Best-Value Colleges in Massachusetts
29 Massachusetts 4-year colleges ranked by return on investment — 10-year graduate earnings per dollar of net price — among schools that beat the state median on earnings and graduation rate.
The best-value college in Massachusetts is Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge — a net price of $20,111 against $143,372 in median 10-year earnings, an ROI of 7.1×, with a 96% graduation rate. Every school here turns a modest cost into outsized, above-median earnings.
| # | School | Net price /yr | 10-yr earnings | ROI (earn ÷ price) | Grad rate | In-state tuition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, MA | $20,111 | $143,372 | 7.1× | 96% | $62,396 |
| 2 | Harvard University Cambridge, MA | $19,066 | $101,817 | 5.3× | 97% | $61,676 |
| 3 | Franklin W Olin College of Engineering Needham, MA | $25,171 | $129,455 | 5.1× | 92% | $66,398 |
| 4 | Williams College Williamstown, MA | $17,716 | $88,665 | 5.0× | 97% | $68,560 |
| 5 | Massachusetts Maritime Academy Buzzards Bay, MA | $21,582 | $82,392 | 3.8× | 79% | $11,420 |
| 6 | University of Massachusetts-Lowell Lowell, MA | $17,163 | $64,874 | 3.8× | 70% | $16,966 |
| 7 | Boston University Boston, MA | $24,402 | $83,238 | 3.4× | 90% | $68,102 |
| 8 | Wellesley College Wellesley, MA | $25,496 | $84,803 | 3.3× | 91% | $67,176 |
| 9 | Amherst College Amherst, MA | $23,367 | $77,644 | 3.3× | 93% | $70,480 |
| 10 | University of Massachusetts-Amherst Amherst, MA | $22,383 | $71,631 | 3.2× | 83% | $17,772 |
| 11 | Bentley University Waltham, MA | $37,930 | $120,959 | 3.2× | 88% | $61,000 |
| 12 | Babson College Wellesley, MA | $40,514 | $123,938 | 3.1× | 92% | $57,152 |
| 13 | Northeastern University Boston, MA | $30,915 | $92,538 | 3.0× | 90% | $66,162 |
| 14 | Emmanuel College Boston, MA | $26,706 | $68,245 | 2.6× | 66% | $48,550 |
| 15 | Assumption University Worcester, MA | $29,498 | $74,895 | 2.5× | 75% | $51,356 |
| 16 | Simmons University Boston, MA | $25,265 | $63,494 | 2.5× | 71% | $46,874 |
| 17 | Boston College Chestnut Hill, MA | $41,704 | $103,937 | 2.5× | 91% | $70,702 |
| 18 | Wentworth Institute of Technology Boston, MA | $34,170 | $82,721 | 2.4× | 69% | $42,884 |
| 19 | Worcester Polytechnic Institute Worcester, MA | $43,071 | $103,470 | 2.4× | 88% | $60,965 |
| 20 | Stonehill College Easton, MA | $33,016 | $77,745 | 2.4× | 81% | $57,490 |
| 21 | College of the Holy Cross Worcester, MA | $38,782 | $90,543 | 2.3× | 90% | $64,500 |
| 22 | Smith College Northampton, MA | $27,579 | $64,027 | 2.3× | 90% | $65,178 |
| 23 | Wheaton College (Massachusetts) Norton, MA | $29,822 | $67,725 | 2.3× | 76% | $63,960 |
| 24 | Mount Holyoke College South Hadley, MA | $26,441 | $58,418 | 2.2× | 85% | $67,018 |
| 25 | Clark University Worcester, MA | $28,714 | $62,381 | 2.2× | 77% | $58,867 |
| 26 | Brandeis University Waltham, MA | $35,736 | $77,231 | 2.2× | 86% | $68,080 |
| 27 | Tufts University Medford, MA | $39,998 | $83,214 | 2.1× | 93% | $70,704 |
| 28 | Merrimack College North Andover, MA | $37,927 | $75,584 | 2.0× | 72% | $53,962 |
| 29 | Emerson College Boston, MA | $49,180 | $62,832 | 1.3× | 79% | $57,056 |
How we ranked this
From every Massachusetts four-year college that publishes net price, 10-year median earnings, and graduation rate, we keep only those that beat the state median on earnings and that graduate at least 45% of students (or the state median grad rate, whichever is higher). We then rank by ROI = 10-year median earnings ÷ average annual net price — the dollars of graduate earnings each dollar of net price buys — highest first. This rewards genuine return on investment rather than the cheapest sticker price, and the 4-year + outcome guards keep out the low-completion and 2-year outliers a pure price sort surfaces. Colleges missing any of the three figures are excluded, never estimated. Minimum 5 qualifying schools required to publish a page.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best-value college in Massachusetts?+
Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge has the highest return on investment among Massachusetts 4-year colleges that beat the state median on outcomes: a net price of $20,111 against $143,372 in 10-year median earnings — an ROI of 7.1× (dollars earned per dollar of annual net price) — with a 96% graduation rate.
What does "net price" mean?+
Net price is the average annual cost students actually pay after grants and scholarships are subtracted from the full cost of attendance — a far better affordability measure than sticker tuition. We use the College Scorecard average net price.
How is "best value" defined here?+
Value means return on investment, not cheapness. Among Massachusetts four-year colleges that beat the state median on BOTH 10-year graduate earnings and graduation rate (and graduate at least 45% of students), we rank by the ROI ratio = 10-year median earnings ÷ average annual net price. The school that turns each tuition dollar into the most graduate earnings ranks first.
Is the cheapest college always the best value?+
No. A rock-bottom price that leads to low earnings is worse value than a moderate price that leads to high earnings. That is exactly why we rank by the earnings-to-net-price ratio rather than by lowest price, and require above-median earnings and graduation rates first. Colleges missing net price, earnings, or graduation data are excluded rather than estimated.
Keep exploring
Data sources: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard · IPEDS. Figures are the most recent values published in each federal dataset; cells with no published value are shown as “—” and never estimated. CertiHomes Education does not sell rankings or accept placement fees.