There are 104 colleges and universities in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts that are listed under the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. Of Massachusetts post-secondary institutions, 94 are officially recognized by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE), while most are accredited by multiple higher education accreditation agencies.
These institutions include fourteen research universities, twenty-one master's universities, and thirty-four special-focus institutions. Eighty-five of Massachusetts' post-secondary institutions are private, of which five are for-profit. Thirty of the state's post-secondary institutions are public, a number which excludes the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, which was founded by the Morrill Land-Grant Acts, but later became a private institution.
Harvard University is the state's oldest post-secondary institution, having been founded in 1636. Boston University is the state's largest institution of higher learning in terms of enrollment, having 36,624 students in the fall of 2023 while Conway School of Landscape Design is the state's smallest college with an enrollment of 18. The University of Massachusetts Amherst is the state's largest public university, with an enrollment of 28,518 students. Massachusetts is also home to a number of internationally recognized universities, including Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, which are ranked among the top ten universities in the world.
The University of Massachusetts Amherst is the state's sole public land-grant university, and is the flagship institution of the University of Massachusetts system. There are also eleven Catholic post-secondary institutions, including Boston College, the College of the Holy Cross, Merrimack College and Stonehill College. There are also two Judaic post-secondary institutions in Massachusetts, Brandeis University and Hebrew College. The state has four medical schools: Boston University School of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, the University of Massachusetts Medical School, and Tufts University School of Medicine. There are eight law schools which are accredited by the American Bar Association and one, Massachusetts School of Law, which is not ABA accredited but instead accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education.
Current institutions
| School | Location | Control | Type | Enrollment | Founded | Accreditation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American International College | Springfield | Private not-for-profit | Master's university | 2,010 | 1885 | AOTA, APTA, CCNE, NECHE |
| Amherst College | Amherst | Private not-for-profit | Baccalaureate college | 1,898 | 1821 | NECHE |
| Anna Maria College | Paxton | Private not-for-profit | Master's university | 1,436 | 1946 | NECHE, NLNAC |
| Assumption University | Worcester | Private not-for-profit | Master's university | 2,059 | 1904 | NECHE, CCNE |
| Babson College | Wellesley | Private not-for-profit | Special-focus institution | 3,989 | 1919 | NECHE |
| Bay Path University | Longmeadow | Private not-for-profit | Master's university | 2,465 | 1897 | AOTA, CCNE, NECHE |
| Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology | Boston | Private not-for-profit | Baccalaureate/associate's college | 513 | 1908 | NECHE |
| Bentley University | Waltham | Private not-for-profit | Master's university | 5,165 | 1917 | NECHE |
| Berklee College of Music | Boston | Private not-for-profit | Master's university | 8,282 | 1945 | NECHE |
| Berkshire Community College | Pittsfield | Public | Associate's college | 1,367 | 1960 | APTA, ACEN, NECHE |
| Boston Architectural College | Boston | Private not-for-profit | Special-focus institution | 747 | 1889 | NECHE |
| Boston Baptist College | Milton | Private not-for-profit | Special-focus institution | 43 | 1976 | NECHE |
| Boston College | Chestnut Hill | Private not-for-profit | Research university | 15,287 | 1863 | AANA, ABA, APA, ATS, CNE, NECHE |
| Boston Graduate School of Psychoanalysis | Brookline | Private not-for-profit | Special-focus institution | 155 | 1973 | NECHE |
| Boston University | Boston | Private not-for-profit | Research university | 36,714 | 1839 | ABA, ADA, ACEND, AOTA, APTA, APA, ASHA, ATS, CEA, CEPH, LCME, NASM, NECHE |
| Brandeis University | Waltham | Private not-for-profit | Research university | 5,581 | 1948 | NECHE |
| Bridgewater State University | Bridgewater | Public | Master's university | 9,604 | 1840 | ASHA, NECHE |
| Bristol Community College | Fall River, New Bedford, Taunton, Attleboro | Public | Associate's college | 5,822 | 1965 | ACEN, ADA, AOTA, COMTA, NECHE |
| Bunker Hill Community College | Boston | Public | Associate's college | 8,439 | 1973 | ACEN, CEA, JRCERT, NECHE |
| Cambridge College | Cambridge | Private not-for-profit | Master's university | 2,135 | 1971 | NECHE |
| Cape Cod Community College | West Barnstable | Public | Associate's college | 2,336 | 1961 | ACEN, ADA, NECHE |
| Clark University | Worcester | Private not-for-profit | Research university | 3,770 | 1887 | APA, NECHE |
| College of the Holy Cross | Worcester | Private not-for-profit | Baccalaureate college | 3,083 | 1843 | NECHE |
| Conway School of Landscape Design | Northampton | Private not-for-profit | Special-focus institution | 18 | 1972 | NECHE |
| Curry College | Milton | Private not-for-profit | Master's university | 2,052 | 1879 | CCNE, NECHE |
| Dean College | Franklin | Private not-for-profit | Baccalaureate college | 1,189 | 1865 | NECHE |
| Elms College | Chicopee | Private not-for-profit | Master's university | 1,275 | 1928 | CCNE, NECHE |
| Emerson College | Boston | Private not-for-profit | Master's university | 5,891 | 1880 | ASHA, NECHE, |
| Emmanuel College | Boston | Private not-for-profit | Baccalaureate college | 2,012 | 1919 | CCNE, NECHE |
| Endicott College | Beverly | Private not-for-profit | Master's university | 4,006 | 1939 | ACEN, CCNE, NECHE |
| Fisher College | Boston | Private not-for-profit | Baccalaureate college | 1,421 | 1903 | NECHE |
| Fitchburg State University | Fitchburg | Public | Master's university | 6,554 | 1894 | CCNE, NECHE |
| Framingham State University | Framingham | Public | Master's university | 4,111 | 1839 | ACEN, ACEND, CCNE, NECHE, NLNAC |
| Gordon College | Wenham | Private not-for-profit | Baccalaureate college | 1,628 | 1889 | NECHE |
| Gordon–Conwell Theological Seminary | South Hamilton | Private not-for-profit | Special-focus institution | 1,334 | 1969 | ATS, NECHE |
| Greenfield Community College | Greenfield | Public | Associate's college | 1,419 | 1962 | ACEN, COMTA, NECHE |
| Hampshire College | Amherst | Private not-for-profit | Baccalaureate college | 508 | 1970 | NECHE |
| Harvard University | Cambridge | Private not-for-profit | Research university | 30,631 | 1636 | ABA, ADA, APA, ATS, CEPH, LCME, NECHE |
| Hebrew College | Newton | Private not-for-profit | Special-focus institution | 212 | 1921 | NECHE |
| Hellenic College Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology | Brookline | Private not-for-profit | Baccalaureate college | 199 | 1937 | ATS, NECHE |
| Holyoke Community College | Holyoke | Public | Associate's college | 3,550 | 1946 | ACEN, JRCERT, NECHE |
| Hult International Business School | Cambridge | Private not-for-profit | Special-focus institution | 2,176 | 1964 | NECHE |
| Labouré College | Boston | Private not-for-profit | Special-focus institution | 983 | 1892 | ACEND, ACEN, CCNE, JRCERT, NECHE |
| Lasell University | Newton | Private not-for-profit | Master's university | 1,591 | 1851 | NECHE |
| Lesley University | Cambridge | Private not-for-profit | Doctorate-granting university | 3,406 | 1909 | NECHE |
| Longy School of Music of Bard College | Cambridge | Private not-for-profit | Special-focus institution | 315 | 1915 | NASM, NECHE |
| Massachusetts Bay Community College | Wellesley | Public | Associate's college | 3,497 | 1961 | NECHE |
| Massachusetts College of Art and Design | Boston | Public | Special-focus institution | 1,939 | 1873 | NASAD, NECHE |
| Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts | North Adams | Public | Baccalaureate college | 938 | 1894 | JRCERT, NECHE |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Cambridge | Private not-for-profit | Research university | 11,858 | 1861 | NECHE |
| Massachusetts Maritime Academy | Bourne | Public | Master's university | 1,425 | 1891 | NECHE |
| Massachusetts School of Law | Andover | Private not-for-profit | Special-focus institution | 295 | 1988 | NECHE |
| Massasoit Community College | Brockton, Middleboro, Canton | Public | Associate's college | 4,810 | 1966 | ACEN, JRCERT, NECHE |
| Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences | Boston, Worcester Manchester | Private not-for-profit | Special-focus institution | 6,824 | 1823 | ACAHM, ACPE, ADA, CCNE, CEPH, JRCERT, NECHE |
| Merrimack College | North Andover | Private not-for-profit | Master's university | 5,505 | 1947 | ACEND, CCNE, NECHE |
| MGH Institute of Health Professions | Boston | Private not-for-profit | Special-focus institution | 1,353 | 1977 | ACEN, AOTA, APTA, ASHA, CCNE, JRCERT, NECHE |
| Middlesex Community College | Lowell, Bedford | Public | Associate's college | 7,770 | 1970 | JRCERT, NECHE |
| Montserrat College of Art | Beverly | Private not-for-profit | Baccalaureate college | 296 | 1970 | NASAD, NECHE |
| Mount Holyoke College | South Hadley | Private not-for-profit | Baccalaureate college | 2,392 | 1837 | NECHE |
| Mount Wachusett Community College | Gardner | Public | Associate's college | 2,868 | 1963 | ACEN, ADA, COMTA, NECHE |
| New England College of Optometry | Boston | Private not-for-profit | Special-focus institution | 536 | 1894 | AOA, NECHE |
| New England Conservatory of Music | Boston | Private not-for-profit | Special-focus institution | 796 | 1867 | NASM, NECHE |
| New England Law Boston | Boston | Private not-for-profit | Special-focus institution | 1,060 | 1938 | ABA |
| Nichols College | Dudley | Private not-for-profit | Master's university | 1,403 | 1931 | NECHE |
| North Shore Community College | Danvers | Public | Associate's college | 4,391 | 1965 | ACEN, AOTA, APTA, JRCERT, NECHE |
| Northeastern University | Boston | Private not-for-profit | Research university | 30,013 | 1898 | ABA, ACPE, APTA, APA, ASHA, CCNE, CANAEP, CEPH, NECHE |
| Northern Essex Community College | Haverhill | Public | Associate's college | 4,339 | 1972 | NECHE |
| Northpoint Bible College | Haverhill | Private not-for-profit | Special-focus institution | 225 | 1924 | ABHE |
| Olin College | Needham | Private not-for-profit | Special-focus institution | 386 | 1997 | NECHE |
| Pope St. John XXIII National Seminary | Weston | Private not-for-profit | Special-focus institution | 47 | 1964 | ATS |
| Quincy College | Quincy | Public | Associate's college | 2,602 | 1958 | ACEN, NECHE |
| Quinsigamond Community College | Worcester | Public | Associate's college | 6,481 | 1963 | ACEN, ADA, AOTA, JRCERT, NECHE |
| Regis College | Weston | Private not-for-profit | Master's university | 3,230 | 1927 | ACEN, ADA, AOTA, ASHA, NECHE |
| Roxbury Community College | Roxbury | Public | Associate's college | 1,214 | 1973 | ACEN, JRCERT, NECHE |
| Saint John's Seminary | Brighton | Private not-for-profit | Special-focus institution | 103 | 1884 | ATS, NECHE |
| Salem State University | Salem | Public | Master's university | 6,539 | 1854 | ACEN, AOTA, CCNE, NECHE |
| Simmons University | Boston | Private not-for-profit | Doctorate-granting university | 5,710 | 1899 | ACEND, APTA, CCNE, CEPH, NECHE |
| Smith College | Northampton | Private not-for-profit | Baccalaureate college | 2,873 | 1875 | NECHE |
| Springfield College | Springfield | Private not-for-profit | Doctorate-granting university | 3,382 | 1885 | AOTA, APA, APTA, NECHE |
| Springfield Technical Community College | Springfield | Public | Associate's college | 3,945 | 1967 | ACEN, ADA, AOTA, APTA, COMTA, JRCERT, NECHE |
| Stonehill College | Easton | Private not-for-profit | Baccalaureate college | 2,543 | 1948 | NECHE |
| Suffolk University | Boston | Private not-for-profit | Research university | 6,734 | 1906 | ABA, APA, JRCERT, NECHE |
| Tufts University | Medford, Somerville | Private not-for-profit | Research university | 13,431 | 1852 | AOTA, AVMA, NECHE |
| University of Massachusetts Amherst | Amherst | Public | Research university | 32,229 | 1863 | ACEND, APA, ASHA, CCNE, CEPH, NECHE |
| University of Massachusetts Boston | Boston | Public | Research university | 15,586 | 1964 | APA, CCNE, NECHE |
| University of Massachusetts Dartmouth | Dartmouth | Public | Research university | 7,457 | 1962 | ACEN, CCNE, NECHE |
| University of Massachusetts Lowell | Lowell | Public | Research university | 17,153 | 1894 | ACEND, APTA, CCNE, CEPH, NECHE |
| University of Massachusetts Medical School | Worcester | Public | Special-focus institution | 1,352 | 1962 | CCNE, JRCERT, LCME, NECHE |
| Urban College of Boston | Boston | Private not-for-profit | Associate's college | 596 | 1993 | NECHE |
| Wellesley College | Wellesley | Private not-for-profit | Baccalaureate college | 2,447 | 1875 | NECHE |
| Wentworth Institute of Technology | Boston | Private not-for-profit | Master's university | 3,920 | 1904 | NECHE |
| Western New England University | Springfield | Private not-for-profit | Doctorate-granting university | 3,430 | 1919 | ABA, ACPE, AOTA, NECHE |
| Westfield State University | Westfield | Public | Master's university | 4,702 | 1838 | CCNE, NECHE |
| Wheaton College | Norton | Private not-for-profit | Baccalaureate college | 1,667 | 1834 | NECHE |
| William James College | Newton | Private not-for-profit | Special-focus institution | 897 | 1974 | APA, NECHE |
| Williams College | Williamstown | Private not-for-profit | Baccalaureate college | 2,222 | 1793 | NECHE |
| Worcester Polytechnic Institute | Worcester | Private not-for-profit | Research university | 7,308 | 1865 | NECHE |
| Worcester State University | Worcester | Public | Master's university | 5,311 | 1874 | ACEN, AOTA, ASHA, CCNE, NECHE |
| Abbreviation | Accrediting agency |
|---|---|
| AAMFT | American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy |
| AANA | American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology |
| ACPE | Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education |
| ACAHM | Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine |
| ABA | American Bar Association |
| ABHE | Association for Biblical Higher Education |
| ACEN | Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing |
| ACEND | Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics |
| ACPE | Association for Clinical Pastoral Education |
| ADA | American Dental Association |
| AOTA | American Occupational Therapy Association |
| AOA | American Optometric Association |
| APTA | American Physical Therapy Association |
| APA | American Psychological Association |
| ASHA | American Speech–Language–Hearing Association |
| ATS | Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada |
| AVMA | American Veterinary Medical Association |
| CAHME | Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education |
| CCNE | Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education |
| CEA | Commission on English Language Program Accreditation |
| CEPH | Council on Education for Public Health |
| COMTA | Commission on Massage Therapy Accreditation |
| JRCERT | Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology |
| LCME | Liaison Committee on Medical Education |
| NASAD | National Association of Schools of Art and Design |
| NASM | National Association of Schools of Music |
| NECHE | New England Commission of Higher Education |
| NLNAC | National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission |
Defunct institutions
At least eighty-two colleges and universities have closed in Massachusetts, beginning with Worcester Medical Institute in 1859. Defunct institutes include multiple private institutions, and the public Hyannis State Teachers College. Many schools were also merged into modern public universities, which form the origins of the Boston, Dartmouth, and Lowell campuses of the University of Massachusetts system. Many of these were private institutions, which either merged with private institutions and ceased to grant degrees, or institutions like the Swedenborg School of Religion, which merged with the Pacific School of Religion upon its relocation to California. The Bible Normal School was founded in Massachusetts but moved to Connecticut before it was merged into the Hartford Seminary. However, this excludes institutions which operated as part of for-profit corporations incorporated in other states, such as Empire Beauty Schools and the University of Phoenix, as they were not operated as separate college campuses and operated more as corporate entities.
| School |
|---|
| Andover Theological Seminary |
| Andover Junior College |
| Andover Institute of Business |
| Andover Newton Theological Seminary |
| Aquinas College |
| ArsDigita University |
| Art Institute of Boston |
| Atlantic Union College |
| Bard College at Simon's Rock (moving to Barrytown, New York in Fall 2025) |
| Bay State College |
| Becker College |
| Berkshire Christian College |
| Berkshire Medical College |
| Boston Business School |
| Boston Female Medical School |
| Boston State College |
| Bouvé College |
| Bradford College |
| Bradford Durfee College of Technology |
| Bryant & Stratton Business Institute |
| Bryant McIntosh College |
| Burdett College |
| Bussey Institution |
| Calvin Coolidge College |
| Cambridge Junior College |
| Campbell School |
| Cardinal Cushing College |
| Cardinal O'Connell Seminary |
| Cape Cod Hospital School of Nursing |
| Central New England College |
| Chamberlayne Junior College |
| Chandler School for Women |
| College of Physicians and Surgeons |
| College of Saint Joseph |
| Comers Commercial College |
| Coyne School of Technical Electricity |
| Crane Theological School |
| Divine Providence Institute |
| Eastern Nazarene College |
| Episcopal Divinity School |
| Garland Junior College |
| Grahm Junior College |
| Hallmark Institute of Photography |
| Hampden College of Pharmacy |
| Holliston Junior College |
| Hyannis State Teachers College |
| Ipswich Female Seminary |
| Kinyon-Campbell Business School |
| Kinyon School |
| LaFosse Teacher Training College |
| Lay College |
| Leicester Junior College |
| Lowell State College |
| Lowell Technological Institute |
| Marian Court College |
| Marist College and Seminary |
| Massachusetts College of Osteopathy |
| Middlesex University |
| Monroe College of Oratory |
| Mount Alvernia College |
| Mount Ida College |
| New Bedford Institute of Technology |
| New England Female Medical College |
| New England Institute of Applied Funeral Arts and Sciences |
| New England Institute of Art |
| New England School of Photography |
| Newbury College |
| Newton College of the Sacred Heart |
| Newton Junior College |
| Newton Theological Institution |
| Northampton Junior College |
| Oblate College & Seminary |
| Oread Institute |
| Our Lady of Sorrows |
| Perry Normal School |
| Pine Manor College |
| Queen of Apostles Seminary |
| Radcliffe College |
| Regina Coeli College |
| Revere Lay College |
| Sacred Heart College for Teachers |
| Saint Gabriel's Institute |
| Saint Hyacinth College & Seminary |
| Saint Joseph Teacher Training Institute |
| Saint Paul's House of Studies |
| Saint Stephen's College |
| School for Christian Workers |
| School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston |
| Southern New England School of Law |
| Staley School of the Spoken Word |
| Stanley College |
| Stevens College |
| Swain School of Design |
| Swedenborg School of Religion |
| Vesper George School of Art |
| Wang Institute of Graduate Studies |
| Wheelock College |
| Winter Hill Business College |
| Worcester Junior College |
| Worcester Medical Institute |
| Worcester Technical Institute |
Forbes National Rankings
The Forbes National Colleges Ranking is a ranking system for the best four-year colleges in the United States. These colleges are ranked for their alumni salary, debt, return on investment, graduation rate, membership in Forbes honors lists such as Forbes 30 Under 30, student retention, and academic achievement. As of 2021, Forbes recognizes the University of Massachusetts Amherst as the flagship public university and Massachusetts Institute of Technology as the flagship private university in Massachusetts.
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See also
- List of college athletic programs in Massachusetts
- List of engineering schools in Massachusetts
- List of law schools in Massachusetts
- List of colleges and universities in metropolitan Boston
- Colleges of Worcester Consortium
- Higher education in the United States
- Lists of American institutions of higher education
- List of recognized higher education accreditation organizations
Notes
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