by our College Data Analytics TeamWith all of the graduate school options in Massachusetts, narrowing things down is no easy task. We have ranked 131 programs by overall quality and student outcomes, using our 2026 methodology.
To help you make your decision, College Factual reviewed graduate schools using more than 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.
The best graduate school for you depends on what you want to study. Drill down by location and field of study, or explore other rankings below. Start by picking a degree level:
Want to compare schools head to head? We built a tool called College Combat to weigh schools on the factors you care about most.
Here are the top-ranked graduate schools:
No school ranked higher than Massachusetts Institute Of Technology this year in Massachusetts. This private not-for-profit school is set in Cambridge, MA. About 96% of students finish within six years. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $62,396. A year after graduating, students earn a median of $113,129. Students borrow a median of $13,516 to complete a degree here.
Out of the 131 graduate schools in Massachusetts in this year's ranking, Boston College landed the #2 spot. Set in Chestnut Hill, MA, Boston College is a private not-for-profit institution. The six-year graduation rate is 91%. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $70,702. A year after graduating, students earn a median of $66,132. The median student debt is $18,101.
A rank of #3 makes Harvard University one of the top graduate schools in Massachusetts. Based in Cambridge, MA, Harvard University is a private not-for-profit institution. Roughly 98% of students complete a degree within six years here. In-state tuition and fees run about $61,676. Harvard University graduates report median early-career earnings of $95,207. Graduates carry a median of $16,616 in student loans.
A rank of #4 makes Tufts University one of the top graduate schools in Massachusetts. Located in Medford, MA, Tufts University is a private not-for-profit institution. Roughly 94% of students complete a degree within six years here. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $70,704. Graduates go on to earn a median of $68,154 early in their careers. Typical student debt is $17,074.
Babson College came in at #5 on this year's Best Graduate Schools ranking in Massachusetts. Located 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. Babson College students take on a median of $23,000 in debt.
Boston University ranked #6 on our 2026 list of the best graduate schools. Set in Boston, MA, Boston University is a private not-for-profit institution. The six-year graduation rate is 89%. In-state tuition and fees run about $68,102. Graduates go on to earn a median of $63,598 early in their careers. Boston University students take on a median of $25,232 in debt.
Northeastern University placed #7 among the best graduate schools in Massachusetts. Set in Boston, MA, Northeastern University is a private not-for-profit institution. Roughly 90% of students complete a degree within six years here. In-state tuition and fees average $66,162. Northeastern University graduates report median early-career earnings of $74,800. The median student debt is $25,611.
Bentley University did well this year, earning the #8 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Waltham, MA. Bentley University posts a six-year graduation rate of 87%. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $61,000. Bentley University graduates report median early-career earnings of $76,110. The median student debt is $25,476.
Amherst College ranked #9 on our 2026 list of the best graduate schools. Located in Amherst, MA, Amherst College is a private not-for-profit institution. The six-year graduation rate is 94%. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $70,480. Median early-career earnings reach $59,271. Students borrow a median of $15,398 to complete a degree here.
College Of The Holy Cross landed the #10 spot in Massachusetts this year. Based in Worcester, MA, College Of The Holy Cross is a private not-for-profit institution. Roughly 87% of students complete a degree within six years here. In-state tuition and fees run about $64,500. Median early-career earnings reach $51,478. College Of The Holy Cross students take on a median of $26,387 in debt.
Wellesley College did well this year, earning the #11 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Wellesley, MA. The six-year graduation rate is 92%. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $67,176. Wellesley College graduates report median early-career earnings of $48,902. The median student debt is $11,075.
Williams College placed #12 among the best graduate schools in Massachusetts. Based in Williamstown, MA, Williams College is a private not-for-profit institution. Williams College graduates 94% of students within six years. In-state tuition and fees average $68,560. Williams College graduates report median early-career earnings of $53,652. The median student debt is $12,615.
University Of Massachusetts Amherst ranked #13 on our 2026 list of the best graduate schools. Located in Amherst, MA, University Of Massachusetts Amherst is a public institution. University Of Massachusetts Amherst graduates 83% of students within six years. Students from in state pay about $17,772 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $40,449. Graduates go on to earn a median of $53,543 early in their careers. Graduates carry a median of $25,234 in student loans.
Worcester Polytechnic Institute ranked #14 on our 2026 list of the best graduate schools. Located in Worcester, MA, Worcester Polytechnic Institute is a private not-for-profit institution. Worcester Polytechnic Institute graduates 90% of students within six years. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $60,765. Median early-career earnings reach $91,834. The median student debt is $26,259.
Olin College did well this year, earning the #15 position. Olin College is a private not-for-profit school based in Needham, MA. Roughly 96% of students complete a degree within six years here. In-state tuition and fees run about $63,742. Olin College graduates report median early-career earnings of $98,522. Graduates carry a median of $14,512 in student loans.
Simmons College landed the #16 spot in Massachusetts this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Boston, MA. Simmons College posts a six-year graduation rate of 72%. Students from in state pay about $46,874 in tuition and fees. Early-career graduates earn a median of $63,860. Graduates carry a median of $26,740 in student loans.
Brandeis University ranked #17 on our 2026 list of the best graduate schools. Set in Waltham, MA, Brandeis University is a private not-for-profit institution. About 86% of students finish within six years. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $68,080. Brandeis University graduates report median early-career earnings of $47,783. The median student debt is $25,653.
Massachusetts College Of Pharmacy And Health Sciences did well this year, earning the #18 position. Based in Boston, MA, Massachusetts College Of Pharmacy And Health Sciences is a private not-for-profit institution. Massachusetts College Of Pharmacy And Health Sciences posts a six-year graduation rate of 61%. In-state tuition and fees average $40,530. A year after graduating, students earn a median of $73,671. Students borrow a median of $29,056 to complete a degree here.
Clark University came in at #19 in this year's ranking. Set in Worcester, MA, Clark University is a private not-for-profit institution. The six-year graduation rate is 77%. Students from in state pay about $58,467 in tuition and fees. Clark University graduates report median early-career earnings of $43,257. Clark University students take on a median of $26,153 in debt.
Endicott College placed #20 among the best graduate schools in Massachusetts. Located in Beverly, MA, Endicott College is a private not-for-profit institution. Roughly 75% of students complete a degree within six years here. In-state tuition and fees average $40,650. Early-career graduates earn a median of $55,361. Typical student debt is $25,973.
Mgh Institute Of Health Professions landed the #21 spot in Massachusetts this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Boston, MA. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $95,932. Mgh Institute Of Health Professions graduates report median early-career earnings of $92,927. Students borrow a median of $32,000 to complete a degree here.
Emerson College did well this year, earning the #22 position. Located in Boston, MA, Emerson College is a private not-for-profit institution. Emerson College posts a six-year graduation rate of 77%. In-state tuition and fees average $57,056. Median early-career earnings reach $40,654. Typical student debt is $24,813.
Stonehill College placed #23 among the best graduate schools in Massachusetts. Set in Easton, MA, Stonehill College is a private not-for-profit institution. The six-year graduation rate is 76%. In-state tuition and fees run about $56,370. A year after graduating, students earn a median of $45,704. Graduates carry a median of $25,603 in student loans.
University Of Massachusetts Lowell did well this year, earning the #24 position. Based in Lowell, MA, University Of Massachusetts Lowell is a public institution. About 65% of students finish within six years. Students from in state pay about $16,966 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $36,264. Median early-career earnings reach $66,985. The median student debt is $25,574.
Wentworth Institute Of Technology ranked #25 on our 2026 list of the best graduate schools. This private not-for-profit school is set in Boston, MA. Wentworth Institute Of Technology posts a six-year graduation rate of 68%. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $42,884. Early-career graduates earn a median of $72,538. Students borrow a median of $26,887 to complete a degree here.
These graduate schools also placed among the very best this year:
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked graduate schools only.
The ranking above is published by College Factual, 2026 edition. Rankings consider 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
See our data sources and methodologies.
