Find Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Liberal Arts General Studies

Find Schools Near

2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid

18 Ranked Colleges
913 Degrees Awarded
$24,800 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor's in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

Liberal Arts General Studies is one of the most popular majors in the nation, ranking 1st of all the majors we analyze. In 2019-2020, 559,661 degrees were awarded to students with this major. In 2017-2018, liberal arts general studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $26,786 and had an average of $16,538 in loans still to pay off.

Across Massachusetts, there were 3,758 liberal arts general studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $29,110 and $17,045 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 913 liberal arts general studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $42,887 and $24,387 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid” ranking looked at 18 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in liberal arts general studies. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality liberal arts general studies programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the liberal arts general studies program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

The liberal arts school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid”.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid.

Top 18 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts General Studies in Massachusetts (With Aid)

#1

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, Massachusetts

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid. This fairly large school is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and it awarded 10 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.

MIT not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list. It costs about $16,636 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree liberal arts students with aid per year to attend MIT.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 98%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Massachusetts Institute of Technology

#2

Harvard University

Cambridge, Massachusetts
#3 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Harvard University. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid list. Harvard University is a large school located in Cambridge, Massachusetts that handed out 34 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.

Harvard also made our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list, coming in at #3. The yearly cost to attend Harvard University is $15,386 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree liberal arts students with aid.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Harvard University

#3

Westfield State University

Westfield, Massachusetts

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Westfield State University. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid list. Westfield State University is a medium-sized public school situated in Westfield, Massachusetts. It awarded 156 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Westfield, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. It costs about $19,167 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students with aid per year to attend Westfield.

The low student loan default rate of 4.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full Westfield State University Liberal Arts General Studies Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Massachusetts - Lowell. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid list. University of Massachusetts - Lowell is a public institution located in Lowell, Massachusetts. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 105 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMass Lowell, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UMass Lowell is $19,119 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UMass Lowell Liberal Arts General Studies Report

#5

Framingham State University

Framingham, Massachusetts

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Framingham State University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid. Framingham State University is located in Framingham, Massachusetts and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 45 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our massachusetts bachelor’s degree liberal arts students with aid list, Framingham State has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Framingham State University is $20,001 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students with aid.

Full Framingham State University Liberal Arts General Studies Report

#6

University of Massachusetts Amherst

Amherst, Massachusetts

University of Massachusetts Amherst landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid ranking. Amherst, Massachusetts is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s liberal arts degrees to 95 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our massachusetts bachelor’s degree liberal arts students with aid list, UMass Amherst has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Massachusetts Amherst is $22,501 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full University of Massachusetts Amherst Liberal Arts General Studies Report

#7

University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth

North Dartmouth, Massachusetts

University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #7. UMass Dartmouth is a medium-sized public school situated in North Dartmouth, Massachusetts. It awarded 25 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our massachusetts bachelor’s degree liberal arts students with aid list, UMass Dartmouth has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth is $18,503 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students with aid.

Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at UMass Dartmouth

#8

American International College

Springfield, Massachusetts

American International College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #8. American International College is a small school located in Springfield, Massachusetts that handed out 13 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.

AIC also took the #10 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The yearly cost to attend AIC is $25,044 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students with aid.

Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at AIC

#9

Bay Path University

Longmeadow, Massachusetts

Bay Path University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #9. Bay Path University is located in Longmeadow, Massachusetts and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 43 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees to qualified students.

Bay Path did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list. It costs about $22,211 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students with aid per year to attend Bay Path University.

Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Bay Path

#10

Salem State University

Salem, Massachusetts

With a ranking of #10, Salem State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid list. Salem State University is a public institution located in Salem, Massachusetts. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Salem State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list. The yearly cost to attend Salem State University is $18,399 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students with aid.

Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at Salem State University

#11

Eastern Nazarene College

Quincy, Massachusetts

With a ranking of #11, Eastern Nazarene College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Quincy, Massachusetts, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 14 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s liberal arts students in 2019-2020.

ENC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list. The yearly cost to attend Eastern Nazarene College is $20,751 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students with aid.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at ENC

#12

Bentley University

Waltham, Massachusetts

Bentley University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid ranking. Bentley University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Waltham, Massachusetts. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 126 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Bentley also took the #2 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Bentley University is $38,986 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree liberal arts students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 2.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at Bentley

#13

Springfield College

Springfield, Massachusetts

Springfield College ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid list. Springfield, Massachusetts is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s liberal arts degrees to 14 students in 2019-2020.

Springfield College also took the #12 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. It costs about $30,134 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree liberal arts students with aid per year to attend Springfield College.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at Springfield College

#14

Lesley University

Cambridge, Massachusetts

Lesley University landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid ranking. Lesley is a private not-for-profit institution located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The school has a small population, and it awarded 75 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Lesley also took the #9 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Lesley is $33,644 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Lesley

#15

Curry College

Milton, Massachusetts

Curry College ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid list. Curry College is located in Milton, Massachusetts and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 2 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees to qualified students.

Curry also took the #16 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Curry is $27,739 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree liberal arts students with aid.

Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Curry

#16

Endicott College

Beverly, Massachusetts

Endicott College ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid list. Endicott is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Beverly, Massachusetts. It awarded 47 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.

Endicott also took the #6 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Endicott College is $35,642 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Endicott College

#17

Regis College

Weston, Massachusetts

With a ranking of #17, Regis College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid list. Regis College is a small school located in Weston, Massachusetts that handed out 1 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.

Regis College also made our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list, coming in at #14. It costs about $30,408 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree liberal arts students with aid per year to attend Regis College.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at Regis College

#18

Dean College

Franklin, Massachusetts

Dean College landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid ranking. Franklin, Massachusetts is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s liberal arts degrees to 5 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Dean College, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Dean College is $31,337 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students with aid.

Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Dean College

Switch to a Different Ranking Method

Notes and References

References

  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

Featured Liberal Arts Schools

Find Schools Near You