List of colleges and universities in Massachusetts

A red brick building at Harvard University
Massachusetts Hall at Harvard University
A building with a steeple in the foreground with a brick-clad structure in the brackground
Old Chapel at the University of Massachusetts Amherst with the W. E. B. Du Bois Library in the background

There are 114 colleges and universities in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts that are listed under the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. 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 32,603 students in the fall of 2013 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, College of the Holy Cross, and Stonehill College. There are also two Judaic post-secondary institutions in Massachusetts, including 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 nine law schools, which are accredited by the American Bar Association, including Boston College Law School, Harvard Law School and the University of Massachusetts School of Law. One hundred and seven of Massachusetts post-secondary institutions are officially recognized by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC), while most are accredited by multiple higher education accreditation agencies.

A tree map depicting the relative size of Massachusetts post-secondary institutions by share of total degrees awarded across the state
A tree map depicting the relative size of Massachusetts post-secondary institutions by share of total degrees awarded across the state. Data from the 2014 NCES IPEDS report published by the Department of Education

Extant institutions

List of active institutions
School Location Control Type Enrollment
Founded Accreditation
American International College Springfield Private not-for-profit Master's university 2,177 1885 AOTA, APTA, CCNE, NEASC
Amherst College Amherst Private not-for-profit Baccalaureate college 1,817 1821 NEASC
Anna Maria College Paxton Private not-for-profit Master's university 1,455 1946 NASM, NEASC, NLNAC
Assumption University Worcester Private not-for-profit Master's university 2,813 1904 NEASC
Babson College Wellesley Private not-for-profit Special-focus institution 3,250 1919 NEASC
Bard College at Simon's Rock Great Barrington Private not-for-profit Baccalaureate/associate's college 354 1964 NEASC
Bay Path University Longmeadow Private not-for-profit Baccalaureate college 2,370 1897 AOTA, NEASC
Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology Boston Private not-for-profit Special-focus institution 475 1908 NEASC
Bentley University Waltham Private not-for-profit Master's university 5,647 1917 NEASC
Berklee College of Music Boston Private not-for-profit Special-focus institution 4,255 1945 NEASC
Berkshire Community College Pittsfield Public Associate's college 2,503 1960 NEASC
Pope St. John XXIII National Seminary Weston Private not-for-profit Special-focus institution 66 1964 ATS
Boston Architectural College Boston Private not-for-profit Special-focus institution 941 1889 NEASC
Boston Baptist College Milton Private not-for-profit Special-focus institution 89 1976 NEASC
Boston College Chestnut Hill Private not-for-profit Research university 14,605 1863 AANA, ABA, APA, ATS, CNE, NCATE, NEASC, TEAC
Boston Graduate School of Psychoanalysis Brookline Private not-for-profit Special-focus institution 165 1973 NEASC
Boston University Boston Private not-for-profit Research university 32,603 1869 ABA, ADA, AOTA, APTA, APA, ASHA, ATS, CAHME, CELPA, CEPH, LCME, MEAC, NASM, NEASC
Brandeis University Waltham Private not-for-profit Research university 5,808 1948 NEASC
Bridgewater State University Bridgewater Public Master's university 11,417 1840 NASAD, NASM, NCATE, NEASC
Bristol Community College Fall River, New Bedford, Taunton, Attleboro Public Associate's college 9,022 1965 ADA, AOTA, COMTA, NEASC, NLNAC
Bunker Hill Community College Boston Public Associate's college 13,504 1973 JRCERT, NEASC, NLNAC
Cambridge College Cambridge Private not-for-profit Master's university 3,378 1971 NEASC
Cape Cod Community College West Barnstable Public Associate's college 4,201 1961 ADA, NEASC, NLNAC
Clark University Worcester Private not-for-profit Research university 3,210 1887 APA, NEASC
College of the Holy Cross Worcester Private not-for-profit Baccalaureate college 2,926 1843 NAST, NEASC
Conway School of Landscape Design Northampton Private not-for-profit Special-focus institution 18 1972 NEASC
Curry College Milton Private not-for-profit Master's university 3,097 1879 CCNE, NEASC
Dean College Franklin Private not-for-profit Baccalaureate college 1,322 1865 NEASC
Eastern Nazarene College Quincy Private not-for-profit Baccalaureate college 1,459 1900 NEASC
Elms College Chicopee Private not-for-profit Baccalaureate college 1,576 1928 CCNE, NEASC
Emerson College Boston Private not-for-profit Master's university 4,531 1880 ASHA, NEASC,
Emmanuel College Boston Private not-for-profit Master's university 2,489 1919 CCNE, NEASC
Endicott College Beverly Private not-for-profit Master's university 4,408 1939 NLNAC, NEASC
Fisher College Boston Private not-for-profit Baccalaureate college 2,037 1903 NEASC
Fitchburg State University Fitchburg Public Master's university 6,889 1894 CCNE, NCATE, NEASC
Framingham State University Framingham Public Master's university 6,506 1839 CADE, NEASC, NLNAC
Gordon College Wenham Private not-for-profit Baccalaureate college 1,906 1889 NEASC, NASM
Gordon–Conwell Theological Seminary South Hamilton Private not-for-profit Special-focus institution 2,033 1969 CAATS, NEASC
Greenfield Community College Greenfield Public Associate's college 2,437 1962 COMTA, NEASC, NLNAC
Hampshire College Amherst Private not-for-profit Baccalaureate college 1,461 1970 NEASC
Harvard University Cambridge Private not-for-profit Research university 28,147 1636 ABA, ADA, APA, CAATS, CEPH, LCME, NEASC
Hebrew College Newton Private not-for-profit Special-focus institution 231 1921 NEASC
Hellenic College Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology Brookline Private not-for-profit Special-focus institution 209 1937 CAATS, NEASC
Holyoke Community College Holyoke Public Associate's college 7,164 1946 JRCERT, NASM, NEASC, NLNAC
Hult International Business School Cambridge Private not-for-profit Special-focus institution 2,648 1964 NEASC
Labouré College Boston Private not-for-profit Associate's college 727 1892

ADiA, CCNE, JRCERT, NEASC, NLNAC

Lasell University Newton Private not-for-profit Baccalaureate college 1,980 1851 ACBSP, COSMA, NECHE,CAATE, MDOE, CAAHEP, Quinn Bill, NEASC
Lesley University Cambridge Private not-for-profit Master's university 5,944 1909 NEASC, TEAC
Longy School of Music of Bard College Cambridge Private not-for-profit Special-focus institution 224 1915 NASM, NEASC
Massachusetts Bay Community College Wellesley Public Associate's college 5,427 1961 NEASC
Massachusetts College of Art and Design Boston Public Special-focus institution 2,326 1873 NASAD, NEASC
Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts North Adams Public Baccalaureate college 1,799 1894 NEASC
Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge Private not-for-profit Research university 11,189 1861 NEASC
Massachusetts Maritime Academy Bourne Public Baccalaureate college 1,135 1891 NEASC
Massachusetts School of Law Andover Private not-for-profit Special-focus institution 580 1988 NEASC
Massasoit Community College Brockton, Middleboro, Canton Public Associate's college 8,209 1966 JRCERT, NEASC, NLNAC
Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Boston, Worcester Manchester Private not-for-profit Special-focus institution 6,010 1823 ACPE, ADA, CCNE, CEPH, JRCERT, NEASC
Merrimack College North Andover Private not-for-profit Baccalaureate college 2,694 1947 NEASC
MGH Institute of Health Professions Boston Private not-for-profit Baccalaureate college 1,036 1977 NEASC
Middlesex Community College Lowell, Bedford Public Associate's college 9,664 1970 JRCERT, NEASC
Montserrat College of Art Beverly Private not-for-profit Special-focus institution 396 1970 NASAD, NEASC
Mount Holyoke College South Hadley Private not-for-profit Baccalaureate college 2,347 1837 NEASC
Mount Wachusett Community College Gardner Public Associate's college 4,731 1963 ADA, APTA, CMTA, NEASC, NLNAC
New England College of Optometry Boston Private not-for-profit Special-focus institution 502 1894 AOA, NEASC
New England Conservatory of Music Boston Private not-for-profit Special-focus institution 813 1867 NASM, NEASC
New England Law Boston Boston Private not-for-profit Special-focus institution 964 1938 ABA
Nichols College Dudley Private not-for-profit Special-focus institution 1,459 1815 NEASC
North Shore Community College Danvers Public Associate's college 7,750 1965 AOTA, APTA, JRCERT, NEASC, NLNAC
Northeastern University Boston Private not-for-profit Research university 20,053 1898 ABA, ACPE, APTA, APA, ASLHA, CCNE, CANAEP, CEPH, NEASC
Northern Essex Community College Haverhill Public Associate's college 7,352 1972 NEASC
Northpoint Bible College Haverhill Private not-for-profit Special-focus institution 472 1924 ABHE
Olin College Needham Private not-for-profit Special-focus institution 355 1997 NEASC
Quincy College Quincy Public Associate's college 4,576 1958 NEASC, NLNAC
Quinsigamond Community College Worcester Public Associate's college 8,582 1963 ADA, AOTA, JRCERT, NEASC, NLNAC
Regis College Weston Private not-for-profit Master's university 2,069 1927 NEASC, NLNAC
Roxbury Community College Roxbury Public Associate's college 2,437 1973 JRCERT, NEASC, NLNAC
Saint John's Seminary Brighton Private not-for-profit Special-focus institution 192 1884 CAATS, NEASC
Salem State University Salem Public Master's university 10,085 1854 AOTA, CCNE, JRCEPNMT, NASAD, NASM, NAST, NCATE, NEASC, NLNAC
Simmons University Boston Private not-for-profit Master's university 4,655 1899 AiDA, APTA, CAHME, CCNE, NEASC
Smith College Northampton Private not-for-profit Baccalaureate college 3,033 1875 NEASC
Springfield College Springfield Private not-for-profit Master's university 5,018 1885 AOTA, APTA, NEASC
Springfield Technical Community College Springfield Public Associate's college 6,792 1967 ADA, AOTA, APTA, CMTA, JCERT, JRCEPNMT, NEASC, NLNAC
Stonehill College Easton Private not-for-profit Baccalaureate college 2,481 1948 NEASC
Suffolk University Boston Private not-for-profit Research university 8,675 1906 ABA, APA, JRCERT, NASAD, NEASC
Tufts University Medford, Somerville Private not-for-profit Research university 10,872 1852 AOTA, AVMA, LCME, NEASC
University of Massachusetts Amherst Amherst Public Research university 28,518 1863 AiDA, APA, ASLHA, CCNE, CEPH, NASM, NCATE, NEASC
University of Massachusetts Boston Boston Public Research university 16,277 1964 APA, AAMFT, CCNE, NCATE, NEASC
University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Dartmouth Public Research university 9,053 1962 ABA, CCNE, NASAD, NEASC, NLNAC
University of Massachusetts Lowell Lowell Public Research university 18,338 1894 APTA, CCNE, NASAD, NASM, NCATE, NEASC
University of Massachusetts Medical School Worcester Public Special-focus institution 1,161 1962 CCNE, JRCERT, JRCERPNMT, LCME, NEASC
Urban College of Boston Boston Private not-for-profit Associate's college 762 1993 NEASC
Wellesley College Wellesley Private not-for-profit Baccalaureate college 2,474 1875 NEASC
Wentworth Institute of Technology Boston Private not-for-profit Special-focus institution 4,179 1904 NEASC
Western New England University Springfield Private not-for-profit Master's university 3,657 1919 ABA, ACPE, NEASC
Westfield State University Westfield Public Master's university 6,371 1838 CCNE, NASM, NCATE, NEASC
Wheaton College Norton Private not-for-profit Baccalaureate college 1,654 1834 NEASC
William James College Boston Private not-for-profit Special-focus institution 650 1974 APA, NEASC
Williams College Williamstown Private not-for-profit Baccalaureate college 2,150 1793 NEASC
Worcester Polytechnic Institute Worcester Private not-for-profit Research university 6,296 1865 NEASC
Worcester State University Worcester Public Master's university 6,447 1874 AOTA, ASLHA, CCNE, NLNAC, NEASC, TEAC
Key
Abbreviation Accrediting agency
AAMFT American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy
AANA American Association of Nurse Anesthetists
ACPE Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education
ACCSC Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges
ABA American Bar Association
ABFSE American Board of Funeral Service Education
ABHE Association for Biblical Higher Education
ABHES Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools
ACPE Association for Clinical Pastoral Education
ADA American Dental Association
AiDA American Dietetic 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
CADE Commission on Accreditation for Dietetics Education
CANAEP Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs
CAHME Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education
CCNE Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
CELPA Commission on English Language Program Accreditation
CEPH Council on Education for Public Health
COMTA Commission on Massage Therapy Accreditation
CAATS Commission on Accrediting of the Association of Theological Schools
JRCEPTNMT Joint Review Committee on Educational Programs in Nuclear Medicine Technology
JRCERT Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology
LCME Liaison Committee on Medical Education
MEAC Midwifery Education Accreditation Council
NASAD National Association of Schools of Art and Design
NASM National Association of Schools of Music
NAST National Association of Schools of Theatre
NCATE National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education
NEASC New England Association of Schools and Colleges
NLNAC National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission
TEAC Teacher Education Accreditation Council

Defunct institutions

A colored postcard of a red brick building
Campus of Bradford Academy, ca. 1905

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.

List of defunct institutions in Massachusetts
School Location Control Type Founded Closed Ref.
Andover Theological Seminary Andover Private Special-focus institution 1837 1965
Andover Junior College Andover Private Associate's college 1979
Andover Institute of Business Andover Private Associate's college 1961
Andover Newton Theological Seminary Newton Private Special-focus institution 1965 2017 Moved to New Haven as part of Yale Divinity School
Aquinas College Milton, Newton Private Associate's college 1956 1999
ArsDigita University Cambridge Private Special-focus institution 2000 2001
Art Institute of Boston Boston Private 1912 1998
Atlantic Union College South Lancaster Private
1922 2018
Bay State College Boston For-profit Associate's college 1946 2023 ABHES, APTA, NEASC, NLNAC
Becker College Worcester Private not-for-profit Baccalaureate college 1784 2021 APTA, NEASC, NLNAC
Berkshire Christian College Lenox Private Special-focus institution 1897 1986
Berkshire Medical College Pittsfield Private Special-focus institution 1823
Boston Business School Boston Private Special-focus institution 1914 1984
Boston Female Medical School Boston Private Special-focus institution 1848 1874 Merged with Boston University
Boston State College Boston Public Liberal arts college 1872 1982
Bouvé College Boston Private Special-focus institution 1913 1977
Bradford College Haverhill Private Liberal arts college 1803 2000
Bradford Durfee College of Technology Fall River Private Special-focus institution 1899 1964
Bryant & Stratton Business Institute Boston Private Special-focus institution 1975
Bryant McIntosh College Lawrence Private Associate's college 1972 1975
Burdett College Worcester Private Baccalaureate college 1999
Bussey Institution Jamaica Plain Private Baccalaureate college 1883 1936
Calvin Coolidge College Boston Private Liberal arts college 1970
Cambridge Junior College Cambridge Private Associate's college 1934 1974
Campbell School Private Special-focus institution 1923 1969
Cardinal Cushing College Brookline Private Special-focus institution 1952 1972
Cardinal O'Connell Seminary Jamaica Plain Private Special-focus institution 1970
Cape Cod Hospital School of Nursing Hyannis Private Special-focus institution 1940s 1971
Central New England College Worcester Private Associate's college 1905 1989
Chamberlayne Junior College Boston Private Associate's college 1988
Chandler School for Women Boston Private
College of Physicians and Surgeons Boston Private Special-focus institution 1882 1906
College of Saint Joseph Boston Private Special-focus institution
Comers Commercial College Boston Private
Coyne School of Technical Electricity Boston Private
Crane Theological School Medford Private 1869 1968
Divine Providence Institute Never opened Private Special-focus institution
Episcopal Divinity School Cambridge Private not-for-profit Special-focus institution 1975 2017 Moved to New York as part of Union Theological Seminary
Garland Junior College Boston Private Associate's college 1947 1976
Grahm Junior College Boston Private Associate's college 1950 1979
Hallmark Institute of Photography Turners Falls Private Special-focus institution 1975 2016
Hampden College of Pharmacy Boston Private 1977
Holliston Junior College Holliston Private Associate's college 1919 1986
Hyannis State Teachers College Hyannis Public Special-focus institution 1897 1944
Ipswich Female Seminary Ipswich Private Special-focus institution 1828 1878
Kinyon-Campbell Business School New Bedford Private Special-focus institution 1969 1999
Kinyon School Private Special-focus institution 1911 1969
LaFosse Teacher Training College Never opened Private Special-focus institution
Lay College Revere Private
Leicester Junior College Leicester Private Associate's college 1784 1977 Merged with Becker College
Lowell State College Lowell Public Liberal arts college 1894 1975
Lowell Technological Institute Lowell Public Special-focus institution 1895 1975
Marian Court College Swampscott Private not-for-profit Associate's college 1964 2015
Marist College and Seminary Framingham Private Special-focus institution 1939
Massachusetts College of Osteopathy Boston Private Special-focus institution 1898 1944
Middlesex University Waltham Private Special-focus institution 1914 1947
Monroe College of Oratory Boston Private Special-focus institution 1880
Mount Alvernia College Newton Private 1959 1973
Mount Ida College Newton Private not-for-profit Baccalaureate college 1899 2018 Campus acquired by UMass-Amherst
New Bedford Institute of Technology New Bedford Private Special-focus institution 1904 1953
New England Female Medical College Boston Private Special-focus institution 1848 1875
New England Institute of Applied Funeral Arts and Sciences Boston Private 1989
New England Institute of Art Brookline Private (for profit) Special-focus institution 1952 2015
New England School of Photography Boston For-profit Special-focus institution 66 1968 2019 align="center"
Newbury College Brookline Private not-for-profit Baccalaureate college 1962 2019
Newton College of the Sacred Heart Newton Centre Private Liberal arts college 1946 1975
Newton Junior College Newtonville Private Associate's college 1946 1976
Newton Theological Institution Newton Centre Private Special-focus institution 1825 1965
Northampton Junior College Northampton Private Associate's college 1963 1973
Oblate College & Seminary Natick Private Special-focus institution 1974
Oread Institute Worcester Private Special-focus institution 1849 1934
Our Lady of Sorrows Sharon Private Special-focus institution
Perry Normal School Boston Private 1898 1974
Pine Manor College Chestnut Hill Private not-for-profit Baccalaureate college 1911 2020 Merged with Boston College
Queen of Apostles Seminary Dedham Private Special-focus institution 1946 Late 1960s
Radcliffe College Cambridge Private Liberal arts college 1879 1999
Regina Coeli College Never opened Private
Revere Lay College Revere Private Historically black? active around 1890 Changed name to the Boston Evangelical Institute before it merged with another school to form Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary.
Sacred Heart College for Teachers Never opened Private Special-focus institution
Saint Gabriel's Institute Never opened Private Special-focus institution
Saint Hyacinth College & Seminary Granby Private Special-focus institution 2003
Saint Joseph Teacher Training Institute Never opened Private Special-focus institution
Saint Paul's House of Studies Never opened Private Special-focus institution
Saint Stephen's College Dover Private 1971
School for Christian Workers Springfield Private Special-focus institution 1885 1898
School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston Boston Private Special-focus institution 1876 2016 Merged with Tufts University
Southern New England School of Law Dartmouth Private Special-focus institution 1981 2010
Staley School of the Spoken Word Brookline Private Special-focus institution 1900 1957
Stanley College Brookline Private 1959
Stevens College Hubbardston Private 1971
Swain School of Design New Bedford Private 1881 1988
Swedenborg School of Religion Newton Private Special-focus institution 1866 2001
Vesper George School of Art Boston Private Liberal arts college 1983
Wang Institute of Graduate Studies Tyngsborough Private Special-focus institution 1979 1988
Wheelock College Boston Private Liberal Arts College 1888 2018 Merged into Boston University
Winter Hill Business College Boston Private Special-focus institution 1903 Became Fisher College
Worcester Junior College Worcester Private Associate's college 1905 1989
Worcester Medical Institute Worcester Private Special-focus institution 1846 1859
Worcester Technical Institute Worcester Private Special-focus institution 1997

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.


See also


This page was last updated at 2024-01-08 12:48 UTC. Update now. View original page.

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