List of colleges and universities in Massachusetts

There are 104 colleges and universities in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts that are listed under the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education.^[1] Of Massachusetts post-secondary institutions, 94 are officially recognized by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE), while most are accredited by multiple higher education accreditation agencies.

Massachusetts Hall at Harvard University

Old Chapel at the University of Massachusetts Amherst with the W. E. B. Du Bois Library in the background

These institutions include fourteen research universities, twenty-one master's universities, and thirty-four special-focus institutions. Eighty-five of Massachusetts' post-secondary institutions are private, of which five are for-profit. Thirty of the state's post-secondary institutions are public, a number which excludes the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, which was founded by the Morrill Land-Grant Acts, but later became a private institution.^[2][3][4]

Harvard University is the state's oldest post-secondary institution, having been founded in 1636.^[5] Boston University is the state's largest institution of higher learning in terms of enrollment, having 36,624 students in the fall of 2023 while Conway School of Landscape Design is the state's smallest college with an enrollment of 18.^[6][7] The University of Massachusetts Amherst is the state's largest public university, with an enrollment of 28,518 students.^[8] Massachusetts is also home to a number of internationally recognized universities, including Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, which are ranked among the top ten universities in the world.^[9][10][11]

The University of Massachusetts Amherst is the state's sole public land-grant university, and is the flagship institution of the University of Massachusetts system.^[12] There are also eleven Catholic post-secondary institutions, including Boston College, the College of the Holy Cross, Merrimack College and Stonehill College. There are also two Judaic post-secondary institutions in Massachusetts, Brandeis University and Hebrew College. The state has four medical schools: Boston University School of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, the University of Massachusetts Medical School, and Tufts University School of Medicine. There are eight law schools which are accredited by the American Bar Association and one, Massachusetts School of Law, which is not ABA accredited but instead accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education. ^[13]

Current institutions

List of active institutions

School	Location[note 1]	Control[1]	Type[1]	Enrollment[14]	Founded	Accreditation[14]
American International College	Springfield	Private not-for-profit	Master's university	2,010[15]	1885[15]	AOTA, APTA, CCNE, NECHE[15]
Amherst College	Amherst	Private not-for-profit	Baccalaureate college	1,898[16]	1821[16]	NECHE[16]
Anna Maria College	Paxton	Private not-for-profit	Master's university	1,436[17]	1946[17]	NECHE, NLNAC[17]
Assumption University	Worcester	Private not-for-profit	Master's university	2,059[18]	1904[18]	NECHE, CCNE[18]
Babson College	Wellesley	Private not-for-profit	Special-focus institution	3,989[19]	1919[19]	NECHE[19]
Bay Path University	Longmeadow	Private not-for-profit	Master's university	2,465[20]	1897[20]	AOTA, CCNE, NECHE[20]
Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology	Boston	Private not-for-profit	Baccalaureate/associate's college	513[21]	1908[21]	NECHE[21]
Bentley University	Waltham	Private not-for-profit	Master's university	5,165[22]	1917[22]	NECHE[22]
Berklee College of Music	Boston	Private not-for-profit	Master's university	8,282[23]	1945[23]	NECHE[23]
Berkshire Community College	Pittsfield	Public	Associate's college	1,367[24]	1960[24]	APTA, ACEN, NECHE[24]
Boston Architectural College	Boston	Private not-for-profit	Special-focus institution	747[25]	1889[25]	NECHE[25]
Boston Baptist College	Milton	Private not-for-profit	Special-focus institution	43[26]	1976[26]	NECHE[26]
Boston College	Chestnut Hill	Private not-for-profit	Research university	15,287[27]	1863[27]	AANA, ABA, APA, ATS, CNE, NECHE[27]
Boston Graduate School of Psychoanalysis	Brookline	Private not-for-profit	Special-focus institution	155[28]	1973[28]	NECHE[28]
Boston University	Boston	Private not-for-profit	Research university	36,714[29]	1839[29][30]	ABA, ADA, ACEND, AOTA, APTA, APA, ASHA, ATS, CEA, CEPH, LCME, NASM, NECHE[29]
Brandeis University	Waltham	Private not-for-profit	Research university	5,581[31]	1948[31]	NECHE[31]
Bridgewater State University	Bridgewater	Public	Master's university	9,604[32]	1840[32]	ASHA, NECHE[32]
Bristol Community College	Fall River, New Bedford, Taunton, Attleboro	Public	Associate's college	5,822[33]	1965[33]	ACEN, ADA, AOTA, COMTA, NECHE[33]
Bunker Hill Community College	Boston	Public	Associate's college	8,439[34]	1973[34]	ACEN, CEA, JRCERT, NECHE[34]
Cambridge College	Cambridge	Private not-for-profit	Master's university	2,135[35]	1971[35]	NECHE[35]
Cape Cod Community College	West Barnstable	Public	Associate's college	2,336[36]	1961[36]	ACEN, ADA, NECHE[36]
Clark University	Worcester	Private not-for-profit	Research university	3,770[37]	1887[37]	APA, NECHE[37]
College of the Holy Cross	Worcester	Private not-for-profit	Baccalaureate college	3,083[38]	1843[38]	NECHE[38]
Conway School of Landscape Design	Northampton	Private not-for-profit	Special-focus institution	18[7]	1972[7]	NECHE[7]
Curry College	Milton	Private not-for-profit	Master's university	2,052[39]	1879[39]	CCNE, NECHE[39]
Dean College	Franklin	Private not-for-profit	Baccalaureate college	1,189[40]	1865[40]	NECHE[40]
Eastern Nazarene College	Quincy	Private not-for-profit	Master's university	535[41]	1900[41]	NECHE[41]
Elms College	Chicopee	Private not-for-profit	Master's university	1,275[42]	1928[42]	CCNE, NECHE[42]
Emerson College	Boston	Private not-for-profit	Master's university	5,891[43]	1880[43]	ASHA, NECHE,[43]
Emmanuel College	Boston	Private not-for-profit	Baccalaureate college	2,012[44]	1919[44]	CCNE, NECHE[44]
Endicott College	Beverly	Private not-for-profit	Master's university	4,006[45]	1939[45]	ACEN, CCNE, NECHE[45]
Fisher College	Boston	Private not-for-profit	Baccalaureate college	1,421[46]	1903[46]	NECHE[46]
Fitchburg State University	Fitchburg	Public	Master's university	6,554[47]	1894[47]	CCNE, NECHE[47]
Framingham State University	Framingham	Public	Master's university	4,111[48]	1839[48]	ACEN, ACEND, CCNE, NECHE, NLNAC[48]
Gordon College	Wenham	Private not-for-profit	Baccalaureate college	1,628[49]	1889[49]	NECHE[49]
Gordon–Conwell Theological Seminary	South Hamilton	Private not-for-profit	Special-focus institution	1,334[50]	1969[50]	ATS, NECHE[50]
Greenfield Community College	Greenfield	Public	Associate's college	1,419[51]	1962[51]	ACEN, COMTA, NECHE[51]
Hampshire College	Amherst	Private not-for-profit	Baccalaureate college	508[52]	1970[52]	NECHE[52]
Harvard University	Cambridge	Private not-for-profit	Research university	30,631[53]	1636[53]	ABA, ADA, APA, ATS, CEPH, LCME, NECHE[53]
Hebrew College	Newton	Private not-for-profit	Special-focus institution	212[54]	1921[54]	NECHE[54]
Hellenic College Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology	Brookline	Private not-for-profit	Baccalaureate college	199[55]	1937[55]	ATS, NECHE[55]
Holyoke Community College	Holyoke	Public	Associate's college	3,550[56]	1946[56]	ACEN, JRCERT, NECHE[56]
Hult International Business School	Cambridge	Private not-for-profit	Special-focus institution	2,176[57]	1964[57]	NECHE[57]
Labouré College	Boston	Private not-for-profit	Special-focus institution	983[58]	1892[58]	ACEND, ACEN, CCNE, JRCERT, NECHE[58]
Lasell University	Newton	Private not-for-profit	Master's university	1,591[59]	1851[59]	NECHE[59]
Lesley University	Cambridge	Private not-for-profit	Doctorate-granting university	3,406[60]	1909[60]	NECHE[60]
Longy School of Music of Bard College	Cambridge	Private not-for-profit	Special-focus institution	315[61]	1915[61]	NASM, NECHE[61]
Massachusetts Bay Community College	Wellesley	Public	Associate's college	3,497[62]	1961[62]	NECHE[62]
Massachusetts College of Art and Design	Boston	Public	Special-focus institution	1,939[63]	1873[63]	NASAD, NECHE[63]
Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts	North Adams	Public	Baccalaureate college	938[64]	1894[64]	JRCERT, NECHE[64]
Massachusetts Institute of Technology	Cambridge	Private not-for-profit	Research university	11,858[65]	1861[65]	NECHE[65]
Massachusetts Maritime Academy	Bourne	Public	Master's university	1,425[66]	1891[66]	NECHE[66]
Massachusetts School of Law	Andover	Private not-for-profit	Special-focus institution	295[67]	1988[67]	NECHE[67]
Massasoit Community College	Brockton, Middleboro, Canton	Public	Associate's college	4,810[68]	1966[68]	ACEN, JRCERT, NECHE[68]
Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences	Boston, Worcester Manchester	Private not-for-profit	Special-focus institution	6,824[69]	1823[69]	ACAHM, ACPE, ADA, CCNE, CEPH, JRCERT, NECHE[69]
Merrimack College	North Andover	Private not-for-profit	Master's university	5,505[70]	1947[70]	ACEND, CCNE, NECHE[70]
MGH Institute of Health Professions	Boston	Private not-for-profit	Special-focus institution	1,353[71]	1977[71]	ACEN, AOTA, APTA, ASHA, CCNE, JRCERT, NECHE[71]
Middlesex Community College	Lowell, Bedford	Public	Associate's college	7,770[72]	1970[72]	JRCERT, NECHE[72]
Montserrat College of Art	Beverly	Private not-for-profit	Baccalaureate college	296[73]	1970[73]	NASAD, NECHE[73]
Mount Holyoke College	South Hadley	Private not-for-profit	Baccalaureate college	2,392[74]	1837[74]	NECHE[74]
Mount Wachusett Community College	Gardner	Public	Associate's college	2,868[75]	1963[75]	ACEN, ADA, COMTA, NECHE[75]
New England College of Optometry	Boston	Private not-for-profit	Special-focus institution	536[76]	1894[76]	AOA, NECHE[76]
New England Conservatory of Music	Boston	Private not-for-profit	Special-focus institution	796[77]	1867[77]	NASM, NECHE[76]
New England Law Boston	Boston	Private not-for-profit	Special-focus institution	1,060[78]	1938[78]	ABA[78]
Nichols College	Dudley	Private not-for-profit	Master's university	1,403[79]	1815[79]	NECHE[79]
North Shore Community College	Danvers	Public	Associate's college	4,391[80]	1965[80]	ACEN, AOTA, APTA, JRCERT, NECHE[80]
Northeastern University	Boston	Private not-for-profit	Research university	30,013[81]	1898[81]	ABA, ACPE, APTA, APA, ASHA, CCNE, CANAEP, CEPH, NECHE[81]
Northern Essex Community College	Haverhill	Public	Associate's college	4,339[82]	1972[82]	NECHE[82]
Northpoint Bible College	Haverhill	Private not-for-profit	Special-focus institution	225[83]	1924[83]	ABHE[83]
Olin College	Needham	Private not-for-profit	Special-focus institution	386[84]	1997[84]	NECHE[84]
Pope St. John XXIII National Seminary	Weston	Private not-for-profit	Special-focus institution	47[85]	1964[85]	ATS[85]
Quincy College	Quincy	Public	Associate's college	2,602[86]	1958[86]	ACEN, NECHE[86]
Quinsigamond Community College	Worcester	Public	Associate's college	6,481[87]	1963[87]	ACEN, ADA, AOTA, JRCERT, NECHE[87]
Regis College	Weston	Private not-for-profit	Master's university	3,230[88]	1927[88]	ACEN, ADA, AOTA, ASHA, NECHE[88]
Roxbury Community College	Roxbury	Public	Associate's college	1,214[89]	1973[89]	ACEN, JRCERT, NECHE[89]
Saint John's Seminary	Brighton	Private not-for-profit	Special-focus institution	103[90]	1884[90]	ATS, NECHE[90]
Salem State University	Salem	Public	Master's university	6,539[91]	1854[91]	ACEN, AOTA, CCNE, NECHE[91]
Simmons University	Boston	Private not-for-profit	Doctorate-granting university	5,710[92]	1899[92]	ACEND, APTA, CCNE, CEPH, NECHE[92]
Smith College	Northampton	Private not-for-profit	Baccalaureate college	2,873[93]	1875[93]	NECHE[93]
Springfield College	Springfield	Private not-for-profit	Doctorate-granting university	3,382[94][95]	1885[94]	AOTA, APA, APTA, NECHE[94]
Springfield Technical Community College	Springfield	Public	Associate's college	3,945[96]	1967[96]	ACEN, ADA, AOTA, APTA, COMTA, JRCERT, NECHE[96]
Stonehill College	Easton	Private not-for-profit	Baccalaureate college	2,543[97]	1948[97]	NECHE[97]
Suffolk University	Boston	Private not-for-profit	Research university	6,734[98]	1906[98]	ABA, APA, JRCERT, NECHE[98]
Tufts University	Medford, Somerville	Private not-for-profit	Research university	13,431[99]	1852[99]	AOTA, AVMA, NECHE[99]
University of Massachusetts Amherst	Amherst	Public	Research university	32,229[100]	1863[8]	ACEND, APA, ASHA, CCNE, CEPH, NECHE[8]
University of Massachusetts Boston	Boston	Public	Research university	15,586[101]	1964[101]	APA, CCNE, NECHE[101]
University of Massachusetts Dartmouth	Dartmouth	Public	Research university	7,457[102]	1962[102]	ACEN, CCNE, NECHE[102]
University of Massachusetts Lowell	Lowell	Public	Research university	17,153[103]	1894[104]	ACEND, APTA, CCNE, CEPH, NECHE[104]
University of Massachusetts Medical School	Worcester	Public	Special-focus institution	1,352[105]	1962[105]	CCNE, JRCERT, LCME, NECHE[58][105]
Urban College of Boston	Boston	Private not-for-profit	Associate's college	596[106]	1993[106]	NECHE[106]
Wellesley College	Wellesley	Private not-for-profit	Baccalaureate college	2,447[107]	1875[107]	NECHE[107]
Wentworth Institute of Technology	Boston	Private not-for-profit	Master's university	3,920[108]	1904[108]	NECHE[108]
Western New England University	Springfield	Private not-for-profit	Doctorate-granting university	3,430[109]	1919[109]	ABA, ACPE, AOTA, NECHE[109]
Westfield State University	Westfield	Public	Master's university	4,702[110]	1838[110]	CCNE, NECHE[110]
Wheaton College	Norton	Private not-for-profit	Baccalaureate college	1,667[111]	1834[111]	NECHE[111]
William James College	Newton	Private not-for-profit	Special-focus institution	897[112]	1974[112]	APA, NECHE[112]
Williams College	Williamstown	Private not-for-profit	Baccalaureate college	2,222[113]	1793[113]	NECHE[113]
Worcester Polytechnic Institute	Worcester	Private not-for-profit	Research university	7,308[114]	1865[114]	NECHE[114]
Worcester State University	Worcester	Public	Master's university	5,311[115]	1874[115]	ACEN, AOTA, ASHA, CCNE, NECHE[115]

Key

Abbreviation	Accrediting agency
AAMFT	American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy
AANA	American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology
ACPE	Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education
ACAHM	Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine
ABA	American Bar Association
ABHE	Association for Biblical Higher Education
ACEN	Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing
ACEND	Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics
ACPE	Association for Clinical Pastoral Education
ADA	American Dental Association
AOTA	American Occupational Therapy Association
AOA	American Optometric Association
APTA	American Physical Therapy Association
APA	American Psychological Association
ASHA	American Speech–Language–Hearing Association
ATS	Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada
AVMA	American Veterinary Medical Association
CAHME	Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education
CCNE	Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
CEA	Commission on English Language Program Accreditation
CEPH	Council on Education for Public Health
COMTA	Commission on Massage Therapy Accreditation
JRCERT	Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology
LCME	Liaison Committee on Medical Education
NASAD	National Association of Schools of Art and Design
NASM	National Association of Schools of Music
NECHE	New England Commission of Higher Education
NLNAC	National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission

Defunct institutions

Campus of Bradford Academy, ca. 1905

At least eighty-two colleges and universities have closed in Massachusetts, beginning with Worcester Medical Institute in 1859. Defunct institutes include multiple private institutions, and the public Hyannis State Teachers College. Many schools were also merged into modern public universities, which form the origins of the Boston, Dartmouth, and Lowell campuses of the University of Massachusetts system. Many of these were private institutions, which either merged with private institutions and ceased to grant degrees, or institutions like the Swedenborg School of Religion, which merged with the Pacific School of Religion upon its relocation to California. The Bible Normal School was founded in Massachusetts but moved to Connecticut before it was merged into the Hartford Seminary. However, this excludes institutions which operated as part of for-profit corporations incorporated in other states, such as Empire Beauty Schools and the University of Phoenix, as they were not operated as separate college campuses and operated more as corporate entities.

List of defunct institutions in Massachusetts

School
Andover Theological Seminary
Andover Junior College
Andover Institute of Business
Andover Newton Theological Seminary
Aquinas College
ArsDigita University
Art Institute of Boston
Atlantic Union College
Bard College at Simon's Rock (moving to Barrytown, New York in Fall 2025)
Bay State College
Becker College
Berkshire Christian College
Berkshire Medical College
Boston Business School
Boston Female Medical School
Boston State College
Bouvé College
Bradford College
Bradford Durfee College of Technology
Bryant & Stratton Business Institute
Bryant McIntosh College
Burdett College
Bussey Institution
Calvin Coolidge College
Cambridge Junior College
Campbell School
Cardinal Cushing College
Cardinal O'Connell Seminary
Cape Cod Hospital School of Nursing
Central New England College
Chamberlayne Junior College
Chandler School for Women
College of Physicians and Surgeons
College of Saint Joseph
Comers Commercial College
Coyne School of Technical Electricity
Crane Theological School
Divine Providence Institute
Episcopal Divinity School
Garland Junior College
Grahm Junior College
Hallmark Institute of Photography
Hampden College of Pharmacy
Holliston Junior College
Hyannis State Teachers College
Ipswich Female Seminary
Kinyon-Campbell Business School
Kinyon School
LaFosse Teacher Training College
Lay College
Leicester Junior College
Lowell State College
Lowell Technological Institute
Marian Court College
Marist College and Seminary
Massachusetts College of Osteopathy
Middlesex University
Monroe College of Oratory
Mount Alvernia College
Mount Ida College
New Bedford Institute of Technology
New England Female Medical College
New England Institute of Applied Funeral Arts and Sciences
New England Institute of Art
New England School of Photography[116]
Newbury College
Newton College of the Sacred Heart
Newton Junior College
Newton Theological Institution
Northampton Junior College
Oblate College & Seminary
Oread Institute
Our Lady of Sorrows
Perry Normal School
Pine Manor College
Queen of Apostles Seminary
Radcliffe College
Regina Coeli College
Revere Lay College
Sacred Heart College for Teachers
Saint Gabriel's Institute
Saint Hyacinth College & Seminary
Saint Joseph Teacher Training Institute
Saint Paul's House of Studies
Saint Stephen's College
School for Christian Workers
School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Southern New England School of Law
Staley School of the Spoken Word
Stanley College
Stevens College
Swain School of Design
Swedenborg School of Religion
Vesper George School of Art
Wang Institute of Graduate Studies
Wheelock College
Winter Hill Business College
Worcester Junior College
Worcester Medical Institute
Worcester Technical Institute

Forbes National Rankings

Main article: Forbes Magazine's List of America's Best Colleges

The Forbes National Colleges Ranking is a ranking system for the best four-year colleges in the United States.^[117] These colleges are ranked for their alumni salary, debt, return on investment, graduation rate, membership in Forbes honors lists such as Forbes 30 Under 30, student retention, and academic achievement.^[118] As of 2021, Forbes recognizes the University of Massachusetts Amherst as the flagship public university and Massachusetts Institute of Technology as the flagship private university in Massachusetts.

Forbes Massachusetts Public Rankings[117] MA* Forbes Institution 1 141 UMass 2 379 UMass Lowell 3 385 UMass Boston 4 472 Mass Maritime 5 573 Worcester State *State rankings based on Forbes ranking

Forbes Massachusetts Private Rankings[117] MA* Forbes Institution 1 6 MIT 2 7 Harvard 3 16 Amherst 4 18 Williams 5 32 Wellesley 6 38 Tufts 7 56 Boston College 8 76 Northeastern 9 81 Babson 10 83 BostonU 11 128 Brandeis 12 135 WPI 13 139 Bentley 14 148 Holy Cross 15 222 Mount Holyoke 16 229 Smith 17 252 Olin 18 258 Clark 19 281 Stonehill 20 316 Emerson 21 332 Simmons 22 335 WIT 23 390 Suffolk 24 499 Berklee 25 540 Wheaton 26 559 Assumption 27 585 Hampshire *State rankings based on Forbes ranking

See also

• United States portal

• List of college athletic programs in Massachusetts
• List of engineering schools in Massachusetts
• List of law schools in Massachusetts
• List of colleges and universities in metropolitan Boston
• Colleges of Worcester Consortium
• Higher education in the United States
• Lists of American institutions of higher education
• List of recognized higher education accreditation organizations

Notes

1. Based on the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education.