Best Colleges & Universities in Massachusetts

To identify the Best Colleges in Massachusetts for 2019 we averaged the results from the most respected college ranking systems (Niche.com + US News & World Report) from around the web to produce an entirely unique CollegeReviews Score for each school. And then ordered the schools based on that ranking. You won’t find a more exhaustive ranking of the best colleges and universities in Massachusetts anywhere.

Massachusetts has over 200 colleges and universities make up the state’s post secondary education options. Nearly 50 are centered in the Boston area alone and many Massachusetts colleges and universities are located in greater Worcester area as well. The oldest college and the most prestigious universities to boot, Harvard University founded in 1636 is located here.

Also notable are the countries first racially integrated school, Nantucket and notoriously selective Massachusetts Institute of Technology. US News & World Report’s list of America’s Best Colleges includes an impressive list of seven Massachusetts colleges among their top schools: Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Tufts University, Brandeis University, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Clark University and Northeastern University.

Massachusetts also leads the nation in the highest number of women’s-only schools in the country. Smith College, Wellesley College and Mount Holyoke College are 3 of the 8 and all part of the “Seven Sister” a group of prestigious liberal arts schools in the Northeast.

Regional Information about Massachusetts

Regional Information About Massachusetts
Major Cities: Boston, Worcester, Springfield
Attractions: Freedom Trail, Martha’s Vineyard, Faneuil Hall Marketplace
Cost of Living: Best Places Massachusetts Cost of Living
Popular Schools: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard University, Amherst College

About Our Methodology

Our methodology for determining the best colleges in Massachusetts takes both editorial rankings from US News & World Report, Times Higher Education and combines it with student rankings from Niche.com. We weight student rankings higher giving them about a 80% weighted score vs editorial rankings. Thus creating a more accurate viewpoint of the best colleges in any given state.