Colleges in Massachusetts

This page aggregates every Title IV–eligible college and university with a primary campus in Massachusetts, drawing from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard, IPEDS institutional reports, and de-identified IRS earnings linkage for federal-aid recipients. Coverage includes public flagships, regional comprehensives, community and technical colleges, private nonprofit institutions, and for-profit schools.

The state-aggregate statistics below include all reporting institutions in Massachusetts as a single denominator — community colleges, public universities, private nonprofits, and for-profit institutions are pooled. State averages are therefore useful for high-level framing (in-state tuition is X, average admission rate is Y, average earnings are Z) but should not be read as representative of any specific sector or institution. Drill into individual school profiles for the full picture: admissions, costs (sticker and net), federal-aid usage, completion, retention, demographics, and earnings outcomes 6 and 10 years after enrollment.

The most-recent Scorecard release is from September 2024. Tuition figures reflect institutional reports for the 2022–23 academic year and may differ from current-year prices. Earnings data has an inherent lag — the 10-year earnings horizon reflects students who enrolled approximately a decade prior to the data publication, as the IRS-matching process requires time to accumulate post-enrollment income.

Largest Colleges in Massachusetts by Enrollment

University of Massachusetts-Amherst23671Boston University18248Northeastern University17326University of Massachusetts-Boston11512University of Massachusetts-Lowell11434Boston College10085Bunker Hill Community College8612Bridgewater State University7829Harvard University7601Berklee College of Music7468Tufts University7061Quinsigamond Community College6447

Source:

Highest Earnings 10-Year Median — Massachusetts

University of Massachusetts-Amherst71631Boston University83238Northeastern University92538University of Massachusetts-Boston65865University of Massachusetts-Lowell64874Boston College103937Bunker Hill Community College47618Bridgewater State University57466Harvard University101817Berklee College of Music33647Tufts University83214Quinsigamond Community College45949

Source:

142
Total Schools
$34,639
Avg In-State Tuition
62.1%
Avg Acceptance Rate
$59,746
Avg Median Earnings
40 Public 0 Private NP 0 For-Profit
Ownership Breakdown

What the IPEDS Data Shows for Colleges in Massachusetts

Massachusetts has 142 Title IV-participating postsecondary institutions in the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), the federal directory that captures every college eligible to award federal student aid. The ownership mix is 40 public institutions, 0 private nonprofits, and 0 private for-profit schools — a structural split that drives most of the tuition variation visible in the table below. Public institutions typically report substantially lower in-state tuition because state appropriations subsidize the published price, while private nonprofits often show higher sticker prices that are partially offset by institutional aid.

Cost and selectivity signals vary widely even within a single state. The average in-state tuition across Massachusetts institutions is $34,639, and the average admission rate (weighted by institutions that report one) sits at 62.1%. Admission rates from IPEDS exclude open-enrollment institutions, which is why community colleges and many for-profits show as unreported rather than at 100 percent. Looking at the table, the acceptance-rate column is blank for schools that don’t screen applicants, a meaningful distinction when evaluating selectivity alongside earnings.

Post-graduation outcomes tie cost to return. Graduates of Massachusetts colleges earn a mean of $59,746 ten years after enrollment, based on U.S. Treasury tax records linked to federal aid applicants through the College Scorecard data file. Because earnings depend heavily on field of study and local labor markets, state-level averages should be read alongside each school’s program mix. The table sorts every institution with reported IPEDS enrollment so prospective students can compare acceptance rates, enrollment scale, and median earnings side by side rather than relying on third-party rankings.

All Schools in Massachusetts

School Name City Type Enrollment Acceptance Rate 10yr Earnings
University of Massachusetts-Amherst Amherst Public 23,671 59.7% $71,631
Boston University Boston Private Nonprofit 18,248 11.1% $83,238
Northeastern University Boston Private Nonprofit 17,326 5.2% $92,538
University of Massachusetts-Boston Boston Public 11,512 83.8% $65,865
University of Massachusetts-Lowell Lowell Public 11,434 83.0% $64,874
Boston College Chestnut Hill Private Nonprofit 10,085 16.4% $103,937
Bunker Hill Community College Boston Public 8,612 $47,618
Bridgewater State University Bridgewater Public 7,829 87.8% $57,466
Harvard University Cambridge Private Nonprofit 7,601 3.6% $101,817
Berklee College of Music Boston Private Nonprofit 7,468 43.5% $33,647
Tufts University Medford Private Nonprofit 7,061 11.5% $83,214
Quinsigamond Community College Worcester Public 6,447 $45,949
Bristol Community College Fall River Public 6,083 $38,663
Worcester Polytechnic Institute Worcester Private Nonprofit 5,447 60.2% $103,470
Middlesex Community College Bedford Public 5,412 $50,651
University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth North Dartmouth Public 5,221 90.6% $68,804
Springfield Technical Community College Springfield Public 4,759 $36,966
Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge Private Nonprofit 4,535 4.5% $143,372
Bentley University Waltham Private Nonprofit 4,474 45.1% $120,959
North Shore Community College Danvers Public 4,393 $45,391
Salem State University Salem Public 4,291 95.9% $56,662
Suffolk University Boston Private Nonprofit 4,268 82.3% $67,506
Massasoit Community College Brockton Public 4,235 $46,111
Worcester State University Worcester Public 3,930 88.0% $60,624
Merrimack College North Andover Private Nonprofit 3,916 70.0% $75,584
Emerson College Boston Private Nonprofit 3,870 51.3% $62,832
Massachusetts Bay Community College Wellesley Hills Public 3,837 $52,654
Wentworth Institute of Technology Boston Private Nonprofit 3,747 91.2% $82,721
Northern Essex Community College Haverhill Public 3,685 $42,862
Brandeis University Waltham Private Nonprofit 3,618 40.5% $77,231
Westfield State University Westfield Public 3,615 81.4% $57,346
Holyoke Community College Holyoke Public 3,591 $37,277
MCPHS University Boston Private Nonprofit 3,451 85.2% $125,557
Endicott College Beverly Private Nonprofit 3,125 71.2% $58,336
College of the Holy Cross Worcester Private Nonprofit 3,106 17.6% $90,543
Mount Wachusett Community College Gardner Public 3,059 $41,118
Cape Cod Community College West Barnstable Public 2,911 $43,670
Fitchburg State University Fitchburg Public 2,752 86.9% $53,874
Babson College Wellesley Private Nonprofit 2,728 17.1% $123,938
Western New England University Springfield Private Nonprofit 2,603 83.5% $73,157
Framingham State University Framingham Public 2,566 83.6% $52,349
Smith College Northampton Private Nonprofit 2,544 21.0% $64,027
Stonehill College Easton Private Nonprofit 2,528 66.3% $77,745
Quincy College Quincy Public 2,300 $52,506
Wellesley College Wellesley Private Nonprofit 2,300 14.1% $84,803
Clark University Worcester Private Nonprofit 2,214 39.5% $62,381
Mount Holyoke College South Hadley Private Nonprofit 2,169 36.0% $58,418
Williams College Williamstown Private Nonprofit 2,076 8.3% $88,665
Roxbury Community College Roxbury Crossing Public 1,977 $38,773
Amherst College Amherst Private Nonprofit 1,911 9.0% $77,644
Emmanuel College Boston Private Nonprofit 1,854 75.6% $68,245
Massachusetts College of Art and Design Boston Public 1,831 76.3% $43,582
Northeastern University Professional Programs Boston Private Nonprofit 1,802 $92,538
Curry College Milton Private Nonprofit 1,780 87.6% $54,400
Wheaton College (Massachusetts) Norton Private Nonprofit 1,773 67.7% $67,725
Springfield College Springfield Private Nonprofit 1,751 71.9% $48,036
Simmons University Boston Private Nonprofit 1,670 70.0% $63,494
Assumption University Worcester Private Nonprofit 1,669 83.0% $74,895
Greenfield Community College Greenfield Public 1,395 $37,132
Massachusetts Maritime Academy Buzzards Bay Public 1,395 94.7% $82,392
Berkshire Community College Pittsfield Public 1,358 $38,832
Gordon College Wenham Private Nonprofit 1,278 69.2% $52,119
Lasell University Newton Private Nonprofit 1,226 81.2% $49,705
Fisher College Boston Private Nonprofit 1,167 70.7% $49,669
Nichols College Dudley Private Nonprofit 1,163 80.8% $58,063
Lesley University Cambridge Private Nonprofit 1,122 96.9% $51,173
Bay Path University Longmeadow Private Nonprofit 1,108 85.2% $55,383
Dean College Franklin Private Nonprofit 1,089 73.7% $38,109
American International College Springfield Private Nonprofit 1,017 99.6% $53,124
Regis College Weston Private Nonprofit 956 69.8% $52,873
College of Our Lady of the Elms Chicopee Private Nonprofit 949 85.3% $51,540
Anna Maria College Paxton Private Nonprofit 906 50.3% $46,651
Hampshire College Amherst Private Nonprofit 839 75.3% $46,938
Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts North Adams Public 713 89.7% $48,102
Hult International Business School Cambridge Private Nonprofit 618 60.5%
Cambridge College Boston Private Nonprofit 532 $45,998
Laboure College of Healthcare Milton Private Nonprofit 525 50.0% $62,200
Benjamin Franklin Cummings Institute of Technology Boston Private Nonprofit 483 $57,556
Urban College of Boston Boston Private Nonprofit 438 $35,472
New England Tractor Trailer Training School of Massachusetts North Andover Private For-Profit 430 $53,085
The New England Conservatory of Music Boston Private Nonprofit 393 41.1% $34,483
Franklin W Olin College of Engineering Needham Private Nonprofit 377 25.2% $129,455
Motoring Technical Training Institute Seekonk Private For-Profit 312 $48,281
Boston Architectural College Boston Private Nonprofit 280 $62,123
Southeastern Technical Institute South Easton Public 260 70.6%
National Aviation Academy of New England Concord Private For-Profit 241 $59,009
Spa Tech Institute-Plymouth Plymouth Private For-Profit 233 $27,803
Montserrat College of Art Beverly Private Nonprofit 226 $33,022
Bard College at Simon's Rock Great Barrington Private Nonprofit 225 95.9% $46,543
Jupiter Beauty Academy Boston Private For-Profit 201
COLLECTIV Academy-Worcester Worcester Private For-Profit 192
FINE Mortuary College Norwood Private For-Profit 185
Spa Tech Institute-Westboro Westborough Private For-Profit 182 $27,803
Springfield College-Regional Online and Continuing Education Springfield Private Nonprofit 176 $48,036
Catherine Hinds Institute of Esthetics Woburn Private For-Profit 174
Lawrence Memorial Hospital School of Nursing Medford Private Nonprofit 174 $101,466
MGH Institute of Health Professions Boston Private Nonprofit 164 $87,130
North Bennet Street School Boston Private Nonprofit 155 $43,993
Signature Healthcare Brockton Hospital School of Nursing Brockton Private Nonprofit 146 34.2% $88,084
Spa Tech Institute-North Andover North Andover Private For-Profit 118 $27,803
Rob Roy Academy-Worcester Worcester Private For-Profit 109 $30,033
Rob Roy Academy-Fall River Fall River Private For-Profit 97 $32,113
Empire Beauty School-Malden Malden Private For-Profit 95 $23,921
New England Hair Academy Malden Private For-Profit 87
Northpoint Bible College Haverhill Private Nonprofit 86 $42,210
Greater Lowell Technical School Tyngsboro Public 80 75.0%
Tri County Regional Vocational Technical High School Franklin Public 72
Upper Cape Cod Regional Technical School Bourne Public 70 71.4%
Lowell Academy Hairstyling Institute Lowell Private For-Profit 66
Bancroft School of Massage Therapy Worcester Private For-Profit 64
Hellenic College-Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology Brookline Private Nonprofit 64 79.6% $51,724
Sattler College Boston Private Nonprofit 57 69.0%
Monty Tech Fitchburg Public 48 83.0%
Assabet Valley Regional Technical School Marlborough Public 47 85.5%
EINE Inc Tewksbury Private For-Profit 47
Massachusetts School of Barbering Quincy Private For-Profit 44
Blackstone Valley Vocational Regional School District Upton Public 42
Charles H McCann Technical School North Adams Public 41
William James College Newton Private Nonprofit 39
Alexander Academy Lunenburg Private For-Profit 39
Shawsheen Valley School of Practical Nursing Billerica Public 37
Technology Learning Center Oxford Private For-Profit 31
Rob Roy Academy-Taunton Taunton Private For-Profit 23
DiGrigoli School of Cosmetology West Springfield Private For-Profit 21 $14,195
Boston Baptist College Boston Private Nonprofit 19 90.9% $34,159
Diman Regional Technical Institute Fall River Public 17 39.2%
Rob Roy Academy-New Bedford New Bedford Private For-Profit 15
Longy School of Music of Bard College Cambridge Private Nonprofit 10 $46,543
Saint John's Seminary Brighton Private Nonprofit 7
Hebrew College Newton Private Nonprofit 0
Boston Graduate School of Psychoanalysis Inc Brookline Private Nonprofit
Conway School of Landscape Design Northampton Private Nonprofit
Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary South Hamilton Private Nonprofit
University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School Worcester Public
New England College of Optometry Boston Private Nonprofit
New England Law-Boston Boston Private Nonprofit
Massachusetts School of Law Andover Private Nonprofit
Thomas Aquinas College - New England Northfield Private Nonprofit $55,619
Porter and Chester Institute of Worcester Worcester Private For-Profit $41,588
Porter and Chester Institute - Brockton Brockton Private For-Profit $41,588
Porter and Chester Institute - Chicopee Chicopee Private For-Profit $41,588
Bard College - Holyoke Microcollege Holyoke Private Nonprofit $46,543

About This Data

School data comes from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS institutional characteristics files. Enrollment, admissions, and earnings figures are the most recently available. Earnings represent median income 10 years after enrollment for students who received federal financial aid, drawn from U.S. Treasury tax records linked to federal student aid applicants.