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Our analysis found Tufts University to be the best college for Student Athletes in Massachusetts. Tufts University is a private not-for-profit school based in Medford, MA.
by our College Data Analytics TeamChoosing a college as a student athlete means weighing both the classroom and the competition. This list ranks 44 colleges for Student Athletes by academic-athletic quality, using our 2026 methodology.
To arm you with the information you need, College Factual scores each program on a blend of academic-athletic outcomes (NCAA Academic Progress Rate and Graduation Success Rate), athletic financial resources (team revenue, expenses, and aid per athlete from the EADA survey), and overall school quality, drawing on NCAA, U.S. Department of Education EADA, and IPEDS data. Learn more about our ranking methodology.
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Here are the top-ranked colleges for student athletes:
Our analysis found Tufts University to be the best college for Student Athletes in Massachusetts. Tufts University is a private not-for-profit school based in Medford, MA.
Williams College is one of the top schools for Student Athletes, at #2. Located in Williamstown, MA, Williams College is a private not-for-profit institution.
Amherst College came in at #3 on this year's ranking for Student Athletes. Amherst College is a private not-for-profit school based in Amherst, MA.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology ranked #4 among the best colleges for Student Athletes. Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private not-for-profit school based in Cambridge, MA.
Babson College came in at #5 on this year's ranking for Student Athletes. Babson College is a private not-for-profit school based in Wellesley, MA.
Wellesley College landed the #6 spot this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Wellesley, MA.
Boston University landed the #7 spot this year. Based in Boston, MA, Boston University is a private not-for-profit institution.
Northeastern University ranked #8 on our 2026 list for Student Athletes. Based in Boston, MA, Northeastern University is a private not-for-profit institution.
Worcester Polytechnic Institute came in at #9 in this year's ranking. Worcester Polytechnic Institute is a private not-for-profit school based in Worcester, MA.
Bentley University placed #10 among the best colleges for Student Athletes. Bentley University is a private not-for-profit school based in Waltham, MA.
Boston College did well this year, earning the #11 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Chestnut Hill, MA.
Brandeis University ranked #12 on our 2026 list for Student Athletes. Brandeis University is a private not-for-profit school based in Waltham, MA.
College of the Holy Cross landed the #13 spot this year. Based in Worcester, MA, College of the Holy Cross is a private not-for-profit institution.
Emerson College did well this year, earning the #14 position. Based in Boston, MA, Emerson College is a private not-for-profit institution.
University of Massachusetts-Amherst landed the #15 spot this year. Based in Amherst, MA, University of Massachusetts-Amherst is a public institution.
Assumption University came in at #16 in this year's ranking. Located in Worcester, MA, Assumption University is a private not-for-profit institution.
Merrimack College landed the #17 spot this year. Located in North Andover, MA, Merrimack College is a private not-for-profit institution.
University of Massachusetts-Lowell did well this year, earning the #18 position. Located in Lowell, MA, University of Massachusetts-Lowell is a public institution.
Stonehill College landed the #19 spot this year. Based in Easton, MA, Stonehill College is a private not-for-profit institution.
Wheaton College (Massachusetts) came in at #20 in this year's ranking. Located in Norton, MA, Wheaton College (Massachusetts) is a private not-for-profit institution.
Harvard University landed the #21 spot this year. Located in Cambridge, MA, Harvard University is a private not-for-profit institution.
Endicott College did well this year, earning the #22 position. Endicott College is a private not-for-profit school based in Beverly, MA.
Massachusetts Maritime Academy came in at #23 in this year's ranking. Massachusetts Maritime Academy is a public school based in Buzzards Bay, MA.
Wentworth Institute of Technology placed #24 among the best colleges for Student Athletes. This private not-for-profit school is set in Boston, MA.
Springfield College landed the #25 spot this year. Springfield College is a private not-for-profit school based in Springfield, MA.
These schools rounded out the top of the list:
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This list is compiled by College Factual, 2026 edition. Programs are scored on a blend of academic-athletic outcomes (NCAA Academic Progress Rate and Graduation Success Rate), athletic financial resources (team revenue, expenses, and athletic aid from the federal EADA survey), and overall school quality. The current methodology measures academic-athletic quality and does not include team win/loss performance.
References
Read more about our data sources and methodologies.