Best Colleges in Massachusetts 2026

Massachusetts hosts 64 colleges and universities, with private institutions dominating the top rankings through their strong academic programs and career outcomes. The state's leading schools excel in research opportunities, faculty-to-student ratios, and post-graduation employment rates. MIT and Harvard anchor the list with world-class STEM and liberal arts programs, while specialized schools like Olin Engineering and Babson demonstrate focused excellence in their fields. When evaluating Massachusetts colleges, students should examine graduation rates, alumni networks, and program-specific resources. The concentration of top-tier private colleges creates a competitive academic environment, though students should also consider the state's public options like UMass Amherst for strong programs at lower costs.

Schools Ranked

$89,429

Avg. Earnings

84.2%

Avg. Graduation Rate

Top 25 Schools

College rankings
#	School	Graduation Rate	Median Earnings	Acceptance Rate	In-State Tuition
1	Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, Massachusetts	96.1%	$143,372	4.0%	$60,156
2	Franklin W Olin College of Engineering Needham, Massachusetts	92.2%	$129,455	19.1%	$64,458
3	Babson College Wellesley, Massachusetts	92.4%	$123,938	22.4%	$56,032
4	Harvard University Cambridge, Massachusetts	97.3%	$101,817	3.2%	$59,076
5	Boston College Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts	91.0%	$103,937	16.7%	$67,680
6	Williams College Williamstown, Massachusetts	96.6%	$88,665	8.5%	$64,860
7	Northeastern University Boston, Massachusetts	90.4%	$92,538	6.8%	$63,141
8	Bentley University Waltham, Massachusetts	88.2%	$120,959	57.9%	$58,150
9	Tufts University Medford, Massachusetts	93.3%	$83,214	9.7%	$67,844
10	Wellesley College Wellesley, Massachusetts	91.2%	$84,803	13.6%	$64,320
11	Amherst College Amherst, Massachusetts	93.4%	$77,644	7.3%	$67,280
12	Boston University Boston, Massachusetts	90.0%	$83,238	14.4%	$65,168
13	University of Massachusetts-Amherst Amherst, Massachusetts	83.2%	$71,631	63.5%	$17,357
14	Massachusetts Maritime Academy Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts	79.1%	$82,392	89.4%	$10,816
15	College of the Holy Cross Worcester, Massachusetts	89.6%	$90,543	36.4%	$60,850
16	Worcester Polytechnic Institute Worcester, Massachusetts	88.4%	$103,470	57.5%	$59,070
17	MCPHS University Boston, Massachusetts	63.3%	$125,557	88.3%	$38,850
18	Smith College Northampton, Massachusetts	89.7%	$64,027	22.9%	$61,568
19	Brandeis University Waltham, Massachusetts	86.1%	$77,231	39.4%	$64,946
20	University of Massachusetts-Lowell Lowell, Massachusetts	70.1%	$64,874	86.0%	$16,570
21	Emerson College Boston, Massachusetts	79.3%	$62,832	42.8%	$55,392
22	Benjamin Franklin Cummings Institute of Technology Boston, Massachusetts	47.2%	$57,556		$18,906
23	Mount Holyoke College South Hadley, Massachusetts	85.0%	$58,418	39.8%	$64,142
24	Stonehill College Easton, Massachusetts	80.8%	$77,745	73.4%	$54,500
25	University of Massachusetts-Boston Boston, Massachusetts	51.1%	$65,865	80.8%	$15,496