by our College Data Analytics TeamBoston College ranks #1 of 145 colleges in College Factual’s 2027 Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges in the New England Region ranking, which scores schools on more than 20 measures of academic quality and student outcomes. The top 25 colleges average a 91% six-year graduation rate and $100,083 in median earnings five years after graduation.
Source: IPEDS 2025; College Scorecard July 2026; College Factual rankings 2027. Data as of: July 2026.
With all of the college options in the New England Region, choosing the right one can feel overwhelming. Our ranking highlights **145** colleges by overall quality and student outcomes, using our 2027 methodology.
To help you make your decision, College Factual evaluated 145 colleges on more than 20 objective measures such as graduation rate, post-graduation earnings, and per-student spending, drawing primarily on U.S. Department of Education data (IPEDS and College Scorecard). Learn more about our ranking methodology.
Boston College leads the 145 ranked colleges in the New England Region, followed by Massachusetts Institute Of Technology (#2) and Dartmouth College (#3). Explore the leading colleges below:
Boston College earned the #1 spot in this year's Best Colleges ranking in the New England Region. This private not-for-profit school is set in Chestnut Hill, MA. Roughly 91% of students complete a degree within six years here. Students from in state pay about $70,702 in tuition and fees. Graduates go on to earn a median of $66,132 early in their careers. Typical student debt is $18,101.
Massachusetts Institute Of Technology came in at #2 on this year's Best Colleges ranking in the New England Region. Located in Cambridge, MA, Massachusetts Institute Of Technology is a private not-for-profit institution. Roughly 96% of students complete a degree within six years here. In-state tuition and fees run about $62,396. Graduates go on to earn a median of $113,129 early in their careers. Graduates carry a median of $13,516 in student loans.
You'll be in good company at Dartmouth College, which ranked #3 this year. Based in Hanover, NH, Dartmouth College is a private not-for-profit institution. Dartmouth College graduates 96% of students within six years. Students from in state pay about $68,019 in tuition and fees. A year after graduating, students earn a median of $81,992. The median student debt is $16,989.
The strong outcomes at Harvard University earned it the #4 place in the New England Region. Located in Cambridge, MA, Harvard University is a private not-for-profit institution. The six-year graduation rate is 98%. In-state tuition and fees run about $61,676. Graduates go on to earn a median of $95,207 early in their careers. The median student debt is $16,616.
The strong outcomes at Yale University earned it the #5 place in the New England Region. Yale University is a private not-for-profit school based in New Haven, CT. Yale University graduates 96% of students within six years. In-state tuition and fees average $67,250. Graduates go on to earn a median of $74,578 early in their careers. Students borrow a median of $14,357 to complete a degree here.
Tufts University ranked #6 on our 2027 list of the best colleges. Based in Medford, MA, Tufts University is a private not-for-profit institution. The six-year graduation rate is 94%. In-state tuition and fees run about $70,704. Early-career graduates earn a median of $68,154. Graduates carry a median of $17,074 in student loans.
Brown University ranked #7 on our 2027 list of the best colleges. Based in Providence, RI, Brown University is a private not-for-profit institution. Brown University posts a six-year graduation rate of 96%. Students from in state pay about $71,312 in tuition and fees. Brown University graduates report median early-career earnings of $62,820. Typical student debt is $13,025.
Wesleyan University came in at #8 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Middletown, CT. Roughly 93% of students complete a degree within six years here. In-state tuition and fees average $70,042. A year after graduating, students earn a median of $39,764. The median student debt is $16,125.
Babson College ranked #9 on our 2027 list of the best colleges. Located in Wellesley, MA, Babson College is a private not-for-profit institution. About 93% of students finish within six years. In-state tuition and fees run about $57,152. Early-career graduates earn a median of $106,540. Babson College students take on a median of $23,000 in debt.
Bowdoin College did well this year, earning the #10 position. Based in Brunswick, ME, Bowdoin College is a private not-for-profit institution. About 95% of students finish within six years. In-state tuition and fees average $67,832. Graduates go on to earn a median of $58,938 early in their careers. Students borrow a median of $20,658 to complete a degree here.
Boston University came in at #11 in this year's ranking. Set in Boston, MA, Boston University is a private not-for-profit institution. About 89% of students finish within six years. In-state tuition and fees average $68,102. Graduates go on to earn a median of $63,598 early in their careers. Graduates carry a median of $25,232 in student loans.
Northeastern University did well this year, earning the #12 position. Located in Boston, MA, Northeastern University is a private not-for-profit institution. The six-year graduation rate is 90%. In-state tuition and fees run about $66,162. Median early-career earnings reach $74,800. Northeastern University students take on a median of $25,611 in debt.
Middlebury College did well this year, earning the #13 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Middlebury, VT. Middlebury College graduates 91% of students within six years. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $67,600. Middlebury College graduates report median early-career earnings of $54,713. Typical student debt is $15,948.
Amherst College came in at #14 in this year's ranking. Amherst College is a private not-for-profit school based in Amherst, MA. Amherst College graduates 94% of students within six years. In-state tuition and fees run about $70,480. A year after graduating, students earn a median of $59,271. The median student debt is $15,398.
Bentley University did well this year, earning the #15 position. Set in Waltham, MA, Bentley University is a private not-for-profit institution. The six-year graduation rate is 87%. In-state tuition and fees average $61,000. Early-career graduates earn a median of $76,742. Students borrow a median of $25,475 to complete a degree here.
Williams College placed #16 among the best colleges in the New England Region. Williams College is a private not-for-profit school based in Williamstown, MA. The six-year graduation rate is 94%. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $68,560. Early-career graduates earn a median of $53,652. Students borrow a median of $12,615 to complete a degree here.
Fairfield University placed #17 among the best colleges in the New England Region. Based in Fairfield, CT, Fairfield University is a private not-for-profit institution. About 84% of students finish within six years. In-state tuition and fees average $58,400. Early-career graduates earn a median of $66,305. Typical student debt is $26,687.
University Of Connecticut landed the #18 spot in the New England Region this year. Located in Storrs, CT, University Of Connecticut is a public institution. University Of Connecticut graduates 83% of students within six years. Students from in state pay about $21,044 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $43,712. Median early-career earnings reach $58,784. Typical student debt is $23,637.
College Of The Holy Cross placed #19 among the best colleges in the New England Region. Located in Worcester, MA, College Of The Holy Cross is a private not-for-profit institution. College Of The Holy Cross posts a six-year graduation rate of 87%. In-state tuition and fees average $64,500. College Of The Holy Cross graduates report median early-career earnings of $51,478. The median student debt is $26,387.
Wellesley College came in at #20 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Wellesley, MA. Wellesley College graduates 92% of students within six years. In-state tuition and fees average $67,176. A year after graduating, students earn a median of $48,902. Students borrow a median of $11,075 to complete a degree here.
Colby College placed #21 among the best colleges in the New England Region. Based in Waterville, ME, Colby College is a private not-for-profit institution. The six-year graduation rate is 89%. In-state tuition and fees average $69,600. Graduates go on to earn a median of $46,772 early in their careers. Colby College students take on a median of $22,016 in debt.
Trinity College did well this year, earning the #22 position. Trinity College is a private not-for-profit school based in Hartford, CT. The six-year graduation rate is 84%. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $70,770. Median early-career earnings reach $52,927. Graduates carry a median of $23,667 in student loans.
Bates College ranked #23 on our 2027 list of the best colleges. Located in Lewiston, ME, Bates College is a private not-for-profit institution. The six-year graduation rate is 90%. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $66,590. A year after graduating, students earn a median of $43,933. Students borrow a median of $12,226 to complete a degree here.
Worcester Polytechnic Institute placed #24 among the best colleges in the New England Region. Based in Worcester, MA, Worcester Polytechnic Institute is a private not-for-profit institution. Worcester Polytechnic Institute posts a six-year graduation rate of 90%. In-state tuition and fees average $60,765. A year after graduating, students earn a median of $91,834. Worcester Polytechnic Institute students take on a median of $26,259 in debt.
University Of Massachusetts Amherst landed the #25 spot in the New England Region this year. Based in Amherst, MA, University Of Massachusetts Amherst is a public institution. University Of Massachusetts Amherst graduates 83% of students within six years. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $17,772, compared with $40,449 for out-of-state students. University Of Massachusetts Amherst graduates report median early-career earnings of $53,666. Graduates carry a median of $25,195 in student loans.
These 25 colleges rank #26 through #50 of 145 in the New England Region. Not far behind, these colleges also landed in the top of this year’s ranking:
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. The methodology weighs a blend of student outcomes (graduation rate, post-graduation earnings), affordability, and per-student spending drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
References
Read more about our data sources and methodologies.
