# Best Colleges in Massachusetts

> CollegeRanker Agent Insights — structured data for AI systems
> Updated: 2026-05-31 | Schools: 50 | Category: By State
> Source: https://www.collegeranker.com/rankings/best-colleges-massachusetts

## Methodology

Composite score for institutions in Massachusetts

CollegeRanker uses a 4-pillar algorithm: Academic Quality (15-20%), Economic Outcomes (30%), Social Mobility (25-35%), Value & Affordability (20-25%). Social mobility data from Raj Chetty's Opportunity Insights Mobility Report Card (30M+ anonymized tax records). No subjective surveys.

## Summary

The best colleges in Massachusetts are known for their strong academic programs and impressive outcomes. Families and students often look to these institutions for their potential to provide a solid return on investment. With an average earnings figure of $71,287 for graduates, it's clear that these schools are making a mark in the job market.

What sets the top schools apart in this list is not just their educational offerings but also their graduation rates, debt levels, and the financial return students can expect after graduation. For instance, the highest-ranking schools boast graduation rates above 90% and relatively low average debt, which can significantly impact a student's financial future. Understanding these factors helps families make informed decisions about where to invest their time and resources.

Take Harvard University and Wellesley College, for example. Harvard graduates earn an impressive $101,817 on average, while Wellesley graduates earn $84,803. The difference in earnings is substantial, yet Wellesley has a lower net price of $25,496 compared to Harvard's $19,066. These contrasts highlight the importance of balancing potential earnings with financial considerations as families explore their options.

## Key Findings

- Massachusetts Institute of Technology graduates earn $143,372 on average.
- Harvard University has a graduation rate of 97%, one of the highest in the state.
- Williams College graduates carry an average debt of $12,761.
- Wellesley College has a net price of $25,496, which is higher than some other top schools.

## Rankings

| Rank | School | Location | Graduation | Earnings (10yr) | Net Price | Median Debt | Debt/Earnings |
|------|--------|----------|------------|-----------------|-----------|-------------|---------------|
| 1 | [Massachusetts Institute of Technology](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/massachusetts-institute-of-technology) | Cambridge, MA | 96% | $143,372 | $20,111 | $14,768 | 0.1x |
| 2 | [Harvard University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/harvard-university) | Cambridge, MA | 97% | $101,817 | $19,066 | $14,000 | 0.14x |
| 3 | [Williams College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/williams-college) | Williamstown, MA | 95% | $88,665 | $17,716 | $12,761 | 0.14x |
| 4 | [Wellesley College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/wellesley-college) | Wellesley, MA | 91% | $84,803 | $25,496 | $10,000 | 0.12x |
| 5 | [Amherst College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/amherst-college) | Amherst, MA | 94% | $77,644 | $23,367 | $13,740 | 0.18x |
| 6 | [Babson College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/babson-college) | Wellesley, MA | 93% | $123,938 | $40,514 | $20,000 | 0.16x |
| 7 | [Smith College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/smith-college) | Northampton, MA | 89% | $64,027 | $27,579 | $17,550 | 0.27x |
| 8 | [Boston University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/boston-university) | Boston, MA | 89% | $83,238 | $24,402 | $23,250 | 0.28x |
| 9 | [Boston College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/boston-college) | Chestnut Hill, MA | 91% | $103,937 | $41,704 | $19,000 | 0.18x |
| 10 | [Tufts University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/tufts-university) | Medford, MA | 93% | $83,214 | $39,998 | $16,250 | 0.2x |
| 11 | [Bentley University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/bentley-university) | Waltham, MA | 88% | $120,959 | $37,930 | $25,023 | 0.21x |
| 12 | [Northeastern University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/northeastern-university) | Boston, MA | 90% | $92,538 | $30,915 | $24,250 | 0.26x |
| 13 | [College of the Holy Cross](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/college-of-the-holy-cross) | Worcester, MA | 88% | $90,543 | $38,782 | $27,000 | 0.3x |
| 14 | [Mount Holyoke College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/mount-holyoke-college) | South Hadley, MA | 85% | $58,418 | $26,441 | $22,902 | 0.39x |
| 15 | [Brandeis University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/brandeis-university) | Waltham, MA | 86% | $77,231 | $35,736 | $25,648 | 0.33x |
| 16 | [Bristol Community College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/bristol-community-college) | Fall River, MA | 22% | $38,663 | $5,547 | $8,243 | 0.21x |
| 17 | [Worcester State University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/worcester-state-university) | Worcester, MA | 58% | $60,624 | $13,381 | $19,500 | 0.32x |
| 18 | [Bay Path University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/bay-path-university) | Longmeadow, MA | 51% | $55,383 | $14,271 | $24,901 | 0.45x |
| 19 | [MCPHS University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/mcphs-university) | Boston, MA | 63% | $125,557 | $39,545 | $25,000 | 0.2x |
| 20 | [Bridgewater State University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/bridgewater-state-university) | Bridgewater, MA | 54% | $57,466 | $16,383 | $24,286 | 0.42x |
| 21 | [Worcester Polytechnic Institute](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/worcester-polytechnic-institute) | Worcester, MA | 89% | $103,470 | $43,071 | $27,000 | 0.26x |
| 22 | [Massachusetts Maritime Academy](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/massachusetts-maritime-academy) | Buzzards Bay, MA | 77% | $82,392 | $21,582 | $25,000 | 0.3x |
| 23 | [Mount Wachusett Community College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/mount-wachusett-community-college) | Gardner, MA | 27% | $41,118 | $7,931 | $10,252 | 0.25x |
| 24 | [Clark University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/clark-university) | Worcester, MA | 77% | $62,381 | $28,714 | $26,759 | 0.43x |
| 25 | [Fitchburg State University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/fitchburg-state-university) | Fitchburg, MA | 54% | $53,874 | $14,262 | $24,239 | 0.45x |
| 26 | [Salem State University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/salem-state-university) | Salem, MA | 52% | $56,662 | $15,996 | $25,000 | 0.44x |
| 27 | [Simmons University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/simmons-university) | Boston, MA | 72% | $63,494 | $25,265 | $24,840 | 0.39x |
| 28 | [Westfield State University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/westfield-state-university) | Westfield, MA | 55% | $57,346 | $16,721 | $22,457 | 0.39x |
| 29 | [Wentworth Institute of Technology](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/wentworth-institute-of-technology) | Boston, MA | 68% | $82,721 | $34,170 | $25,028 | 0.3x |
| 30 | [Massachusetts Bay Community College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/massachusetts-bay-community-college) | Wellesley Hills, MA | 16% | $52,654 | $7,169 | $6,500 | 0.12x |
| 31 | [North Shore Community College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/north-shore-community-college) | Danvers, MA | 18% | $45,391 | $9,000 | $9,000 | 0.2x |
| 32 | [Western New England University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/western-new-england-university) | Springfield, MA | 64% | $73,157 | $27,290 | $25,500 | 0.35x |
| 33 | [Suffolk University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/suffolk-university) | Boston, MA | 60% | $67,506 | $29,618 | $26,889 | 0.4x |
| 34 | [Bunker Hill Community College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/bunker-hill-community-college) | Boston, MA | 16% | $47,618 | $7,818 | $10,500 | 0.22x |
| 35 | [Stonehill College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/stonehill-college) | Easton, MA | 78% | $77,745 | $33,016 | $25,000 | 0.32x |
| 36 | [College of Our Lady of the Elms](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/college-of-our-lady-of-the-elms) | Chicopee, MA | 66% | $51,540 | $17,545 | $25,000 | 0.49x |
| 37 | [Massachusetts College of Art and Design](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/massachusetts-college-of-art-and-design) | Boston, MA | 69% | $43,582 | $24,100 | $25,755 | 0.59x |
| 38 | [Northern Essex Community College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/northern-essex-community-college) | Haverhill, MA | 20% | $42,862 | $6,046 | $9,000 | 0.21x |
| 39 | [Quincy College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/quincy-college) | Quincy, MA | 16% | $52,506 | $17,126 | $13,874 | 0.26x |
| 40 | [Cape Cod Community College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/cape-cod-community-college) | West Barnstable, MA | 22% | $43,670 | $8,296 | $12,000 | 0.27x |
| 41 | [Hampshire College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/hampshire-college) | Amherst, MA | 56% | $46,938 | $24,034 | $26,893 | 0.57x |
| 42 | [Gordon College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/gordon-college) | Wenham, MA | 68% | $52,119 | $24,883 | $26,250 | 0.5x |
| 43 | [Greenfield Community College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/greenfield-community-college) | Greenfield, MA | 26% | $37,132 | $7,679 | $8,307 | 0.22x |
| 44 | [Massasoit Community College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/massasoit-community-college) | Brockton, MA | 21% | $46,111 | $8,460 | $10,000 | 0.22x |
| 45 | [Assumption University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/assumption-university) | Worcester, MA | 75% | $74,895 | $29,498 | $27,000 | 0.36x |
| 46 | [Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/massachusetts-college-of-liberal-arts) | North Adams, MA | 52% | $48,102 | $16,068 | $23,750 | 0.49x |
| 47 | [Springfield College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/springfield-college) | Springfield, MA | 71% | $48,036 | $30,587 | $26,250 | 0.55x |
| 48 | [Holyoke Community College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/holyoke-community-college) | Holyoke, MA | 31% | $37,277 | $8,068 | $8,250 | 0.22x |
| 49 | [University of Massachusetts-Amherst](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/university-of-massachusetts-amherst) | Amherst, MA | 83% | $71,631 | $22,383 | $22,763 | 0.32x |
| 50 | [Emerson College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/emerson-college) | Boston, MA | 78% | $62,832 | $49,180 | $23,000 | 0.37x |

## Data Sources

- U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (https://collegescorecard.ed.gov)
- Opportunity Insights Mobility Report Card (https://opportunityinsights.org/data)
- Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas
- Times Higher Education World University Rankings
- NCES IPEDS

## Citation

CollegeRanker. "Best Colleges in Massachusetts." CollegeRanker.com, 2026-05-31. https://www.collegeranker.com/rankings/best-colleges-massachusetts

## License

This data summary is provided for informational purposes. Underlying data from federal sources (College Scorecard, IPEDS) is public domain. Opportunity Insights data is available under their data use agreement at https://opportunityinsights.org/data/.