Academic Index Last updated: June 23, 2026

88 Best Universities in Massachusetts

Exploring the academic landscape of Massachusetts, our index provides a definitive ranking of the top 88 higher education institutions. We analyzed 1.86M scientific publications and 99.81M citations to accurately measure the research output of these institutions. Factoring in the global influence of 250.9K notable graduates, this index isolates true institutional success beyond traditional prestige.

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1

Cambridge, MA

Harvard University

#1 in United States #1 in North America

4% Acceptance

1,489 Enrollment

1545 Avg SAT

1636 Founded

2

Cambridge, MA

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

#6 in United States #6 in North America

5% Acceptance

4,535 Enrollment

1550 Avg SAT

1861 Founded

3

Boston

Boston University

#37 in United States #40 in North America

11% Acceptance

29,640 Enrollment

1475 Avg SAT

1869 Founded

4

Medford, MA

Tufts University

#57 in United States #61 in North America

11% Acceptance

7,126 Enrollment

1515 Avg SAT

1852 Founded

5

Amherst, MA

University of Massachusetts – Amherst

#60 in United States #64 in North America

60% Acceptance

17,560 Enrollment

1405 Avg SAT

1863 Founded

6

Boston

Northeastern University

#87 in United States #99 in North America

5% Acceptance

17,432 Enrollment

1490 Avg SAT

1898 Founded

7

Boston

#110 in United States #125 in North America

16% Acceptance

9,942 Enrollment

1490 Avg SAT

1863 Founded

8

Waltham

Brandeis University

#130 in United States #151 in North America

40% Acceptance

9,536 Enrollment

1455 Avg SAT

1948 Founded

9

Worcester, MA

University of Massachusetts Medical School Worcester

#154 in United States #177 in North America

12% Acceptance

1,261 Enrollment

1545 Avg SAT

1962 Founded

10

Boston

University of Massachusetts – Boston

#189 in United States #214 in North America

84% Acceptance

9,942 Enrollment

1180 Avg SAT

1964 Founded

11

Worcester, MA

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

#203 in United States #230 in North America

60% Acceptance

5,558 Enrollment

1443 Avg SAT

1865 Founded

12

Lowell

University of Massachusetts – Lowell

#213 in United States #240 in North America

83% Acceptance

12,122 Enrollment

1275 Avg SAT

1894 Founded

13

Williamstown

Williams College

#233 in United States #263 in North America

8% Acceptance

2,115 Enrollment

1530 Avg SAT

1793 Founded

14

Amherst, MA

Amherst College

#245 in United States #276 in North America

9% Acceptance

442 Enrollment

1535 Avg SAT

1821 Founded

15

Worcester, MA

Clark University

#249 in United States #280 in North America

40% Acceptance

2,266 Enrollment

1374 Avg SAT

1887 Founded

16

Wellesley

Wellesley College

#253 in United States #284 in North America

14% Acceptance

2,407 Enrollment

1510 Avg SAT

1870 Founded

17

Northampton, MA

#255 in United States #286 in North America

21% Acceptance

2,549 Enrollment

1480 Avg SAT

1871 Founded

18

Dartmouth, MA

University of Massachusetts – Dartmouth

#311 in United States #345 in North America

91% Acceptance

4,202 Enrollment

1160 Avg SAT

1895 Founded

19

Boston

Suffolk University

#322 in United States #358 in North America

82% Acceptance

9,942 Enrollment

1195 Avg SAT

1906 Founded

20

South Hadley

Mount Holyoke College

#332 in United States #369 in North America

36% Acceptance

2,178 Enrollment

1455 Avg SAT

1888 Founded

21

Wellesley

#337 in United States #374 in North America

17% Acceptance

2,793 Enrollment

1460 Avg SAT

1919 Founded

22

Waltham

Bentley University

#344 in United States #383 in North America

45% Acceptance

4,526 Enrollment

1355 Avg SAT

1917 Founded

23

Boston

Simmons University

#371 in United States #414 in North America

70% Acceptance

669 Enrollment

1305 Avg SAT

1899 Founded

24

Worcester, MA

College of the Holy Cross

#380 in United States #426 in North America

18% Acceptance

3,126 Enrollment

1325 Avg SAT

1843 Founded

25

Boston

Emerson College

#484 in United States #533 in North America

51% Acceptance

6,230 Enrollment

1345 Avg SAT

1880 Founded

26

Bridgewater, MA

Bridgewater State University

#536 in United States #589 in North America

88% Acceptance

6,230 Enrollment

1162 Avg SAT

1840 Founded

27

Amherst, MA

Hampshire College

#566 in United States #621 in North America

75% Acceptance

844 Enrollment

1480 Avg SAT

1965 Founded

28

Springfield, MA

Western New England University

#589 in United States #646 in North America

83% Acceptance

9,942 Enrollment

1195 Avg SAT

1919 Founded

29

Boston

MCPHS University

#658 in United States #719 in North America

85% Acceptance

3,469 Enrollment

1288 Avg SAT

1823 Founded

30

Cambridge, MA

Lesley University

#663 in United States #724 in North America

97% Acceptance

6,230 Enrollment

1162 Avg SAT

1909 Founded

31

Salem, MA

Salem State University

#664 in United States #725 in North America

96% Acceptance

5,429 Enrollment

1162 Avg SAT

1854 Founded

32

Worcester, MA

Worcester State University

#674 in United States #737 in North America

88% Acceptance

9,942 Enrollment

1155 Avg SAT

1874 Founded

33

Boston

Berklee College of Music

#684 in United States #748 in North America

44% Acceptance

1,989 Enrollment

1214 Avg SAT

1945 Founded

34

North Andover

Merrimack College

#710 in United States #776 in North America

70% Acceptance

9,377 Enrollment

1120 Avg SAT

1947 Founded

35

Springfield, MA

Springfield College

#713 in United States #780 in North America

72% Acceptance

1,763 Enrollment

1205 Avg SAT

1885 Founded

36

Norton

Wheaton College – Massachusetts

#730 in United States #797 in North America

68% Acceptance

1,785 Enrollment

1305 Avg SAT

1912 Founded

37

Wenham

#735 in United States #803 in North America

69% Acceptance

1,314 Enrollment

1243 Avg SAT

1889 Founded

38

Needham

Franklin W Olin College of Engineering

#748 in United States #816 in North America

25% Acceptance

4,202 Enrollment

1526 Avg SAT

1997 Founded

39

Framingham

Framingham State University

#771 in United States #839 in North America

84% Acceptance

4,709 Enrollment

1190 Avg SAT

1839 Founded

40

Beverly

Endicott College

#816 in United States #884 in North America

71% Acceptance

3,194 Enrollment

1267 Avg SAT

1939 Founded

41

Boston

Wentworth Institute of Technology

#821 in United States #889 in North America

91% Acceptance

3,965 Enrollment

1215 Avg SAT

1904 Founded

42

Boston

MGH Institute of Health Professions

#823 in United States #891 in North America

32% Acceptance

544 Enrollment

1108 Avg SAT

1977 Founded

43

Easton, MA

Stonehill College

#848 in United States #917 in North America

66% Acceptance

2,568 Enrollment

1194 Avg SAT

1948 Founded

44

Weston

#924 in United States #996 in North America

70% Acceptance

9,377 Enrollment

995 Avg SAT

1927 Founded

45

Franklin, MA

#932 in United States #1004 in North America

74% Acceptance

12,941 Enrollment

1305 Avg SAT

1865 Founded

46

Fitchburg

Fitchburg State University

#938 in United States #1010 in North America

87% Acceptance

9,942 Enrollment

1145 Avg SAT

1894 Founded

47

Boston

Emmanuel College

#940 in United States #1012 in North America

76% Acceptance

1,909 Enrollment

1255 Avg SAT

1919 Founded

48

Newton Centre

#945 in United States #1017 in North America

80% Acceptance

73 Enrollment

1325 Avg SAT

1921 Founded

49

Cambridge, MA

Hult International Business School

#992 in United States #1065 in North America

60% Acceptance

63,012 Enrollment

1355 Avg SAT

2003 Founded

50

Boston

New England Conservatory of Music

#1007 in United States #1080 in North America

41% Acceptance

1,989 Enrollment

1339 Avg SAT

1867 Founded

51

South Hamilton

Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary

#1013 in United States #1086 in North America

70% Acceptance

1,183 Enrollment

1125 Avg SAT

52

North Adams

Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts

#1037 in United States #1111 in North America

90% Acceptance

794 Enrollment

1325 Avg SAT

1894 Founded

53

Boston

Massachusetts College of Art and Design

#1103 in United States #1178 in North America

76% Acceptance

1,871 Enrollment

1339 Avg SAT

1873 Founded

54

Milton, MA

#1111 in United States #1186 in North America

88% Acceptance

1,808 Enrollment

1140 Avg SAT

1879 Founded

55

Buzzards Bay

Massachusetts Maritime Academy

#1128 in United States #1203 in North America

95% Acceptance

1,988 Enrollment

1335 Avg SAT

1891 Founded

56

Quincy, MA

Eastern Nazarene College

#1148 in United States #1223 in North America

75% Acceptance

2,848 Enrollment

1405 Avg SAT

1900 Founded

57

Boston

New England College of Optometry

#1200 in United States #1277 in North America

23% Acceptance

400 Enrollment

1475 Avg SAT

1894 Founded

58

Great Barrington

Bard College at Simon’s Rock

#1209 in United States #1286 in North America

96% Acceptance

314 Enrollment

1455 Avg SAT

1964 Founded

59

Boston

#1223 in United States #1301 in North America

71% Acceptance

78 Enrollment

1460 Avg SAT

1903 Founded

60

Newton, MA

William James College

#1232 in United States #1310 in North America

60% Acceptance

1,631 Enrollment

1030 Avg SAT

1974 Founded

61

Springfield, MA

American International College

#1251 in United States #1329 in North America

100% Acceptance

6,938 Enrollment

1094 Avg SAT

1885 Founded

62

Newton, MA

#1274 in United States #1352 in North America

81% Acceptance

6,230 Enrollment

1094 Avg SAT

1851 Founded

63

Boston

New England Law – Boston

#1280 in United States #1358 in North America

60% Acceptance

273 Enrollment

1485 Avg SAT

1908 Founded

64

Worcester, MA

Assumption College

#1295 in United States #1373 in North America

83% Acceptance

6,230 Enrollment

1162 Avg SAT

1904 Founded

65

Brookline

Hellenic College – Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology

#1300 in United States #1378 in North America

80% Acceptance

1,352 Enrollment

1125 Avg SAT

$23,870 Net Price

66

Longmeadow

Bay Path University

#1312 in United States #1390 in North America

85% Acceptance

1,765 Enrollment

1110 Avg SAT

1897 Founded

67

Dudley

Nichols College

#1313 in United States #1391 in North America

81% Acceptance

3,707 Enrollment

1132 Avg SAT

1815 Founded

68

Boston

Boston Architectural College

#1511 in United States #1597 in North America

100% Acceptance

320 Enrollment

1889 Founded

$26,590 Net Price

69

Paxton

Anna Maria College

#1520 in United States #1606 in North America

50% Acceptance

644 Enrollment

1043 Avg SAT

1946 Founded

70

Chicopee

College of Our Lady of the Elms

#1528 in United States #1614 in North America

85% Acceptance

2,211 Enrollment

1347 Avg SAT

1928 Founded

71

Andover

Massachusetts School of Law

#1599 in United States #1686 in North America

93% Acceptance

1,131 Enrollment

1485 Avg SAT

1988 Founded

72

Brookline

Boston Graduate School of Psychoanalysis Inc

#1710 in United States #1798 in North America

78% Acceptance

1973 Founded

73

Worcester, MA

#1718 in United States #1806 in North America

71% Acceptance

1784 Founded

$32,838 Net Price

74

Boston

Bay State College

#1730 in United States #1819 in North America

78% Acceptance

1260 Avg SAT

1946 Founded

$43,020 Net Price

75

Brookline

Newbury College

#1745 in United States #1834 in North America

100% Acceptance

4,473 Enrollment

1273 Avg SAT

1962 Founded

76

Cambridge, MA

Longy School of Music of Bard College

#1750 in United States #1839 in North America

95% Acceptance

10 Enrollment

$49,815 Net Price

77

Boston

Pine Manor College

#1838 in United States #1928 in North America

63% Acceptance

1911 Founded

$10,558 Net Price

78

Boston

Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology

#1868 in United States #1959 in North America

100% Acceptance

744 Enrollment

1908 Founded

$14,841 Net Price

79

Westfield

Westfield State University

#1888 in United States #1980 in North America

81% Acceptance

6,938 Enrollment

1162 Avg SAT

1838 Founded

80

Haverhill

Northpoint Bible College

#1906 in United States #1998 in North America

100% Acceptance

89 Enrollment

1924 Founded

$23,635 Net Price

81

Boston

Cambridge College

#2010 in United States #2103 in North America

100% Acceptance

646 Enrollment

1971 Founded

$31,072 Net Price

82

Beverly

Montserrat College of Art

#2014 in United States #2107 in North America

100% Acceptance

227 Enrollment

1970 Founded

$34,166 Net Price

83

Milton, MA

Laboure College

#2105 in United States #2202 in North America

50% Acceptance

530 Enrollment

1892 Founded

$33,180 Net Price

84

Brighton, MA

Saint John’s Seminary

#2117 in United States #2214 in North America

90% Acceptance

23 Enrollment

85

Easthampton

Conway School of Landscape Design

#2130 in United States #2227 in North America

84% Acceptance

1972 Founded

86

Boston

New England College of Business and Finance

#2146 in United States #2245 in North America

100% Acceptance

1993 Founded

87

Boston

Boston Baptist College

#2296 in United States #2397 in North America

91% Acceptance

43 Enrollment

$17,933 Net Price

88

Weston

Pope St John XXIII National Seminary

#2331 in United States #2432 in North America

83% Acceptance