Best Online Master’s Programs in Massachusetts 2023

Published: May 11, 2022
Updated: Sep 8, 2023

Find the best online colleges in Massachusetts ranked by the academic success of faculty and alumni associated with the colleges and universities and their online degree programs. Faculty and alumni with influential ideas are the foundation of respectable online degree programs employers can trust.

Top 10 Online Master's Programs in Massachusetts

Boston University
Brandeis University
University of Massachusetts Amherst
Boston College
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Emerson College
Babson College
University of Massachusetts Lowell
University of Massachusetts Dartmouth
Bentley University

Westfield State University 94%
University of Massachusetts Dartmouth 92%
Massachusetts Maritime Academy 90%
Regis College 89%
Lesley University 87%
Bridgewater State University 86%
University of Massachusetts Lowell 85%
Fitchburg State University 85%
Simmons University 84%
Merrimack College 80%

University of Massachusetts Lowell 19 to 1
Bridgewater State University 19 to 1
American International College 18 to 1
University of Massachusetts Amherst 17 to 1
University of Massachusetts Dartmouth 15 to 1
Westfield State University 15 to 1
Merrimack College 15 to 1
Boston College 14 to 1
Babson College 14 to 1
Fitchburg State University 14 to 1

Boston College $61,706
Brandeis University $60,006
Boston University $59,816
Worcester Polytechnic Institute $55,731
Babson College $54,944
Bentley University $54,910
Emerson College $52,190
Merrimack College $46,916
Regis College $44,809
Curry College $43,650

Babson College $89,550
Boston University $58,560
Brandeis University $53,498
Bentley University $42,200
Boston College $32,616
Merrimack College $31,488
Emerson College $31,248
Worcester Polytechnic Institute $28,980
Regis College $28,800
Fisher College $26,712

Regis College
Fisher College
Anna Maria College
Curry College
Endicott College
American International College
Massachusetts Maritime Academy
Gordon College
Fitchburg State University
Merrimack College

Boston College 19%
Boston University 19%
Babson College 25%
Brandeis University 39%
Emerson College 45%
American International College 58%
Worcester Polytechnic Institute 60%
Bentley University 61%
University of Massachusetts Amherst 66%
Fisher College 72%

Simmons University 9 to 1
Lesley University 9 to 1
Boston University 10 to 1
Gordon College 10 to 1
Brandeis University 10 to 1
Regis College 10 to 1
Bentley University 11 to 1
Fisher College 11 to 1
Anna Maria College 12 to 1
Curry College 12 to 1

Bridgewater State University $910
Fitchburg State University $970
Westfield State University $970
Massachusetts Maritime Academy $1,946
University of Massachusetts Dartmouth $13,833
University of Massachusetts Lowell $15,078
University of Massachusetts Amherst $15,791
Gordon College $26,250
Lesley University $29,550
Fisher College $33,500

Bridgewater State University $1,675
Westfield State University $1,890
Massachusetts Maritime Academy $2,710
Fitchburg State University $3,420
Gordon College $6,300
Anna Maria College $10,530
American International College $12,657
Endicott College $12,746
University of Massachusetts Amherst $14,014
Emmanuel College $14,319

Table of Contents

Featured Programs

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

Online master’s degrees offered by respected colleges and universities are generally respected by employers. The main thing to consider about your online master’s choices is whether the school name is well known and respected. In many cases, employers won’t know your degree was earned online. But even if they do, a degree from a respected college is automatically to your benefit.

We rank the colleges and universities in this list by the influence of their alumni and faculty. For master’s degree students, including online master’s degree students, having faculty who are influential in your field matters a lot. It’s a big indicator that you have the chance to get a quality education. And, knowing that you will join an alumni association with some impressive people is nice, too.

Frequently Asked Questions About Online Master’s Degrees

An online master’s degree costs about $40,000 for the average grad student. However, the cost of your online master’s degree will depend on the type of grad school you attend. In 2018-2019, the average cost for a year of tuition in a public grad school was $12,171. The average cost for a year of tuition in private, non-profit grad school was $27,776. An online master’s degree will usually cost about the same as a traditional master’s degree. Some schools will charge 5-10% more for online courses. This added cost pays for the technology and specialized training needed for online instruction. But getting a master’s degree online can also help you save money. The costs above don’t include expenses like housing, transportation, or certain campus fees. As an online grad student, you can save a lot of money by avoiding these added expenses. Many online master’s degree programs are also accelerated. Most master’s degree programs are designed to be completed in two years. But you may be able to earn your online master’s degree in as little as 12-18 months. Earning an accelerated online master’s degree can save you money on tuition.

If this is your first time taking an online course, the experience may require some adjustment. While you’ll generally learn the same content and take the same exams as your on-campus peers, the medium will likely require you to manage much of this experience independently. You’ll be accountable for your own time management, your ability to harness the technology at your fingertips, and your ability to focus on the lectures, lessons, and assignments at hand. This means you’ll need to create a suitable workspace for yourself, maintain a realistic schedule, and take it upon yourself to build relationships with your instructors and classmates. With online college, your goal is to find a balance between independence and engagement.

In most cases, as long you graduate from a well-regarded, regionally-accredited online college, prospective employers won’t look sideways at your degree. In fact, unless you attend an exclusively online college or university, there will likely be no specific indicator on your degree, transcript or resume differentiating your school from its brick-and-mortar counterpart. This means that your employer will likely only differentiate between an online and in-person degree if you mention this distinction.

While some employers may express concern about making the adjustment from online education to in-person workplace collaboration, many other employers will view your online degree as evidence of valuable 21st Century professional skills such as independence, self-motivation, time management, and tech savvy.

The advantages of online classes are many. First and foremost, online courses give you the freedom and flexibility to attend class from anywhere that works for you, whether you’re at home, in a coffee shop, or in a quiet conference room at work. In many cases, you’ll also enjoy the convenience of asynchronous learning opportunities-educational experiences that you can complete on your own schedule. This may include pre-taped lectures, ongoing chat-board discussions, and 24/7 access to digital materials. And of course, just as there are some learners who prefer the energy of a live classroom, there are those who learn best when working in their own personal space, free from distractions. If this sounds like you, you might find the solitude of online learning to be a major advantage.

If you are a student who thrives on the dynamic energy of in-person discussion, who requires the physical surroundings of a classroom to feel engaged, or who considers the social aspects of education to be of equal importance to the actual content of your courses, online education will require some adjustment.

While there is much that can be supplanted or simulated through the online medium, some students may find that there is nothing which can replace the conversation, collaboration, and motivation that occur in an actual classroom setting. As you make the adjustment to online education, one of the biggest challenges you will likely face is overcoming this difference in order to the get the most out of your classes. Fortunately, we’ve got some great Tips for Online Education Beginners.

How do we determine Massachusetts's best online master's degree programs?

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.

Median Salaries of Top Careers in Massachusetts

The following graph depicts the average salaries of top occupations in different industries in Massachusetts.

Source: U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS

Annual Salary

131180Electronics Engineers, Except Computer

142630Personal Financial Advisors

145680Mathematical Science Occupations, All Other

157680Physicists

267070Chief Executives

Best Online Master’s Programs in Massachusetts 2023

Top 10 Online Master's Programs in Massachusetts

Featured Programs

Colleges and Universities in Massachusetts

What are Massachusetts’ Colleges & Universities?

Median Salaries of Top Careers in Massachusetts

Best Online Master’s Program in Massachusetts 2022

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Massachusetts’s Best Grad Programs in Your Area Interest