Best Colleges in Massachusetts (2026)

How this list is ranked

The strongest colleges and universities in Massachusetts, ranked by graduation rate and selectivity, with verified acceptance rates, net price, and test scores for this admissions cycle.

Schools on this list 40

Source Federal data, same records as every school page

Admit rate, net price, and SAT in the table are for context. Rank order follows the method above, not those columns.

Rank	School	Admit	Net price	SAT
1	Harvard University Cambridge, MA	3.6%	$19,066	1510-1580	See record
2	Amherst College Amherst, MA	9.0%	$23,367	1490-1580	See record
3	Williams College Williamstown, MA	8.3%	$17,716	1490-1570	See record
4	Tufts University Medford, MA	11.5%	$39,998	1470-1560	See record
5	Boston College Chestnut Hill, MA	16.4%	$41,704	1440-1540	See record
6	Boston University Boston, MA	11.1%	$24,402	1420-1530	See record
7	Northeastern University Boston, MA	5.2%	$30,915	1440-1540	See record
8	Babson College Wellesley, MA	17.1%	$40,514	1390-1530	See record
9	University of Massachusetts-Amherst Amherst, MA	60%	$22,383	1310-1500	See record
10	Laboure College of Healthcare Milton, MA	50%	$36,863	-	See record
11	Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, MA	4.5%	$20,111	1520-1580	See record
12	Franklin W Olin College of Engineering Needham, MA	25%	$25,171	1493-1558	See record
13	Wellesley College Wellesley, MA	14.1%	$25,496	1460-1560	See record
14	Worcester Polytechnic Institute Worcester, MA	60%	$43,071	-	See record
15	Smith College Northampton, MA	21%	$27,579	1420-1540	See record
16	College of the Holy Cross Worcester, MA	17.6%	$38,782	1240-1410	See record
17	Bentley University Waltham, MA	45%	$37,930	1280-1430	See record
18	Brandeis University Waltham, MA	41%	$35,736	1390-1520	See record
19	Mount Holyoke College South Hadley, MA	36%	$26,441	1380-1530	See record
20	Sattler College Boston, MA	69%	-	1140-1310	See record
21	Longy School of Music of Bard College Cambridge, MA	-	$38,530	-	See record
22	Emerson College Boston, MA	51%	$49,180	1270-1420	See record
23	Clark University Worcester, MA	40%	$28,714	1288-1460	See record
24	Stonehill College Easton, MA	66%	$33,016	-	See record
25	Endicott College Beverly, MA	71%	$40,654	1193-1340	See record
26	Assumption University Worcester, MA	83%	$29,498	-	See record
27	Springfield College Springfield, MA	72%	$30,587	1080-1330	See record
28	Massachusetts Maritime Academy Buzzards Bay, MA	95%	$21,582	-	See record
29	The New England Conservatory of Music Boston, MA	41%	$46,754	-	See record
30	Wheaton College (Massachusetts) Norton, MA	68%	$29,822	1220-1390	See record
31	Simmons University Boston, MA	70%	$25,265	1220-1390	See record
32	Regis College Weston, MA	70%	$27,477	-	See record
33	Merrimack College North Andover, MA	70%	$37,927	-	See record
34	Massachusetts College of Art and Design Boston, MA	76%	$24,100	-	See record
35	Gordon College Wenham, MA	69%	$24,883	1130-1355	See record
36	Bard College at Simon's Rock Great Barrington, MA	96%	$31,625	-	See record
37	Wentworth Institute of Technology Boston, MA	91%	$34,170	1110-1320	See record
38	College of Our Lady of the Elms Chicopee, MA	85%	$17,545	-	See record
39	Emmanuel College Boston, MA	76%	$26,706	1170-1340	See record
40	Berklee College of Music Boston, MA	44%	$49,465	-	See record