Best Colleges in Massachusetts
Whether you know Massachusetts as “The Pilgrim State,” “The Old Colony State,” or as “The Baked Bean State,” it’s embedded in American history as the location of the first colony in New England. Massachusetts is also home to the oldest institution of higher education in the US, Harvard University, which was founded in 1636. Despite being one of the smallest states in the US, there are more than 80 colleges in Massachusetts, largely public or private not-for-profit institutions. This New England state has cold winters and warm summers, and its primary industries are Life Sciences, Finance, Information Technology, and Manufacturing. Top attractions are Martha’s Vineyard, the Freedom Trail, and Cape Cod.
How Were the Top Schools in Massachusetts Chosen?
Appily determines “Best Colleges” based on publicly-available information from the US Department of Education. Several factors include, but are not limited to, data about admitted students’ academic calibers, students’ expected career outcomes after graduation, and colleges’ investments toward making their institution accessible to all students.
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With its liberal arts focus, Harvard provides the type of education that helps you to become a better thinker. You probably won't gain as much concrete knowledge here as you would at a non-liberal arts college, but I think this has more to do with...
” – Cindy
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology, more commonly referred to as MIT, is a private research university that focuses on scientific and technological research. Located on 166 acres of land in Cambridge, MA, MIT maintains five schools hosting 30...
MIT is the #1 Engineering school in the nation and perhaps the world. However, even those studying other subjects have come to a University that pushes the limits of time management and, quite plainly, one's genius. This University requires its...
” – Aaron from Farmington Hills, MI
Founded with funding from the estate of a Massachusetts Bay colonist, Williams College is a liberal arts institution in northwest Massachusetts. Williams is home to three divisions of Mathematics & Science, Languages, and Social Sciences conferring...
The classes are fast paced and challenging, particularly the math and science courses. If you keep up with the coursework, reading, and go to office hours, you definetly learn a lot. English classes are not much different than high school. You have...
” – Marsha from belmont, MA
Amherst College is a highly selective private liberal arts college in Amherst, Massachusetts, that was founded in 1821. As a member of the Five College Consortium that has replaced student loans with grants on their financial aid plans, Amherst is...
I love my classes. Our class sizes are REALLY small. My class sizes range from 8-25 students. Professors put you on the spot and ask you if you're sick if you missed class, and they know you by name the second day of class. We're reading original...
” – Anonymous from CA
Tufts University is a 4-year private institution with three campuses in the Boston area. Tufts is home to 12 colleges and schools conferring bachelor’s degrees in over 90 academic majors and minors. The school is known for their popular a capella...
Tufts is often called a baby-ivy meaning that the quality of education here is at par with or better than what students receive at Ivy League schools. The only difference is that it isn't quite as famous as schools like Harvard or Yale. Classes are...
” – Caitlyn from Plainville, MA
Founded in 1870, Wellesley College is a 4-year liberal arts college for women in eastern Massachusetts as well as a member of the Seven Sisters Colleges and Three-College Alliance. Wellesley confers undergraduate degrees in over 50 departmental and...
Wellesley is an excellent liberal arts school because, in a nutshell, they teach you how to figure the world out for yourself. They have excellence in everything: faculty, location, students, campus, dining, residential staff, dorms, comprehensive...
” – Christine from Salt Lake City, UT
Founded in 1919, Babson College is a college of business in the greater Boston area. Babson offers an undergraduate curriculum in Business and Entrepreneurship and the college includes an accelerated degree program that enables students to graduate...
Definitely will learn about setting up and running a business. Students work a lot in groups, so learning about people and cultures is a good thing.
” – CK from Southern California
Boston College is a 4-year Jesuit Catholic University and the first institution of higher learning founded in the city of Boston. BC is home to eight schools and colleges conferring degrees in over 50 fields of study. As a Catholic university, Boston...
BC lives up to its Jesuit ideal in offering a well rounded, liberal arts experience. Small class sizes and engaging professors are essential parts of all classes. BC accepts a great deal of AP and SAT II credits, exempt students from less interesting...
” – Andrea from Lake Forest, CA
A private research institution located in Boston, Northeastern University was founded in 1898. Northeastern is home to nine colleges and schools conferring undergraduate degrees in over 90 academic majors. Additionally, the university operates a...
I'm learning so much from Northeastern. I'm currently a psychology major and a music industry minor. I absolutely love it here because there is so many diverse majors and minors that I can do. One of the greatest things here is that I can always see...
” – Xiangling from Staten Island`, NY
Smith College is an all-female liberal arts institution in western Massachusetts and the largest all-women’s college in the country. The biggest school among the Seven Sisters Colleges, Smith offers degrees and certificates in over 50 areas of study...
The academics at Smith are amazing. There are no core classes and the professors are excellent. If there's something Smith doesn't have, you can easily enroll in a class at one of the other colleges of the Five College Consortium.
” – Veronica from Plymouth, MA
Boston University is a private, non-profit university with a heavy emphasis on research. BU’s main location is right in its name—Boston, MA—but the university has flagship locations around the world, including in London, Sydney, and Washington, DC...
The faculty is usually attentive and pretty entertaining. Most professors know exactly what they're talking about and provide insight into difficult fields with ease. I took the Core Curriculum and am learning much about history and philosophy. I...
” – Alex from Waco, TX
Brandeis University is a private, nonsectarian institution founded by the Jewish community and named after the Supreme Court’s first Jewish justice. The 235-acre campus is located in the suburbs of Boston, Massachusetts, and home to more than 100...
Brandeis is an all inclusive school with everything a student could wish for. Busting at the seams with student diversity, clubs of all kinds, and professors that you can approach at almost any time, the smaller community of Brandeis University is...
” – ManOfLaMancha
Bentley University is a private institution in the Boston area with a focus on combining business education with arts and sciences. Bentley confers undergraduate degrees in 25 academic fields of study and also enables students to customize a major...
Bentley University is centered on educating prospective business majors with a good variety of courses that prepare students for the business world. They also offer a liberal arts major known as the LSM for students who either stray away from...
” – Christopher from Attleboro, MA
Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering is a private engineering school in the greater Boston area dedicated to training future innovators. Olin features a curriculum that encourages collaboration and culminates in undergraduate degrees in...
Olin has a very positive and unique environment. The college encourages students to experiment and pursue their interests by providing resources and help from faculty. Olin is also very small, so you get to know everyone quickly.
” – Anonymous from California
Founded in 1837, Mount Holyoke College is a 4-year women’s liberal arts college in western Massachusetts. The oldest college among the Seven Sisters, Mount Holyoke grants undergraduate degrees in 48 academic majors and also gives students the...
Mount Holyoke is a great school with great facilities. There is also a great 5 College consortium that allows you to further expand your depth of knowledge and connections with students/professors in your field. The small class sizes give students a...
” – Nia
Founded in 1865, Worcester Polytechnic Institute is a school of engineering and technology in central Massachusetts. WPI grants bachelor’s degrees in 32 technical and scientific fields of study. In addition, every academic program is centered around...
Classes are fast paced and can be difficult but there are many resources to help you. Professors are generally willing to help, as are other students. The Math and Science Help Center (MASH) is extremely useful for early math and science classes. An...
” – Alana from Taunton, MA
Founded by Jesuits, the College of the Holy Cross is a liberal arts college in Worcester and the oldest Roman Catholic school in New England. Holy Cross confers bachelor’s degrees in 30 academic fields of study and is also home to 10 student-designed...
The academics at Holy Cross seem intense, and the students here study more than at most other colleges. With a Princeton Review academic rating of 98, only five other colleges and university's place above it. More than just pure academics, Holy Cross...
” – Kaylie from Ashburnham, MA
Clark University is a private institution located in Worcester, Massachusetts. Clark offers more than 30 undergraduate majors and minors structured around Clark’s Liberal Education and Effective Practice (LEEP) curriculum which includes a small...
I have, quite honestly, learned more in my first semester at Clark than I ever have in my entire life. The academics here are very good but in some cases you have to step up your own learning, it isn't always handed to you. All my professors are...
” – Olivia from West Hartford, CT
Emerson College is liberal arts college focusing on communication and the arts located in Boston, Massachusetts. Founded in 1880 as a "school of oratory," Emerson still focuses largely on communication, just through 26 majors that culminate in a...
Emerson is teaching me a great deal about the arts that I was never able to learn in my basic college-prep high school program. As a Writing, Literature, and Publishing major, I'm learning a lot about how real world events influence the creation of...
” – Erika from Trainer, PA
The largest public university in New England, the University of Massachusetts-Amherst is the original campus in the UM System. UMass is a land-grant university with the “Highest Research Activity" and the U.S. News & World Report ranks the UMass...
For a great undergraduate education you don't need to spend tons of money, especially if you are planing to continue you education after undergrad. UMass Amherst has understanding professors, knowledgeable teaching assistants, award winning dining...
” – Naja from Millville, MA