Top Schools

The highest-ranking colleges and universities in Massachusetts in 2010, were:

1. Harvard University - located in Cambridge, it was ranked 0th in the nation
2. Massachusetts Institute of Technology - located in Cambridge, it was ranked 9th in the nation
3. Tufts University - located in Medford, it was ranked 12th in the nation

Programs Offered

Nearly 39.9% of Massachusetts' 1,986,587 students are enrolled in one of the 1,839 bachelor's degree programs offered in the state. Another 31.5% of Massachusetts students are enrolled in one of Massachusetts' 1,453 master's or Ph.D. level programs. The remaining 28.6% of students are pursuing credentials from one of Massachusetts' 1,319 certificate or associate's degree programs.

The most popular courses of study in Massachusetts are:

1. Business - 9% of students graduated from business programs
2. Healthcare - 8% of students graduated from healthcare programs
3. Science - 5% of students graduated from science programs

Tuition

The average cost of in-state tuition at Massachusetts schools was $13,094 per year in 2011, with highest tuition costs being $41,982 per year and the lowest being $3,144 per year. In 2011, the following schools charged the highest tuition rates:

1. Bard College at Simon's Rock - located in Great Barrington, it charged students a tuition of $41,982 per year
2. Tufts University - located in Medford, it charged students a tuition of $41,598 per year
3. Williams College - located in Williamstown, it charged students a tuition of $41,434 per year

The lowest tuition rates in Massachusetts were charged at the following schools:

1. Bunker Hill Community College - located in Charlestown, it charged students a tuition of $3,144 per year
2. Roxbury Community College - located in Boston, it charged students a tuition of $3,192 per year
3. Holyoke Community College - located in Holyoke, it charged students a tuition of $3,276 per year

Financial Aid

Students in Massachusetts received $471,247,310 in financial aid in 2008. Approximately 72% of this was in the form of institutional grants or scholarships. The Massachusetts schools that provided the highest amount of institutional grants and scholarships to students were:

Massachusetts Student Demographics

The average student population at Massachusetts schools is 2,788 students. 12 of Massachusetts' 206 schools have over 10,000 students each. The Massachusetts colleges and universities with the largest student population in 2010 were:

1. Boston University - located in Boston, it had 31,960 students
2. Harvard University - located in Cambridge, it had 27,651 students
3. Northeastern University - located in Boston, it had 27,537 students

The Massachusetts schools with the least number of students enrolled in 2010 were:

1. Massachusetts General Hospital Dietetic Internship - located in Boston, it had 10 students
2. DiGrigoli School of Cosmetology - located in West Springfield, it had 15 students
3. Toni and Guy Hairdressing Academy - located in Worcester, it had 17 students

Graduation Rates

In 2010, 218,450 students graduated from colleges and universities in Massachusetts. The following Massachusetts colleges and universities had the highest graduation rates in 2010:

1. Zion Bible College - located in Haverhill, it had a graduation rate of 100%
2. EINE Inc - located in Tewksbury, it had a graduation rate of 100%
3. Lawrence Memorial Hospital School of Nursing - located in Medford, it had a graduation rate of 100%

The following Massachusetts colleges and universities had the lowest graduation rates:

1. Roxbury Community College - located in Boston, it had a graduation rate of 9%
2. Cape Cod Community College - located in West Barnstable, it had a graduation rate of 9%
3. Massasoit Community College - located in Brockton, it had a graduation rate of 12%

Diversity

There is a lot of diversity in the student population at Massachusetts schools. In 2009, 43% of Massachusetts' undergraduate students were from racial or ethnic minority backgrounds. The male to female ratio for undergraduates was 4 to 10. About 79% of undergraduate students at Massachusetts schools were 24 years of age or younger. The Massachusetts schools with the most diverse student populations were:

1. Everest Institute-Brighton - located in Brighton, 100% of students were from minority backgrounds
2. The Salter School-Malden Campus - located in Malden, 96% of students were from minority backgrounds
3. Roxbury Community College - located in Boston, 94% of students were from minority backgrounds

Massachusetts Faculty Demographics

Just as the student population at Massachusetts colleges and universities is diverse, the faculty at Massachusetts schools is also diverse. In 2009, there were a total of 179,516 faculty members employed by Massachusetts colleges and universities. Approximately 34% of them were from an ethnically-diverse background. Amongst Massachusetts faculty, the female to male ratio was 1 to 1.

Faculty to Student Ratio

In 2009, the average faculty to student ratio for all colleges and universities in Massachusetts was 1 to 4. The schools with the largest number of faculty for each student in Massachusetts were:

1. Spa Tech Institute-Westboro
2. Spa Tech Institute-Westboro
3. Massachusetts General Hospital Dietetic Internship