Choosing a college is one of the most important decisions a person will make for their education, impacting everything from future earnings and employment to potential student loan debt and social circles.
While every student wants to get the best education they possibly can, there are myriad considerations to take into account: location, size, diversity, areas of focus, study abroad opportunities—the list goes on. While best college lists are often topped with the same handful of expensive Ivy League schools, the U.S. is home to more than 4,000 degree-granting schools spread out across all 50 states and several territories, with amazing education offerings for students to consider.
Stacker compiled a list of the best four-year colleges in Massachusetts using rankings from Niche. Tuition, student-to-faculty ratio, acceptance rate, and graduation rate are factors considered in deciding these rankings. Location is also often a key factor in a school’s appeal, whether it be a beachside location, one full of New England foliage, or proximity to tech hubs and companies like Microsoft, Apple, and Google. Online and unspecified location schools were excluded from the rankings. Keep reading to see the best schools in your state.
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#25. Stonehill College
– Acceptance rate: 69%
– Net price: $35,508
– Enrollment: 2,389 (11:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Overall Niche grade: B
— Value grade: A-
— Professors grade: B+
— Academics grade: B
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#24. Berklee College of Music
– Acceptance rate: 52%
– Net price: $42,952
– Enrollment: 5,494 (12:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Overall Niche grade: B
— Diversity grade: A+
— Location grade: A+
— Student life grade: A+
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#23. Simmons University
– Acceptance rate: 83%
– Net price: $29,021
– Enrollment: 1,609 (4:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Overall Niche grade: B
— Location grade: A+
— Value grade: A
— Diversity grade: A-
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#22. Elms College
– Acceptance rate: 70%
– Net price: $25,340
– Enrollment: 881 (10:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Overall Niche grade: B
— Value grade: A-
— Safety grade: A-
— Diversity grade: B+
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#21. Wheaton College – Massachusetts
– Acceptance rate: 77%
– Net price: $28,518
– Enrollment: 1,660 (12:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Overall Niche grade: B
— Diversity grade: A
— Academics grade: B+
— Value grade: B+
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#20. University of Massachusetts Lowell
– Acceptance rate: 75%
– Net price: $19,147
– Enrollment: 10,637 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Overall Niche grade: B
— Diversity grade: A
— Value grade: A-
— Athletics grade: A-
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#19. Emerson College
– Acceptance rate: 41%
– Net price: $47,594
– Enrollment: 3,626 (10:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Overall Niche grade: B+
— Location grade: A+
— Diversity grade: A
— Academics grade: A-
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#18. Clark University
– Acceptance rate: 47%
– Net price: $30,617
– Enrollment: 2,185 (8:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Overall Niche grade: A-
— Academics grade: A
— Diversity grade: A
— Professors grade: A
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#17. Bentley University
– Acceptance rate: 58%
– Net price: $42,759
– Enrollment: 3,907 (12:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Overall Niche grade: A-
— Value grade: A+
— Diversity grade: A
— Academics grade: A-
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#16. Worcester Polytechnic Institute
– Acceptance rate: 59%
– Net price: $45,834
– Enrollment: 5,010 (12:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Overall Niche grade: A
— Academics grade: A
— Value grade: A
— Diversity grade: A-
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#15. Mount Holyoke College
– Acceptance rate: 52%
– Net price: $31,165
– Enrollment: 2,200 (10:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Overall Niche grade: A
— Academics grade: A
— Diversity grade: A
— Professors grade: A
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#14. Brandeis University
– Acceptance rate: 33%
– Net price: $41,222
– Enrollment: 3,465 (8:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Overall Niche grade: A
— Academics grade: A+
— Diversity grade: A+
— Professors grade: A+
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#13. University of Massachusetts Amherst
– Acceptance rate: 65%
– Net price: $22,505
– Enrollment: 22,212 (15:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Overall Niche grade: A
— Party grade: A+
— Campus food grade: A+
— Student life grade: A+
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#12. College of the Holy Cross
– Acceptance rate: 38%
– Net price: $32,061
– Enrollment: 2,966 (10:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Overall Niche grade: A
— Academics grade: A+
— Value grade: A+
— Diversity grade: A-
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#11. Smith College
– Acceptance rate: 37%
– Net price: $28,422
– Enrollment: 2,160 (6:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Overall Niche grade: A
— Academics grade: A+
— Dorms grade: A+
— Diversity grade: A
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#10. Babson College
– Acceptance rate: 27%
– Net price: $31,559
– Enrollment: 2,457 (12:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Overall Niche grade: A+
— Academics grade: A+
— Value grade: A+
— Diversity grade: A+
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#9. Boston University
– Acceptance rate: 20%
– Net price: $29,154
– Enrollment: 16,026 (5:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Overall Niche grade: A+
— Academics grade: A+
— Diversity grade: A+
— Professors grade: A+
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#8. Northeastern University
– Acceptance rate: 20%
– Net price: $37,738
– Enrollment: 15,131 (10:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Overall Niche grade: A+
— Academics grade: A+
— Diversity grade: A+
— Professors grade: A+
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#7. Williams College
– Acceptance rate: 15%
– Net price: $22,356
– Enrollment: 1,917 (6:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Overall Niche grade: A+
— Academics grade: A+
— Value grade: A+
— Diversity grade: A+
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#6. Amherst College
– Acceptance rate: 12%
– Net price: $18,832
– Enrollment: 1,745 (7:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Overall Niche grade: A+
— Academics grade: A+
— Value grade: A+
— Diversity grade: A+
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#5. Boston College
– Acceptance rate: 26%
– Net price: $30,192
– Enrollment: 9,532 (9:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Overall Niche grade: A+
— Academics grade: A+
— Value grade: A+
— Athletics grade: A+
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#4. Tufts University
– Acceptance rate: 16%
– Net price: $32,720
– Enrollment: 5,938 (6:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Overall Niche grade: A+
— Academics grade: A+
— Value grade: A+
— Diversity grade: A+
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#3. Wellesley College
– Acceptance rate: 20%
– Net price: $21,614
– Enrollment: 2,375 (7:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Overall Niche grade: A+
— Academics grade: A+
— Value grade: A+
— Diversity grade: A+
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#2. Harvard University
– Acceptance rate: 5%
– Net price: $18,037
– Enrollment: 5,699 (3:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Overall Niche grade: A+
— Academics grade: A+
— Value grade: A+
— Diversity grade: A+
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#1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
– Acceptance rate: 7%
– Net price: $19,998
– Enrollment: 4,234 (3:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Overall Niche grade: A+
— Academics grade: A+
— Value grade: A+
— Diversity grade: A+
This story was written by Stacker and has been re-published pursuant to a CC BY-NC 4.0 License.