There are lots of options to choose from today when trying to decide which grad school to attend. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our Top Massachusetts Colleges for a Master's ranking - to help you make that decision.
After analyzing 43 grad schools in Massachusetts, we came up with our list of those that offered the best master's degree programs. Our ranking for the best grad schools is based on objective factors. We steer clear of subjective measures since they don't give a clear picture when determining how one school compares to another. The following gives more info on what goes into our ranking factors and why we consider those factors.
Better Early-Career Average Salaries
The average early-career salary of those graduating with a master's degree is one indicator we use in our analysis to find the schools that offer the highest-quality education. While master's degree recipients from schools in Massachusetts earn an average starting salary of $64,084, those from the top 24 school on this list made an average of $65,418.
Starting Salary ( 45645 to 77725 )
Student Loan Borrowing
Another factor that we look at to determine a school's ranking is the average debt load that graduate students take on while they are working on their master's degree.
The average amount taken out in student loans for graduates at a particular school may be crippling for those who earn less than average wages after graduation.
Additional Ranking Factors We Use
Our Best Master's Degree Schools considers other factors in addition to average post-graduation earnings and average student debt.
These factors include things like the educational resources, the demand associated with the school, whether or not the school offers online classes, and the student body caliber - just to name a few.
Are you more interested in the top master's degree schools in your area? Try narrowing this list by location. Also, you may want to check out our other college rankings.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology tops this year’s ranking as the best grad school for master’s degrees in Massachusetts for overall quality. MIT is a private not-for-profit institution located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 1,803 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Those who receive a master’s degree from MIT go into careers with an average salary of $107,308 during the early years of their career.
A rank of #2 on our Best Master’s Degree in Massachusetts list means Harvard University is a great place for students working on their degree. This large private not-for-profit school is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and it awarded 4,670 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Those who receive a master’s degree from Harvard go into careers with an average salary of $76,001 during the early years of their career.
The excellent master’s degree programs at Bentley University helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best schools in Massachusetts. Bentley is located in Waltham, Massachusetts and has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 499 master’s degrees to qualified graduate students.
Those who receive a master’s degree from Bentley go into careers with an average salary of $89,340 during the early years of their career.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Tufts University. It ranked #4 on our 2024 Best Master’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts list. Medford, Massachusetts is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out master’s degrees to 1,459 students in 2020-2021.
Graduates with a master’s degree from Tufts make an average of $64,585 per year during the early years of their career.
The excellent master’s degree programs at Boston University helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best schools in Massachusetts. Located in Boston, Massachusetts, the large private not-for-profit school awarded 5,175 diplomas to qualifed master’s degree students in 2020-2021.
The average salary of a graduate with a master’s degree from Boston U is $61,807 during the early years of their career.
Worcester Polytechnic Institute ranked #6 on this year’s Best Master’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts list. This medium-sized private not-for-profit school is located in Worcester, Massachusetts, and it awarded 742 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The average salary of a graduate with a master’s degree from WPI is $96,013 during the early years of their career.
Simmons University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Master’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts ranking. This medium-sized private not-for-profit school is located in Boston, Massachusetts, and it awarded 1,773 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The average salary of a graduate with a master’s degree from Simmons is $60,452 during the early years of their career.
Northeastern University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Master’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts list. Northeastern is located in Boston, Massachusetts and has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 3,193 master’s degrees to qualified graduate students.
Graduates with a master’s degree from Northeastern make an average of $69,661 per year during the early years of their career.
University of Massachusetts Amherst ranked #9 on this year’s Best Master’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts list. Amherst, Massachusetts is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out master’s degrees to 1,697 students in 2020-2021.
During the early years of their career, master’s degree graduates from UMass Amherst make an average of $61,564 a year.
With a ranking of #10, Boston College did quite well on the 2024 Best Master’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts list. Boston College is located in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts and has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 1,437 master’s degrees to qualified graduate students.
Those who receive a master’s degree from Boston College go into careers with an average salary of $58,946 during the early years of their career.
Wentworth Institute of Technology came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Master’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts ranking. WIT is located in Boston, Massachusetts and has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 99 master’s degrees to qualified graduate students.
Graduates with a master’s degree from WIT make an average of $79,268 per year during the early years of their career.
Smith College landed the #12 spot on the 2024 Best Master’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts ranking. Located in Northampton, Massachusetts, the small private not-for-profit school handed out 143 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.
During the early years of their career, master’s degree graduates from Smith make an average of $45,055 a year.
Brandeis University landed the #13 spot on the 2024 Best Master’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts ranking. Brandeis is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Waltham, Massachusetts. It awarded 859 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.
During the early years of their career, master’s degree graduates from Brandeis make an average of $58,984 a year.
Emerson College did quite well in the 2024 Best Master’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts ranking, coming in at #14. Emerson College is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in Boston, Massachusetts that handed out 458 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Upon graduation, master’s degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $44,571 during the early years of their career.
Suffolk University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Master’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts list. Located in Boston, Massachusetts, the medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 584 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Graduates with a master’s degree from Suffolk make an average of $71,487 per year during the early years of their career.
Endicott College came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Master’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts ranking. Beverly, Massachusetts is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out master’s degrees to 573 students in 2020-2021.
Lasell University landed the #17 spot on the 2024 Best Master’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts ranking. Newton, Massachusetts is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out master’s degrees to 238 students in 2020-2021.
Upon graduation, master’s degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $52,836 during the early years of their career.
University of Massachusetts - Lowell did quite well in the 2024 Best Master’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts ranking, coming in at #18. Lowell, Massachusetts is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out master’s degrees to 1,192 students in 2020-2021.
During the early years of their career, master’s degree graduates from UMass Lowell make an average of $70,558 a year.
Anna Maria College ranked #19 on this year’s Best Master’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts list. Anna Maria is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Paxton, Massachusetts. It awarded 191 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Upon graduation, master’s degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $77,079 during the early years of their career.
Framingham State University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Master’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts list. Framingham State is a small public school situated in Framingham, Massachusetts. It awarded 435 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.
During the early years of their career, master’s degree graduates from Framingham State make an average of $62,434 a year.
Lesley University landed the #21 spot on the 2024 Best Master’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts ranking. Lesley is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It awarded 648 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Graduates with a master’s degree from Lesley make an average of $48,010 per year during the early years of their career.
With a ranking of #22, Clark University did quite well on the 2024 Best Master’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts list. Located in Worcester, Massachusetts, the small private not-for-profit school awarded 684 diplomas to qualifed master’s degree students in 2020-2021.
Those who receive a master’s degree from Clark go into careers with an average salary of $46,509 during the early years of their career.
Bay Path University landed the #23 spot on the 2024 Best Master’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts ranking. Located in Longmeadow, Massachusetts, the small private not-for-profit school handed out 541 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.
During the early years of their career, master’s degree graduates from Bay Path make an average of $61,218 a year.
Bridgewater State University ranked #24 on this year’s Best Master’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts list. Located in Bridgewater, Massachusetts, the medium-sized public school awarded 427 diplomas to qualifed master’s degree students in 2020-2021.
Upon graduation, master’s degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $52,015 during the early years of their career.
With a ranking of #25, Westfield State University did quite well on the 2024 Best Master’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts list. This small public school is located in Westfield, Massachusetts, and it awarded 240 master’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Upon graduation, master’s degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $54,341 during the early years of their career.
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%.
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