This page compares the best colleges in Massachusetts with tuition, admission, and more academic facts (Ranking data from College Evaluator). For the academic year 2021-2022, Harvard University rank first in the best Massachusetts college ranking and Massachusetts Institute of Technology is placed in second.
Admission Comparison Between Best Colleges in Massachusetts
All colleges ranked in the best Massachusetts colleges are private schools. The schools' average acceptance rate is 17.40% where Harvard University has the tightest (lowest) acceptance rate of 5% and Brandeis University has the highest rate of 33%. Total 135,873 students are attending one of the best Massachusetts schools where Boston University has the largest population with 32,718 students and Amherst College has the smallest number of students (1,745 students). The average graduation rate is 93.30% and the average students to faculty ratio is 8.70:1 at those colleges.
| Rank | Name | Acceptance Rate | SAT Score | Graduation Rate | Population | Student-Faculty Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Harvard University Cambridge, MA | 5% | 1,520 | 98% | 30,391 | 7:1 (14.29 %) |
| 2 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, MA | 7% | 1,545 | 96% | 11,254 | 3:1 (33.33 %) |
| 3 | Williams College Williamstown, MA | 15% | 1,480 | 96% | 1,987 | 6:1 (16.67 %) |
| 4 | Amherst College Amherst, MA | 12% | 1,495 | 95% | 1,745 | 7:1 (14.29 %) |
| 5 | Tufts University Medford, MA | 16% | 1,455 | 94% | 12,219 | 9:1 (11.11 %) |
| 6 | Wellesley College Wellesley, MA | 20% | 1,435 | 94% | 2,280 | 8:1 (12.50 %) |
| 7 | Boston University Boston, MA | 20% | 1,405 | 89% | 32,718 | 10:1 (10.00 %) |
| 8 | Boston College Chestnut Hill, MA | 26% | 1,415 | 92% | 14,934 | 13:1 (7.69 %) |
| 9 | Northeastern University Boston, MA | 20% | 1,475 | 90% | 22,905 | 14:1 (7.14 %) |
| 10 | Brandeis University Waltham, MA | 33% | 1,415 | 89% | 5,440 | 10:1 (10.00 %) |
| Average | 17.40% | 1,464 | 93.30% | 135,873 (Total) | 8.70:1 (11.49 %) |
Best Massachusetts Colleges 2022 Tuition Comparison and 2023 Estimated Costs
The following table lists 2021-2022 tuition & fees and compares them between the best Massachusetts colleges. The 2021-2022 costs are officially published by IPEDS, U.S. Department of Education. The estimated costs for the academic year 2022-2023 are calculated and estimated based on each school's rate of tuition change from 2021 to 2022.
For the undergraduate programs, the average tuition & fees of the best Massachusetts colleges is $59,272 where Tufts University has the most expensive costs at $63,000 and Massachusetts Institute of Technology has the lowest amount of tuition at $53,450. The average graduate tuition & fees of the best Massachusetts colleges is $49,461 where Williams College has the highest tuition with $59,728 and Northeastern University has the lowest amount of graduate school tuition with $26,095.
| Rank | School Name | 2022 Tuition & Fees | 2023 Estimated Tuition & Fees |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Harvard University | $55,587 | $57,219 |
| 2 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | $53,450 | $53,450 |
| 3 | Williams College | $59,660 | $70,551 |
| 4 | Amherst College | $61,150 | $61,411 |
| 5 | Tufts University | $63,000 | $65,213 |
| 6 | Wellesley College | $60,752 | $63,147 |
| 7 | Boston University | $59,816 | $61,612 |
| 8 | Boston College | $61,706 | $63,248 |
| 9 | Northeastern University | $57,592 | $59,815 |
| 10 | Brandeis University | $60,006 | $62,496 |
| Average | $59,272 | $61,816 |
| Rank | School Name | 2022 Tuition & Fees | 2023 Estimated Tuition & Fees |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Harvard University | $52,170 | $53,731 |
| 2 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | $56,719 | $56,719 |
| 3 | Williams College | $59,728 | $60,108 |
| 4 | Amherst College | - | - |
| 5 | Tufts University | $55,216 | $55,264 |
| 6 | Wellesley College | - | - |
| 7 | Boston University | $59,418 | $61,223 |
| 8 | Boston College | $32,722 | $33,534 |
| 9 | Northeastern University | $26,095 | $26,643 |
| 10 | Brandeis University | $53,618 | $55,223 |
| Average | $49,461 | $50,306 |