List of Private Universities & Colleges in Massachusetts

As the 15^th largest state by population, it is the sixth smallest state by land mass at just over 10,000 square miles. Massachusetts is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, Vermont, and New Hampshire. Simply put, Massachusetts is home to one of the finest collections of private colleges in the United States. The quality of private universities in the state is a combination of top-tier large schools and highly regarded smaller institutions. Top ranked private colleges in Massachusetts include the following schools in the state: Harvard University, Tufts University, Worchester Polytechnic Institute, Northeastern University, Suffolk University, MIT, Brandeis University, Boston College, Cambridge College, Bay State College, Babson College, Franklin Institute, Berklee College of Music, and Boston University.

Popular Degree Programs at Private Colleges in Massachusetts

The degree options you will find at private colleges in Massachusetts is as diverse as the students that walk their halls. Areas of concentration at private institutions are seemingly boundless, ranging from traditional to specialty to professional degrees of all types. A sampling of professional degrees offered at private Massachusetts colleges include veterinary medicine, physical therapy, nursing, pharmacy, law, and medical school. A traditional degree path may take students down a path studying math, business, engineering, computer science, healthcare administration, political science, economics, and public policy. A specialty degree path at private universities may motivate students to learn about physiology, toxicology, entomology, gerontology, immunology, sustainability studies, materials engineering, or genetics.

Niche Degrees at Massachusetts Private Universities

Specialty degrees or traditional degrees can often be successfully parlayed into graduate degrees. For example, a student studying math as an undergraduate may be inclined to pursue an MBA in Finance, a Master’s of Science in Industrial Engineering, or a Master of Arts in Urban Studies. With the right education and passion for a particular field of interest, students can help create innovative solutions for today’s most perplexing problems. Private colleges in Massachusetts have proven to be a hot-bed of innovation and critical thinking in several domains, thus creating a self-fulfilling cycle of exceptional teachers and students to foster more innovation.

List of Large 4-Year Private Universities in Massachusetts

There are 26 large private universities in our database for Massachusetts. Follow the links below to get more details about each school.

Large Universities with Research Facilities or Faculty

The universities listed below offer many diverse academic programs, have a large student body, and usually have research facilities or faculty involved with research. These schools very often have graduate and professional programs as well.

Large Primarily Academic Universities

Each university listed below offers a diverse set of degrees and programs, unlike the research universities listed above, these schools contain little to no research activity on campus and are primarily academic.

• Assumption College in Worcester, MA
• Bay Path College in Longmeadow, MA
• Becker College in Worcester, MA
• Bentley College (Bentley) in Waltham, MA
• Cambridge College in Cambridge, MA
• Curry College in Milton, MA
• Emerson College in Boston, MA
• Endicott College in Beverly, MA
• Lasell College in Newton, MA
• Merrimack College (Merrimack) in North Andover, MA
• Simmons College in Boston, MA
• Springfield College in Springfield, MA
• Wentworth Institute of Technology in Boston, MA
• Western New England University (WNE) in Springfield, MA

Small to Medium Sized 4-Year Universities

The 4-year schools listed below have a small to medium sized student body and may offer a wide range of associate and bachelor's degrees. Get more information about each school by clicking the links below.

• in Wilmington, MA
• Amherst College in Amherst, MA
• Anna Maria College in Paxton, MA
• Bard College at Simon's Rock (Simon's Rock) in Great Barrington, MA
• Bay State College in Boston, MA
• College of Our Lady of the Elms (Elms College) in Chicopee, MA
• Dean College in Franklin, MA
• Eastern Nazarene College in Quincy, MA
• Fisher College in Boston, MA
• Hampshire College in Amherst, MA
• Mount Ida College in Newton, MA
• Newbury College in Brookline, MA
• Pine Manor College in Chestnut Hill, MA
• Wheaton College in Norton, MA
• Wheelock College in Boston, MA

4-Year Colleges with a Special Focus on an Area of Study

The schools below are grouped by their special area of focus. To learn about admissions, tuition & fees, programs offered, and more click on the school names below.

Technology-Related Schools

• in Norwood, MA
• Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology (Franklin Institute of Boston) in Boston, MA

Schools of Business and Management

• Babson College in Wellesley, MA
• Nichols College (Nichols) in Dudley, MA

Schools of Art, Music, and Design

• Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA
• Boston Architectural College (Boston Architectural Center) in Boston, MA
• Montserrat College of Art in Beverly, MA
• School of the Museum of Fine Arts (Museum School) in Boston, MA
• The Boston Conservatory in Boston, MA
• The New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, MA

Schools of Engineering

• Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering (Olin College of Engineering) in Needham, MA

Health Professions Schools

• Laboure College in Milton, MA
• Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (MCPHS University) in Boston, MA
• Regis College in Weston, MA

Theological Seminaries, Bible Colleges, and Other Faith-Related Institutions

• Zion Bible College in Haverhill, MA

Notes: Tuition & fee amounts are for both Massachusetts in-state residents and out of state students, unless noted otherwise. The tuition information displayed is an estimate, which we calculated based on historical data and should be solely used for informational purposes only. Please contact the respective school for information about the current school year.

Source: IPEDS Survey 2012-2015: Data obtained from the US Dept. of Education's Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS). Data may vary depending on school and academic year.