Notable Four-Year Colleges and Universities in Massachusetts

This directory-style guide highlights 50 four-year colleges and universities in Massachusetts. Each institution is identified by its full profile name and location so similarly named organizations are easier to distinguish. “Notable” is a directory label, not an evaluation of quality or an endorsement.

Entries were selected and ordered using enrollment values available in COSMIQ profiles. Enrollment figures are intentionally omitted. The order is an estimate of institution size, not a ranking of academic quality, outcomes, or fit.

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Institutions in this guide

Boston University — Boston, Massachusetts. Private nonprofit four-year institution.
University of Massachusetts-Amherst — Amherst, Massachusetts. Public four-year institution.
Harvard University — Cambridge, Massachusetts. Private nonprofit four-year institution.
Northeastern University — Boston, Massachusetts. Private nonprofit four-year institution.
University of Massachusetts-Lowell — Lowell, Massachusetts. Public four-year institution.
University of Massachusetts-Boston — Boston, Massachusetts. Public four-year institution.
Boston College — Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. Private nonprofit four-year institution.
Tufts University — Medford, Massachusetts. Private nonprofit four-year institution.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology — Cambridge, Massachusetts. Private nonprofit four-year institution.
Bridgewater State University — Bridgewater, Massachusetts. Public four-year institution.
Berklee College of Music — Boston, Massachusetts. Private nonprofit four-year institution.
Northeastern University Professional Programs — Boston, Massachusetts. Private nonprofit four-year institution.
University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth — North Dartmouth, Massachusetts. Public four-year institution.
Worcester Polytechnic Institute — Worcester, Massachusetts. Private nonprofit four-year institution.
MCPHS University — Boston, Massachusetts. Private nonprofit four-year institution.
Suffolk University — Boston, Massachusetts. Private nonprofit four-year institution.
Fitchburg State University — Fitchburg, Massachusetts. Public four-year institution.
Salem State University — Salem, Massachusetts. Public four-year institution.
Emerson College — Boston, Massachusetts. Private nonprofit four-year institution.
Simmons University — Boston, Massachusetts. Private nonprofit four-year institution.
Brandeis University — Waltham, Massachusetts. Private nonprofit four-year institution.
Merrimack College — North Andover, Massachusetts. Private nonprofit four-year institution.
Worcester State University — Worcester, Massachusetts. Public four-year institution.
Bentley University — Waltham, Massachusetts. Private nonprofit four-year institution.
Westfield State University — Westfield, Massachusetts. Public four-year institution.
Framingham State University — Framingham, Massachusetts. Public four-year institution.
Endicott College — Beverly, Massachusetts. Private nonprofit four-year institution.
Babson College — Wellesley, Massachusetts. Private nonprofit four-year institution.
Wentworth Institute of Technology — Boston, Massachusetts. Private nonprofit four-year institution.
Clark University — Worcester, Massachusetts. Private nonprofit four-year institution.
Western New England University — Springfield, Massachusetts. Private nonprofit four-year institution.
Lesley University — Cambridge, Massachusetts. Private nonprofit four-year institution.
Regis College — Weston, Massachusetts. Private nonprofit four-year institution.
College of the Holy Cross — Worcester, Massachusetts. Private nonprofit four-year institution.
Springfield College — Springfield, Massachusetts. Private nonprofit four-year institution.
Smith College — Northampton, Massachusetts. Private nonprofit four-year institution.
Quincy College — Quincy, Massachusetts. Public four-year institution.
Stonehill College — Easton, Massachusetts. Private nonprofit four-year institution.
Bay Path University — Longmeadow, Massachusetts. Private nonprofit four-year institution.
Wellesley College — Wellesley, Massachusetts. Private nonprofit four-year institution.
Mount Holyoke College — South Hadley, Massachusetts. Private nonprofit four-year institution.
Williams College — Williamstown, Massachusetts. Private nonprofit four-year institution.
Hult International Business School — Cambridge, Massachusetts. Private nonprofit four-year institution.
Cambridge College — Boston, Massachusetts. Private nonprofit four-year institution.
Assumption University — Worcester, Massachusetts. Private nonprofit four-year institution.
Curry College — Milton, Massachusetts. Private nonprofit four-year institution.
Emmanuel College — Boston, Massachusetts. Private nonprofit four-year institution.
American International College — Springfield, Massachusetts. Private nonprofit four-year institution.
Massachusetts College of Art and Design — Boston, Massachusetts. Public four-year institution.
Amherst College — Amherst, Massachusetts. Private nonprofit four-year institution.

Selection and source notes

Where enough eligible profiles were available, this guide includes the top 50, 25, or 10 by available enrollment; smaller groups include all eligible profiles. Profile source year: 2022. Check each institution directly for current information.

Sources: NCES IPEDS. Inclusion does not imply endorsement by COSMIQ, and it does not mean that any listed institution endorses COSMIQ.