and Photography | $51,139 | $25,965 |
| Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design | $45,716 | $26,000 |
| Studio Art | $40,999 | $26,000 |
Quick list of all 8 majors
- Architectural Sciences and Technology—
- Architecture—
- Broadcasting / Digital Media—
- Crafts / Craft Design, Folk Art and Artisanry—
- Education (Subject Teaching)$54,947
- Film and Photography$51,139
- Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design$45,716
- Studio Art$40,999
— means too few graduates to report earnings.
College Scorecard field of study, latest release
All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design → Graphic designer
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to shrink 1.7% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Education (Subject Teaching) → High school teacher
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to shrink 0.2% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Boston
Overall prices in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $3,008. Housing costs 48% above the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 49 inches of rain a year, 49 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: hurricane (relatively high); river flooding (relatively high); coastal flooding (relatively high); heat wave (relatively high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Suffolk County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Suffolk County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare Massachusetts College of Art and Design with similar schools
Similar public colleges in Massachusetts by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts College of Art and Design | 76% | $24,100 | 69% | $43,582 | This school |
| Massachusetts Maritime Academy | 95% | $21,582 | 74% | $82,392 | |
| Fitchburg State University | 87% | $14,262 | 55% | $53,874 | |
| Framingham State University | 84% | $16,114 | 48% | $52,349 | |
| Westfield State University | 81% | $16,721 | 54% | $57,346 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Massachusetts College of Art and Design would cost you $2,518 more per year than Massachusetts Maritime Academy, on average.
- Higher sticker price at Massachusetts College of Art and Design, mostly from higher tuition & fees (+$3,980).
- Massachusetts College of Art and Design gives aided families $354 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Massachusetts resident | Massachusetts College of Art and Design | Massachusetts Maritime Academy | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $15,400 | $11,420 | +$3,980 |
| Books & supplies | $2,000 | $1,500 | +$500 |
| Housing & meals | $18,000 | $14,526 | +$3,474 |
| Personal & travel | $900 | $4,525 | −$3,625 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$2,061 | −$604 | −$1,457 |
| Sticker price | $34,239 | $31,367 | +$2,872 |
| Average grants | −$10,139 | −$9,785 | −$354 |
| You pay | $24,100 | $21,582 | +$2,518 |
“+” means Massachusetts College of Art and Design costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.
Common questions about Massachusetts College of Art and Design
What is the Massachusetts College of Art and Design acceptance rate?
Massachusetts College of Art and Design accepts 76% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 2,345 of 3,027 applicants were admitted.
How much does Massachusetts College of Art and Design cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $34,239 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $24,100 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $16,351 and families earning $110k+ pay $31,882.
How much do Massachusetts College of Art and Design graduates earn?
Former Massachusetts College of Art and Design students earn a median $43,582 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the Massachusetts College of Art and Design graduation rate?
69% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 89% return for their second year.
How long does a Massachusetts College of Art and Design degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Massachusetts College of Art and Design costs about $79,421 after grants ($18,513 a year for 4.3 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $43,582 ten years after starting, $3,702 more than high school graduates in Massachusetts ($39,880), so repaying the cost would take more than 20 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).
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Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Massachusetts College of Art and Design: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/massachusetts-college-of-art-and-design (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).