Is a research university right for me?–

Research universities are colleges and universities whose faculty are active in research and publishing. Research universities offer a wide array of doctoral programs, especially in the sciences. They tend to be big, with tens of thousands of students. Do you prefer a larger university setting, such as largest public university in your state? Research universities are typically big, offering degrees in many different disciplines. Is a big high-powered research environment the thing for you? If not, you should think about a liberal arts college. In deciding on an undergraduate institution, ask yourself what sort of environment will best help you to be happy and excel. Consider whether you are self motivated enough to be a face in the crowd for some classes and largely unknown on campus at a large university. Of course you can find clubs and friends at a large university, but often liberal arts colleges have a more personal quality to them. If you want the community feel, a research university may not fit you well. Are you interested in STEM fields? Research universities have that name for a reason – real research is happening there. This can create an exciting atmosphere for students interested in STEM. Attending a research university can give you a better chance of getting into better programs for graduate degrees, although a lot of that depends on your performance.

Is an online college right for me?–

Online colleges are typically the same colleges and universities you could attend in-person, but for certain degree programs the college or unviersity has made the degree programs available to be completed online. For over 5 million students, online degree programs allow students to earn their degrees in the most flexible format available. Online degrees are as respected as the on-campus degrees you could earn from the same schools. There’s usually no distinction between the two degrees, and your degree and transcript will not say that the degree was earned online. Online degree programs are offered by a vast majority of colleges and universities, and the number of offering continues to grow. Whether you are searching for an associate, bachelor’s, master’s, or doctorate, there’s a good chance you can earn your degree online from a respectable online college. Are you a self-driven student? Perhaps the hardest aspect of obtaining an online degree is whether you will be disciplined enough to manage your time and course demands. Many online students report that online college made them more disciplined in all areas of their lives, but the flexible, self-paced learning that makes online colleges attractive can often be the same qualities that make it difficult. If you tend to be a procrastinator, you need to be honest with yourself. You can change your habits and propensities, or you can throw money down the drain. Do you need the flexibility of an online degree program? Most online students study online because of time demands of balancing work and life, or because the online college affords them the chance to attend a better school without moving. If you are serious about earning your degree for career advancement, online colleges make it possible. The most flexible options among online degrees are those that are asynchronous, meaning you don’t have scheduled times to meet with your class online. However, many students seek synchronous online degree programs so that they have some structure – set meeting times, scheduled exams, etc. The good news is that attending an online college doesn’t mean you will miss out on getting to know your professors and classmates. In fact, many online students who have experienced both online and on-campus courses report having easier access to their professors. Since most communication with your professor is expected to be in text – via email or your class learning management system – it makes asking your questions easier. The same students also report that they got to better know the thoughts of their classmates. While in-person course conversations can be dominated by a few extroverts, online courses that require online discussions make it so that you see all of your classmates’ thoughts and questions. If you’re interested in an online bachelor’s degree, check out what the best online colleges offer, or search our online degrees for the exact program that interests you. In either case, you will find well respected colleges and universities that offer online degrees.

Best Research Universities in Massachusetts 2024

Q: Is a liberal arts college right for me?–

Often referred to as “teaching colleges” liberal arts colleges put a premium on undergraduate studies and offers a broad range of subjects for students to study. A college of liberal arts typically provides smaller class sizes, more direct engagement with professors, and, most importantly, the opportunity to sample a wide range of subject areas on the way to a bachelor’s degree. Do you want your professors to know you? Liberal arts colleges strive to cultivate campus cultures that encourage tight bonds between professors and students. Professors at these schools will typically conduct original research. Yet the best of these schools offer their faculty reduced teaching loads so that they can both be productive researchers and still have plenty of time for students (both in and outside the classroom). Do you want to feel like you know everybody? One of the most enticing features of a liberal arts college is that in very little time, you can feel like you know who’s who, which can create strong friendships and make walks across campus more fun. While your sports teams may never be on ESPN, it’s more likely that you’ll know the athletes as your peers. Beyond student and faculty relationships, it’s not unusual for the school president and other administrators to learn who you are. When faced with problems with your student account or the need to switch classes, this can be comforting during a stressful moment.

Badge for BEST IN MASSACHUSETTS RESEARCH UNIVERSITIES

By Dr. James Barham

Published: Mar 25, 2021
Updated: Oct 26, 2023

Interested in attending a STEM school in Massachusetts? Our ranking of top research universities for bachelor’s degrees displays schools that will best prepare you for STEM careers.

10 Best Research Universities in Massachusetts

Harvard University
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Boston University
Tufts University
Brandeis University
University of Massachusetts Amherst
Boston College
Northeastern University
Clark University
Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Harvard University
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Boston University
Brandeis University
Tufts University
University of Massachusetts Amherst
Boston College
Clark University
Northeastern University
University of Massachusetts Boston

University of Massachusetts Dartmouth 96%
Western New England University 88%
University of Massachusetts Lowell 86%
Lesley University 86%
University of Massachusetts Boston 81%
Simmons University 76%
University of Massachusetts Amherst 64%
Worcester Polytechnic Institute 57%
Clark University 50%
Brandeis University 39%

University of Massachusetts Amherst 18 to 1
University of Massachusetts Lowell 17 to 1
Northeastern University 16 to 1
University of Massachusetts Boston 16 to 1
University of Massachusetts Dartmouth 15 to 1
Worcester Polytechnic Institute 13 to 1
Boston College 12 to 1
Boston University 11 to 1
Western New England University 11 to 1
Tufts University 10 to 1

Tufts University $65,222
Boston College $64,176
Boston University $62,360
Brandeis University $62,322
Northeastern University $60,192
Massachusetts Institute of Technology $57,986
Harvard University $57,261
Worcester Polytechnic Institute $57,096
Clark University $52,352
Western New England University $44,500

Boston University $61,050
Massachusetts Institute of Technology $57,590
Brandeis University $55,104
Tufts University $54,196
Harvard University $52,456
Clark University $47,650
Boston College $33,912
Worcester Polytechnic Institute $28,980
Simmons University $27,152
Northeastern University $26,715

Simmons University
Lesley University
Western New England University
University of Massachusetts Dartmouth
University of Massachusetts Lowell
University of Massachusetts Boston
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Clark University
Northeastern University
Boston College

Western New England University
Lesley University
Simmons University
University of Massachusetts Lowell
University of Massachusetts Dartmouth
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
University of Massachusetts Boston
Northeastern University
Clark University
Boston College

Harvard University 3%
Massachusetts Institute of Technology 4%
Northeastern University 7%
Tufts University 10%
Boston University 14%
Boston College 17%
Brandeis University 39%
Clark University 50%
Worcester Polytechnic Institute 57%
University of Massachusetts Amherst 64%

Massachusetts Institute of Technology 3 to 1
Harvard University 7 to 1
Simmons University 7 to 1
Clark University 9 to 1
Tufts University 10 to 1
Brandeis University 10 to 1
Lesley University 10 to 1
Boston University 11 to 1
Western New England University 11 to 1
Boston College 12 to 1

University of Massachusetts Dartmouth $14,179
University of Massachusetts Boston $14,542
University of Massachusetts Lowell $15,462
University of Massachusetts Amherst $16,186
Lesley University $31,364
Simmons University $44,350
Western New England University $44,500
Clark University $52,352
Worcester Polytechnic Institute $57,096
Harvard University $57,261

University of Massachusetts Amherst $14,364
University of Massachusetts Lowell $14,956
University of Massachusetts Dartmouth $16,390
Western New England University $17,550
University of Massachusetts Boston $18,894
Lesley University $18,900
Northeastern University $26,715
Simmons University $27,152
Worcester Polytechnic Institute $28,980
Boston College $33,912

Table of Contents

Colleges and Universities in Massachusetts

Some of the most talked about universities in Massachusetts are its private schools, including Boston University, Harvard University, Northeastern University, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, which also happen to be the largest. Tuition for these prestigious schools runs between $50,000 and $54,000. Students here have access to some of the top programs in the country in fields such as biology, literature, law, education, engineering, and religious studies. The alumni from New England schools are equally as impressive, including Martin Luther King Jr., Bill Gates, and Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Find college admissions consultants in your state.

The public higher education institutes also boast top-notch programs, allowing students to pursue associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in fields like mathematics, social work, medicine, and economics. The University of Massachusetts Amherst, the state’s largest public university, offers tuition around $16,000 and serves over 28,000 students. Additionally, students who are interested in attending a religiously affiliated school have 17 options to choose from, most of which feature high graduation rates for their students. For future dental, medical, or mental health professionals, Massachusetts also offers loan forgiveness programs for those working in underserved communities.

As the port of destination for the Mayflower, home to the Plymouth colony, and site of the Salem Witch Trials, Massachusetts looms large in United States history, but this most populous New England state isn’t just for history buffs. The Bay State is also known for its delicious cuisine, beautiful coastlines, and devout sports fans. Not to mention, it has over 100 colleges for students to choose from.

Find a program that’s right for you and explore the best schools Massachusetts has to offer.

What are Massachusetts’ Colleges & Universities?

Massachusetts’ Best Overall

How do we determine Massachusetts's best colleges and universities?

Methodology

The people affiliated with a school are ultimately what make it great! If you are serious about finding the best colleges and universities for a bachelor’s degree, you should be asking where the most influential professors are teaching and whether their graduates are themselves advancing the school’s reputation for academic excellence in their fields of study.

Most ranking sites rely on an opaque combination of reputation surveys and arbitrary performance metrics. Concentrated Influence provides a ranking that is freer from bias, insulated from manipulation, and reflective of real-world educational outcomes.

To rank the influence of schools, we first determine the influence of scholars and professionals based on the number of citations and publications they have had over the past 10 years. In addition to publications and citations, we consider the web links to and from these sources, and the page views of those sources. We then match the influential people to their alma maters and institutions of employment, so that their influence is attributed to those schools. Our machine-learning Influence Ranking algorithm produces a numerical score of academic achievements, merits, and citations across Wikipedia, wikidata, Crossref, Semantic Scholar and an ever-growing body of data. If you are interested in exploring how and why we rank by influence, explore our methodology in more depth.

A research university is a great option for students interested in obtaining STEM degrees. Research universities invest heavily in research, which consequently provides meaningful and extensive opportunities for its students and faculty to participate in research. We’ve identified 16 research universities in Massachusetts. To be included in our ranking, schools must be a fully accredited universities and must must offer doctoral degrees across the range of STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math).

Best Research Universities in Massachusetts 2023

Find the Best Research Universities in Massachusetts for Your Area of Interest

Frequently Asked Questions About Research Universities, Liberal Arts Colleges, Online Colleges

In pursuing a bachelor’s degree, you will need to choose between three kinds of schools: research universities, liberal arts colleges, and online colleges.

Research universities are colleges and universities whose faculty are active in research and publishing. Research universities offer a wide array of doctoral programs, especially in the sciences. They tend to be big, with tens of thousands of students.

Do you prefer a larger university setting, such as largest public university in your state? Research universities are typically big, offering degrees in many different disciplines.

Is a big high-powered research environment the thing for you? If not, you should think about a liberal arts college. In deciding on an undergraduate institution, ask yourself what sort of environment will best help you to be happy and excel.

Consider whether you are self motivated enough to be a face in the crowd for some classes and largely unknown on campus at a large university. Of course you can find clubs and friends at a large university, but often liberal arts colleges have a more personal quality to them. If you want the community feel, a research university may not fit you well.
Are you interested in STEM fields? Research universities have that name for a reason – real research is happening there. This can create an exciting atmosphere for students interested in STEM. Attending a research university can give you a better chance of getting into better programs for graduate degrees, although a lot of that depends on your performance.

Learn more about research universities by reading about the best research universities in the US.

Often referred to as “teaching colleges” liberal arts colleges put a premium on undergraduate studies and offers a broad range of subjects for students to study. A college of liberal arts typically provides smaller class sizes, more direct engagement with professors, and, most importantly, the opportunity to sample a wide range of subject areas on the way to a bachelor’s degree.

Do you want your professors to know you? Liberal arts colleges strive to cultivate campus cultures that encourage tight bonds between professors and students.

Professors at these schools will typically conduct original research. Yet the best of these schools offer their faculty reduced teaching loads so that they can both be productive researchers and still have plenty of time for students (both in and outside the classroom).

Do you want to feel like you know everybody? One of the most enticing features of a liberal arts college is that in very little time, you can feel like you know who’s who, which can create strong friendships and make walks across campus more fun. While your sports teams may never be on ESPN, it’s more likely that you’ll know the athletes as your peers.

Beyond student and faculty relationships, it’s not unusual for the school president and other administrators to learn who you are. When faced with problems with your student account or the need to switch classes, this can be comforting during a stressful moment.

Learn more about liberal arts colleges by reading about the best liberal arts colleges in the US.

Online colleges are typically the same colleges and universities you could attend in-person, but for certain degree programs the college or unviersity has made the degree programs available to be completed online. For over 5 million students, online degree programs allow students to earn their degrees in the most flexible format available.

Online degrees are as respected as the on-campus degrees you could earn from the same schools. There’s usually no distinction between the two degrees, and your degree and transcript will not say that the degree was earned online.

Online degree programs are offered by a vast majority of colleges and universities, and the number of offering continues to grow. Whether you are searching for an associate, bachelor’s, master’s, or doctorate, there’s a good chance you can earn your degree online from a respectable online college.

Are you a self-driven student? Perhaps the hardest aspect of obtaining an online degree is whether you will be disciplined enough to manage your time and course demands.

Many online students report that online college made them more disciplined in all areas of their lives, but the flexible, self-paced learning that makes online colleges attractive can often be the same qualities that make it difficult. If you tend to be a procrastinator, you need to be honest with yourself. You can change your habits and propensities, or you can throw money down the drain.

Do you need the flexibility of an online degree program? Most online students study online because of time demands of balancing work and life, or because the online college affords them the chance to attend a better school without moving.

If you are serious about earning your degree for career advancement, online colleges make it possible. The most flexible options among online degrees are those that are asynchronous, meaning you don’t have scheduled times to meet with your class online. However, many students seek synchronous online degree programs so that they have some structure – set meeting times, scheduled exams, etc.

The good news is that attending an online college doesn’t mean you will miss out on getting to know your professors and classmates. In fact, many online students who have experienced both online and on-campus courses report having easier access to their professors.

Since most communication with your professor is expected to be in text – via email or your class learning management system – it makes asking your questions easier. The same students also report that they got to better know the thoughts of their classmates. While in-person course conversations can be dominated by a few extroverts, online courses that require online discussions make it so that you see all of your classmates’ thoughts and questions.

If you’re interested in an online bachelor’s degree, check out what the best online colleges offer, or search our online degrees for the exact program that interests you. In either case, you will find well respected colleges and universities that offer online degrees.

2021 Ranking Archive

Many of our 2024 undergraduate focused rankings look considerably different than 2023. That’s because we took a fundamentally different approach. For 2024 we utilized our Concentrated Influence algorithm, designed to take away the size advantage larger schools have when we rank their faculty and alumni’s academic influence. Concentrated influence highlights smaller schools that are proportionally as successful as larger universities at cultivating influential alumni and faculty.

Check out our directory of research universities throughout the U.S. for a look at the top research institutions in every state.

Do you have a question about this topic? Ask it here

Best Research Universities in Massachusetts 2024

10 Best Research Universities in Massachusetts

Colleges and Universities in Massachusetts

What are Massachusetts’ Colleges & Universities?

Best Research Universities in Massachusetts 2023

Career Outlook for degree at Harvard University

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Boston University

Most Influential Alumni

Boston University’s Online Degrees

Career Outlook for degree at Tufts University

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Brandeis University

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at University of Massachusetts Amherst

Most Influential Alumni

University of Massachusetts Amherst’s Online Degrees

Career Outlook for degree at Boston College

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Northeastern University

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Clark University

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at University of Massachusetts Boston

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at University of Massachusetts Lowell

Most Influential Alumni

University of Massachusetts Lowell’s Online Degrees

Career Outlook for degree at University of Massachusetts Dartmouth

Most Influential Alumni

University of Massachusetts Dartmouth’s Online Degrees

Degree Concentrations

Career Outlook for degree at Western New England University

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Lesley University

Most Influential Alumni

Lesley University’s Online Degrees

Degree Concentrations

Career Outlook for degree at Simmons University

Most Influential Alumni

Simmons University’s Online Degrees

Find the Best Research Universities in Massachusetts for Your Area of Interest