by our College Data Analytics Team
With all of the college options in Massachusetts, choosing the right one can feel overwhelming. We have ranked **63** schools by overall quality and student outcomes, using our 2026 methodology.
To help you make your decision, College Factual analyzed 63 colleges across over 20 objective factors 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.
Your ideal college depends on your goals. Drill down by location and field of study, or explore other rankings below. You can also browse by degree level:
Want to compare schools head to head? Check out College Combat to build custom comparisons using the factors most important to you.
Learn more about these excellent colleges below:
Our analysis found Massachusetts Institute Of Technology to be the best college in Massachusetts. This private not-for-profit school is set in Cambridge, MA. The six-year graduation rate is 96%. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $62,396. Early-career graduates earn a median of $113,129. Graduates carry a median of $13,516 in student loans.
You'll be in good company at Boston College, which ranked #2 this year. Set in Chestnut Hill, MA, Boston College is a private not-for-profit institution. About 91% of students finish within six years. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $70,702. Boston College graduates report median early-career earnings of $66,132. Graduates carry a median of $18,101 in student loans.
Harvard University came in at #3 on this year's Best Colleges ranking in Massachusetts. Harvard University is a private not-for-profit school based in Cambridge, MA. Harvard University posts a six-year graduation rate of 98%. In-state tuition and fees average $61,676. A year after graduating, students earn a median of $95,207. Typical student debt is $16,616.
You'll be in good company at Tufts University, which ranked #4 this year. Set in Medford, MA, Tufts University is a private not-for-profit institution. About 94% of students finish within six years. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $70,704. Median early-career earnings reach $68,154. The median student debt is $17,074.
You'll be in good company at Babson College, which ranked #5 this year. Based in Wellesley, MA, Babson College is a private not-for-profit institution. Babson College graduates 93% of students within six years. In-state tuition and fees average $57,152. Median early-career earnings reach $106,540. Typical student debt is $23,000.
Boston University did well this year, earning the #6 position. Boston University is a private not-for-profit school based in Boston, MA. About 89% of students finish within six years. In-state tuition and fees average $68,102. Early-career graduates earn a median of $63,598. Graduates carry a median of $25,232 in student loans.
Northeastern University came in at #7 in this year's ranking. Located in Boston, MA, Northeastern University is a private not-for-profit institution. About 90% of students finish within six years. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $66,162. Northeastern University graduates report median early-career earnings of $74,800. Northeastern University students take on a median of $25,611 in debt.
Bentley University ranked #8 on our 2026 list of the best colleges. Located in Waltham, MA, Bentley University is a private not-for-profit institution. Bentley University posts a six-year graduation rate of 87%. In-state tuition and fees run about $61,000. A year after graduating, students earn a median of $76,110. Students borrow a median of $25,476 to complete a degree here.
Amherst College did well this year, earning the #9 position. Set in Amherst, MA, Amherst College is a private not-for-profit institution. 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. Graduates carry a median of $15,398 in student loans.
College Of The Holy Cross came in at #10 in this year's ranking. Located in Worcester, MA, College Of The Holy Cross is a private not-for-profit institution. About 87% of students finish within six years. In-state tuition and fees run about $64,500. Early-career graduates earn a median of $51,478. Typical student debt is $26,387.
Wellesley College came in at #11 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Wellesley, MA. The six-year graduation rate is 92%. Students from in state pay about $67,176 in tuition and fees. Graduates go on to earn a median of $48,902 early in their careers. Typical student debt is $11,075.
Williams College did well this year, earning the #12 position. Located in Williamstown, MA, Williams College is a private not-for-profit institution. The six-year graduation rate is 94%. In-state tuition and fees average $68,560. Early-career graduates earn a median of $53,652. Williams College students take on a median of $12,615 in debt.
University Of Massachusetts Amherst ranked #13 on our 2026 list of the best colleges. Based in Amherst, MA, University Of Massachusetts Amherst is a public institution. The six-year graduation rate is 83%. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $17,772, while out-of-state students pay about $40,449. Median early-career earnings reach $53,543. The median student debt is $25,234.
Worcester Polytechnic Institute ranked #14 on our 2026 list of the best colleges. Located 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 run about $60,765. A year after graduating, students earn a median of $91,834. The median student debt is $26,259.
Olin College placed #15 among the best colleges in Massachusetts. Based in Needham, MA, Olin College is a private not-for-profit institution. Roughly 96% of students complete a degree within six years here. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $63,742. Median early-career earnings reach $98,522. Olin College students take on a median of $14,512 in debt.
Simmons College came in at #16 in this year's ranking. Based in Boston, MA, Simmons College is a private not-for-profit institution. Simmons College posts a six-year graduation rate of 72%. In-state tuition and fees run about $46,874. Median early-career earnings reach $63,860. The median student debt is $26,740.
Brandeis University did well this year, earning the #17 position. Brandeis University is a private not-for-profit school based in Waltham, MA. Brandeis University posts a six-year graduation rate of 86%. Students from in state pay about $68,080 in tuition and fees. Graduates go on to earn a median of $47,783 early in their careers. Graduates carry a median of $25,653 in student loans.
Massachusetts College Of Pharmacy And Health Sciences placed #18 among the best colleges in Massachusetts. Located in Boston, MA, Massachusetts College Of Pharmacy And Health Sciences is a private not-for-profit institution. Massachusetts College Of Pharmacy And Health Sciences graduates 61% of students within six years. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $40,530. Median early-career earnings reach $73,671. Typical student debt is $29,056.
Clark University came in at #19 in this year's ranking. Located in Worcester, MA, Clark University is a private not-for-profit institution. About 77% of students finish within six years. Students from in state pay about $58,467 in tuition and fees. Median early-career earnings reach $43,257. Graduates carry a median of $26,153 in student loans.
Endicott College ranked #20 on our 2026 list of the best colleges. Endicott College is a private not-for-profit school based in Beverly, MA. About 75% of students finish within six years. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $40,650. Endicott College graduates report median early-career earnings of $55,361. Students borrow a median of $25,973 to complete a degree here.
Mgh Institute Of Health Professions did well this year, earning the #21 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Boston, MA. In-state tuition and fees average $95,932. Median early-career earnings reach $92,927. Students borrow a median of $32,000 to complete a degree here.
Emerson College did well this year, earning the #22 position. Emerson College is a private not-for-profit school based in Boston, MA. About 77% of students finish within six years. In-state tuition and fees run about $57,056. A year after graduating, students earn a median of $40,654. Typical student debt is $24,813.
Stonehill College came in at #23 in this year's ranking. Based in Easton, MA, Stonehill College is a private not-for-profit institution. Roughly 76% of students complete a degree within six years here. In-state tuition and fees run about $56,370. Graduates go on to earn a median of $45,704 early in their careers. Stonehill College students take on a median of $25,603 in debt.
University Of Massachusetts Lowell placed #24 among the best colleges in Massachusetts. This public school is set in Lowell, MA. About 65% of students finish within six years. In-state tuition and fees average $16,966, with out-of-state students paying around $36,264. A year after graduating, students earn a median of $66,985. Graduates carry a median of $25,574 in student loans.
Wentworth Institute Of Technology placed #25 among the best colleges in Massachusetts. Located in Boston, MA, Wentworth Institute Of Technology is a private not-for-profit institution. About 68% of students finish within six years. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $42,884. Graduates go on to earn a median of $72,538 early in their careers. The median student debt is $26,887.
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), 2026 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
More about our data sources and methodologies.
