23 Best Colleges in Massachusetts – 2024

Academic Highlights: Undergraduates pursue one of 57 majors and 59 minors at this world-class research institution that continues to be one of the world’s most magnetic destinations for math and science geniuses.  The student-to-faculty ratio is an astonishing 3-to-1, and over two-fifths of all class sections have single-digit enrollments, and 70% of courses contain fewer than twenty students. The highest numbers of degrees conferred in 2022 were in the following majors: engineering (31%), computer science and engineering (28%), mathematics (10%), and the physical sciences (7%).

Professional Outcomes: The Class of 2023 saw 29% of its members enter the world of employment and 43% continue on their educational paths. The top employers included Accenture, Amazon, Microsoft, Goldman Sachs, Google, General Motors, the US Navy, Apple, Bain & Company, and McKinsey. The mean starting salary for an MIT bachelor’s degree holder was $95,000. The most frequently attended graduate schools are a who’s who of elite institutions including MIT itself, Stanford, Caltech, Harvard, and the University of Oxford.

Academic Highlights: There are 50 undergraduate fields of study referred to as concentrations; many are interdisciplinary. Even with a graduate population of over 14,000 to cater to, undergraduate class sizes still tend to be small, with 42% of sections having single-digit enrollments and 71% being capped at nineteen. Economics, government, and computer science are the three most popular areas of concentration at Harvard. Biology, chemistry, physics, math, statistics, sociology, history, English, and psychology all sit atop most departmental ranking lists.

Professional Outcomes: The Crimson Class of 2022 saw 15% of students head directly into graduate/professional school. Of the graduates entering the world of work (virtually everyone else), 58% were entering either the consulting, finance, or technology field. Over 1,000 Harvard alumni presently work for Google and over 500 for Microsoft, McKinsey & Company, and Goldman Sachs. Turning our attention to those moving on to graduate school, Harvard grads with at least a 3.5 GPA typically enjoy acceptance rates into medical school of 90% or greater.

Academic Highlights: The school’s 25 academic departments offer 36 majors and a number of concentrations rather than minors. An unparalleled 40% of courses have fewer than ten students enrolled; the median class size is 12 students. Programs in economics, English, history, math, and political science are especially renowned, and the greatest number of degrees are conferred in the social sciences (26%), the physical sciences (10%), math and statistics (9%), psychology (9%), and computer science (7%).

Professional Outcomes: Among the Class of 2022, 92% were employed or continuing their educational journey within six months of graduating. Business and education typically attract the most students, with popular companies/organizations including Apple, Google, Goldman Sachs, The New York Times Co., the Peace Corps, and Teach for America. The median annual income for 2022 grads was $75,000. 75% pursue an advanced degree within five years of leaving Williams, with the most frequently attended graduate programs being Harvard, Columbia, and Yale.

Academic Highlights: A 7:1 student-to-faculty ratio allows for 66% of courses to have fewer than twenty students and 32% to have single-digit enrollments. By senior year, 98% of seniors report feeling close enough to a faculty member to ask for a letter of recommendation. Amherst possesses strong offerings across the board, most notably in economics, English, history, mathematics, and law The social sciences account for 22% of degrees conferred, while 14% are in mathematics, 11% in biology, and 7% in computer science

Professional Outcomes: Six months after graduation, 93% of the Class of 2022 had already found its way into the world of employment, graduate school, or a volunteer organization.  The largest employers of Amherst grads includes Google, Deloitte, Morgan Stanley, and Goldman Sachs. The schools where the highest number of Amherst grads can be found pursuing advanced degrees include MIT, Dartmouth, and the University of Pennsylvania. Fifty to sixty Amherst grads apply to medical school each year, and the acceptance rate hovers around 75-80%.

Academic Highlights: There are 50+ departmental and interdisciplinary majors. Thirty-six percent of course sections have single-digit enrollments while 77% have 19 or fewer students. In addition, opportunities for participation in research with faculty members abound. Most programs possess sterling reputations, including chemistry, computer science, neuroscience, and political science, but the Department of Economics shines most brightly, leading many into PhD programs and high-profile careers. Economics, biology, and computer science are the most frequently conferred degrees.

Professional Outcomes: Six months after graduating, 97% of the Class of 2022 had achieved positive outcomes. Of the 76% of grads who were employed, 24% were working in the finance/consulting/business fields, 17% in education, 17% in internet and technology & engineering, and 15% in healthcare/life sciences. Top employers included JPMorgan Chase, Google, Boston Children’s Hospital, and Goldman Sachs. The average starting salary for one recent cohort was a solid $63k. Of the 20% of 2022 grads who directly entered an advanced degree program, common schools attended included Harvard, Columbia, Brown, Stanford, MIT, and Emory.

Academic Highlights: Three schools serve Tufts’ undergraduate population: the College of Arts & Sciences, the College of Engineering, and the School of the Museum of Fine Arts. The three schools combined offer more than 90 majors and minors; approximately one-third of all students double major, and half declare a minor. 15% of all courses see fewer than ten students enrolled, and 60% have sub-twenty enrollments. The most popular majors include international relations, economics, computer science, political science, and biology—all of which receive very high marks.

Professional Outcomes: Six months after earning their diplomas, 97% of 2022 graduates were employed or attending graduate school. The most commonly entered fields were finance, consulting, real estate (23%); engineering and technology (22%); health, life sciences, environmental (21%); and education, advocacy, social services (11%). Prolific employers of Tufts alums include Booz Allen Hamilton, JPMorgan, MITRE, Google, Deloitte, Amazon, Raytheon, Morgan Stanley, and BlackRock. Of the 21% of 2022 grads who went directly to graduate school, 85% were accepted into their first-choice institution.

Academic Highlights: Smith has 50 academic departments and programs. The social sciences are most popular, accounting for 21% of the degrees conferred, with programs in economics and government carrying very strong reputations. Next in line are biology (6%), computer science (5%), English (5%), data science (5%), and engineering science (5%); more than two-fifths of current students are majoring in a STEM field. 19% of undergraduate sections have single-digit enrollments, and 69% of total class sections enroll fewer than 20 students.

Professional Outcomes: Within six months of graduating, 97% of alumnae had found employment. More than 25 alumnae can be found at the US Department of State, Google, IBM, Johnson & Johnson, Accenture, Fidelity Investments, Deloitte, Microsoft, JPMorgan Chase, and Amazon. Within two years of graduating, 40% of alumni had already entered a graduate program, and within ten years, 70% had earned or were working toward an advanced degree. Many Smith women rise to high ranks —twenty years after graduation, 18% of alumnae report holding a chief executive or other executive-level position.

Academic Highlights: In total, the university offers more than 300 programs of study, 100+ of which are distinct undergraduate degrees spread across ten schools/colleges. Many classes at BU are reasonably small—60% contain fewer than twenty students; only 19% contain more than forty. The student-to-faculty ratio is 11:1. The greatest number of degrees are conferred in social sciences (16%), business/marketing (15%), communications and journalism (15%), biology (11%), engineering (9%), and health professions/related sciences (7%).

Professional Outcomes: Six months after graduation, 90% of BU grads have found their way into the world of employment or full-time graduate study. Across all graduating years, companies employing more than 350 BU alums include Google, Oracle, Accenture, IBM, and Amazon Web Services. Of the one-quarter of grads who move directly into graduate school, many are welcomed onto the campuses of elite graduate programs. For example, engineering students found new academic homes at MIT, Stanford, Carnegie Mellon, and Columbia.

Academic Highlights: Northeastern offers 290 majors and 180 combined majors within nine colleges and programs. Experiential learning is had by virtually all graduates, thanks to the school’s illustrious and robust co-op program. The D’Amore-McKim School of Business is a top-ranked school and offers one of the best international business programs anywhere, and both the College of Engineering and College of Computer Science are highly respected as well. Criminal justice, architecture, and nursing are three other majors that rate near the top nationally.

Professional Outcomes: Nine months after leaving Northeastern, 97% of students have landed at their next employment or graduate school destination. Huskies entering the job market are quickly rounded up by the likes of State Street, Fidelity Investments, IBM, and Amazon, all of whom employ 500+ Northeastern alums. Between 200 and 500 employees at Wayfair, Google, Amazon, Oracle, IBM, and Apple have an NU lineage. Starting salaries are above average (55% make more than $60k), in part due to the stellar co-op program.

Academic Highlights: Perhaps the most highly-regarded school of its size in the entire United States, The Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering was founded in the early 2000s as an experimental, cutting-edge training ground for budding engineers.  Many classes are taught in a studio environment to encourage collaboration, and a number of courses are co-taught by professors from different disciplines. Classes are generally reasonably small; 51% of class sections contain fewer than twenty students. The school boasts a terrific 8:1 student-to-faculty ratio.

Professional Outcomes: For a school exclusively graduating engineers, it isn’t a surprise that alumni tend to find good-paying jobs. The average starting salary for recent graduates is in excess of $93,000. Over the past decade, the companies employing the greatest number of alumni are Google, Microsoft, athenahealth, Apple, and Amazon. Olin College of Engineering undergrads have gone on to prestigious graduate engineering programs in impressive numbers. Since 2006, more than twenty graduates have gone to Stanford, MIT, and Harvard.

Academic Highlights: The college offers roughly 60 majors across four schools that award undergraduate degrees. Approximately half of the college’s sections contain nineteen or fewer students. 95% of graduates reported learning how to think critically at BC, and 93% said they learned how to write clearly and effectively. BC offers highly respected programs in communications, psychology, and business through the renowned Carroll School of Management. Other popular and well-regarded majors include economics, biology, and chemistry.

Professional Outcomes: Within six months of graduation, 96% of the Class of 2022 had landed at their next destination. The most favored industries were financial services and real estate (26%), health care/science (20%), and business/consulting (16%). The median starting salary for a 2022 BC grad was $67,000. Eighteen percent of the Class of 2022 entered graduate schools including Brown, Columbia, the University of Chicago, and Yale. Examining the Class of 2022 data, 16% entered law school, and 14% pursued some other type of doctoral degree.

Academic Highlights: The college offers thirty traditional majors as well as additional subjects in which one can pursue a student-designed major. The average class size is a manageable 19 students, and 62% of courses have enrollments lower than that. There are no majors that undergrads flock to in overwhelming numbers, but the most popular are the social sciences (29%), psychology (14%), history (7%), and biology (6%). All of those popular departments also rank well nationally.

Professional Outcomes: Six months after moving their tassels to the left, 68% of the Class of 2021 (most recent stats available) were employed, 19% were in graduate school, and only 3% were still seeking full-time employment. Organizations employing more than one recent graduate include Fidelity Investments, JP Morgan, Goldman Sachs, Massachusetts General Hospital, Deloitte, EY, PwC, Oracle, and Dell. Among those enrolled in graduate school, 14% were in law school, 14% were pursuing degrees in a health profession, and 6% were in PhD programs.

Academic Highlights: Babson is regularly ranked at the top of any list of best colleges for entrepreneurship and business. While a fair number of courses are large—87% seat between 20 and 49 students—the nature of the instruction is highly interactive with professors and with peers. One of the many unique experiences at Babson is Foundations of Management and Entrepreneurship, a freshman requirement. Teams of students are loaned up to $9,000 in start-up money to launch and run an actual business

Professional Outcomes: Within six months of graduation, 98.7% of the Class of 2022 were already employed or in graduate school. Starting salaries averaged $71,385 for the Class of 2022. the highest concentration of recent graduates ending up at EY, PwC, Dell, and Wayfair. Many alumni also work at Fidelity Investment, IBM, Deloitte, Google, Amazon, Siemens, and Accenture. While many pursue MBAs down the road, only 10-15% enter a grad program right out of undergrad.

Academic Highlights: With fifty departmental and interdepartmental majors as well as the option to design your own major, MHC students are free to follow their academic passions. 75% of sections contain fewer than twenty students; 12% are single-digit seminar classes. Strong programs are found across a variety of fields, especially in biology, English, and international relations. The greatest number of degrees are awarded in the social sciences (25%), biology (11%), psychology (11%), the visual and performing arts (9%), and natural resources and conservation (6%).

Professional Outcomes: Six months after commencement, 62% of 2022 grads had found employment, 23% had entered graduate/professional school, and 5% had landed fellowships/internships. Education was the most frequently entered field (32%), followed by healthcare (14%) and technology, science, and engineering (12%). Top employers of recent grads included Bank of America, BlackRock, Citigroup, the National Institutes of Health, and Boston Children’s Hospital. Ten years after graduation, 75% of alumnae have enrolled in graduate or professional school, and the college produces an exceptional number of future STEM PhDs.

Academic Highlights: Brandeis offers 43 majors, the most popular of which are in the social sciences (18%), biology (17%), business (10%), psychology (8%), public administration (8%), and computer science (7%). The student-faculty ratio is 11:1, and 60% of courses contain nineteen or fewer students. Departments with a particularly strong national reputation include economics, international studies, and sociology as well as all of the traditional premed pathways including biology, and chemistry.

Professional Outcomes: Within six months of graduation, 98% of the Class of 2022 had found their way to employment (59%), graduate school (35%), or another full-time activity like travel or volunteer work (4%). Members of the Class of 2022 were hired by Red Hat, Deloitte, Nasdaq, NPR, and McKinsey & Company. The average starting salary for recent grads is $61k. A large contingent of grads elects to continue at Brandeis for graduate school. Many others go to BU, Columbia, Duke, Harvard, and Yale.

Academic Highlights: Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) offers a hands-on and innovative project-based curriculum; all students complete a minimum of two long-term research projects that are focused on solving real-world problems. A staggering 52% of its classes enroll fewer than ten students, creating an incredible level of academic intimacy. The most popular majors are under the engineering umbrella (63%) and computer science (16%). The undergraduate engineering program is respected worldwide and frequently graces lists of top schools.

Professional Outcomes: Within six months of graduating, 94% of 2022 grads landed jobs or enrolled full-time in graduate school. Recent grads found jobs at top companies including Airbnb, DraftKings, Amazon Robotics, and NASA. Hundreds of WPI alumni are employed at Raytheon, Pratt & Whitney, Dell, and BAE Systems. The average starting salary is over $74,000 and is one of the highest in the country. Over one-quarter of grads elect to pursue an advanced degree immediately after graduation, enrolling at institutions that recently included Georgia Tech, Brown, Johns Hopkins, and Stanford.

Academic Highlights: Of the 29 majors and 35+ minors to choose from, a handful are non-business concentrations. The average undergraduate class is comprised of 26 students, and academics are intense. Roughly 20% of the student body is double majoring. The most popular majors are all within the business domain and include finance, business, management, marketing, accounting,

Professional Outcomes: A superb 99% of 2022 Bentley grads were employed or in graduate school six months after receiving their diplomas. The financial services and technology sectors each account for almost one-quarter of new hires. A hub of entrepreneurship, the school typically sees 5-10% of its graduating class start their own businesses right out of college. Bentley does not see a high number of graduates directly entering graduate school—roughly 10% in any given year. However, many pursue MBAs or other advanced business degrees later in their careers,

Academic Highlights: Class sizes are fairly small with 23% containing fewer than 10 students and the average undergraduate class size is exactly 20 students. An impressive 67% of students participate in undergraduate research at some point in their four years of study. Psychology and geography are two standout departments at Clark, and psychology (14%) is actually the school’s most commonly conferred degree. Overall, 21% of degrees are conferred in the social sciences and many also earn degrees in biology (11%), the visual & performing arts (9%), and business (8%).

Professional Outcomes: Six months after graduation, 97% of Cougars have clawed their way into gainful employment or full-time graduate programs. Sixty-three percent enter private industry, 32% enter the nonprofit/education world, and 5% are employed by government entities. Of the 44% of freshly minted alumni who enrolled in graduate school, a good number continued their education at Clark or at nearby universities such as UMass Amherst, Boston College, and Boston University. Other attend Brown University, NYU, Penn, and USC.

Academic Highlights: 110 majors are offered across eight undergraduate colleges, including the highly ranked Isenberg School of Management. Programs in sports management, architecture, computer science, and nursing are top-rated. Of all degrees conferred in 2022, business/marketing diplomas accounted for 14%, followed by biology (11%), social sciences (10%), psychology (8%), health professions (7%), engineering (7%), and computer science (7%). 47% of courses enroll fewer than 20 students, and 30% engage in undergraduate research.

Professional Outcomes: Six months after graduating, 65% of newly minted 2022 grads were employed full-time and 26% were attending graduate school part-time. The most populated industries are health/medical professions (13%), internet & software (10%), biotech & life sciences (4%), and higher education (4%). Companies presently employing 100+ Minutemen and Minutewomen include Oracle, Mass Mutual, Amazon, IBM, Google, Intel, Microsoft, PwC, Wayfair, and Apple. Boston is the most popular landing spot for graduates.

Academic Highlights: All 26 majors offered by the school have some element of performance or artistry and include highly unique academic concentrations such as comedic arts, sports communication, and musical theater. Emerson has a 15:1 student-to-faculty ratio and 69% of courses seat fewer than 20 students. The Journalism and Communications Studies programs rank among the top in the country. By sheer popularity, the top majors are film/video production, journalism, marketing, theater arts, and creative writing.

Professional Outcomes: Within six months of leaving Emerson, 61% of recent grads were employed, 4% were enrolled in graduate school, and 35% were still seeking their next landing spot. Top employers include the Walt Disney Company, Warner Media, Sinclair Broadcast Group, and CNN. The average full-time salary for employed grads is $40,255. Of those entering a master’s program, the bulk stay put, pursuing a master’s at Emerson in an area like writing for film and television, creative writing, or journalism.

Academic Highlights: More than 100 undergraduate majors are offered across five colleges: the College of Fine Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences, the College of Engineering, the College of Sciences, the School of Business, and the College of Health Sciences. Programs in engineering, computer science, business, and health sciences are particularly strong. Popularity-wise, the most degrees are conferred in business (22%), criminal justice (8%), psychology (7%), computer science (6%), and mechanical engineering (5%). 48% of classes enroll fewer than 20 students.

Professional Outcomes: 98% of the Class of 2022 experienced positive outcomes, with 61% employed and 38% continuing their education. Additionally, over the past five years, alumni have gone on to the engineering, operations, education, research, information technology, healthcare services, and sales sectors in the largest numbers. Top employers include UMass Lowell itself followed by Raytheon, Lowell General Hospital, Fidelity, BAE, Analog Devices, Pfizer, the US Air Force, Massachusetts General Hospital, and TJX Companies.

Academic Highlights: Berklee is the largest independent college of music in the entire world and 60% of total degrees conferred are in the area of visual and performing arts, with computer science (25%), engineering (12%), health professions (2%) and education (1%) next in line. Dance, music, and theater are the three most common areas of concentration. The student-to-faculty ratio was 10:1 and 89% of courses enroll fewer than 20 students.

Professional Outcomes: Within 18 months of graduating from Berklee, 88% of alumni are either working for an employer or are self-employed. 90% of those surveyed say that they are working in a career related to what they studied in college. Large numbers of grads end up getting hired by Apple, Sony Music Entertainment, Warner Music Group, Google, Universal Music Group, Live Nation Entertainment, and the Recording Academy.

Academic Highlights: There are only 23 majors available at Wentworth and the vast majority, unsurprisingly, are in the STEM realm. The student-to-faculty ratio is 17:1 and 43% of sections have enrollment of less than 20. Overall, 39% of degrees conferred last year were in engineering, with computer science (20%), business (20%), architecture (11%), and visual and performing arts (8%) next in line.

Professional Outcomes: Class of 2022 outcomes data is most impressive with 95% finding their next step within six months of leaving campus and earning a median salary of $70,720. Companies that employ 40 or more Wentworth Institute of Technology alumni include Suffolk Construction, Raytheon, Turner Construction Company, Gilbane Building Company, Dellbrook, and Wise Construction. Most grads settle in Boston, New Hampshire, Connecticut, and New York City.