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This article will review colleges in Massachusetts. Massachusetts is part of New England and is the most populated state in all of New England. The Atlantic Ocean with its beautiful beaches skirts the east side of the state while the west side of Massachusetts has mountains. It’s all here. After you’ve finished reviewing the colleges in Massachusetts, be sure to take our free career test.
Boston is the capital of Massachusetts where you will find historic sites. Nearby are beautiful coastal towns and a ton of outdoor adventures. College students also have easy access to five other states bordering Massachusetts: Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Vermont, and New York. In addition to all this, it’s no wonder there are numerous public colleges that you can attend.
The University of Massachusetts (UMass)
The University of Massachusetts has over 72,000 students over four campuses in Amherst, Dartmouth, Boston, and Lowell. Let’s check out each campus.
Amherst
Amherst has the most students with almost 30,000 students enrolled. It sits on 14,000 acres of land is the largest of all the campuses. It’s in the western part of Massachusetts and the downtown is scenic and walkable. The Amherst campus also has extensive, on-campus housing and food choices for students. They participate in the NCAA Division I and are known as the Minutemen or Minutewomen. The college is close to downtown with easy access to restaurants and shops.
Dartmouth
Dartmouth’s campus is in the southern part of the state about one hour south of Boston. It’s also the smallest campus with around 8,000 student and sits on 710 acres of land in a coastal town. Dartmouth’s campus has modern designed buildings and though it’s smaller than the other campus locations, it provides on-campus housing for their student body. For sports, Dartmouth participates in the NCAA Division III Little East Conference. At Dartmouth, students enjoy everything larger campuses offer with the benefit of smaller class sizes. These students can even walk to the beach in 15 minutes.
Boston
Boston’s campus located 5 minutes from the capital of Massachusetts. The school sits on 120 acres next to the ocean and students have direct access to public transportation. Known as the Beacons, they participate in NCAA Division III sports. Students here have a ton of activities, clubs, and events to enjoy year-round and they can choose to live on-campus.
Lowell
Lowell’s campus has a student population of over 18,000 and resides on 150 acres near the Merrimack River. This campus offers easy access to dining and shopping downtown. Students can travel 30 minutes by train to downtown Boston or drive 45 minutes from New Hampshire beaches. Lowell also offers on-campus housing and competes in the NCAA Division I sports.
Bridgewater State University (BSU)
Bridgewater State University is 20 minutes south of Boston in the city of Bridgewater. It has three satellite campuses’ in Attleboro, New Bedford, and Cape Cod with a total student body of about 11,000, making BSU one of the largest colleges in the state. BSU has a variety of clubs and organizations students can participate in, and competes in the NCAA Division III sports.
Framingham State University (FSU)
Nicknamed the “Golden Triangle,” Farmington is near hundreds of shops, restaurants, and the beach. Students can also drive or take a train to bigger cities like Boston and Worchester. The classroom buildings are centrally located to the residence halls so students can easily walk to class. FSU competes in the NCAA Division III sports, and their stadium shines with gold and black school colors during their home games.
Fitchburg State University
Named after it’s home town, Fitchburg State University has over 7,000 students sits on 48 acres. It’s close to the New Hampshire border and about 50 miles from Boston. The small-town feel allows students to live at low cost and stretch their dollar. Although this is a smaller university, they have a ton of activities and programs to choose from along with on-campus housing. Fitchburg State University competes in Division III sports as the Falcons.
Massachusetts Maritime Academy
Massachusetts Maritime Academy has around 2,000 students. It is one of six maritime academies in the country, and students can seek degrees centered in marine engineering, transportation, and emergency management. Students are called cadets and must wear uniforms. The campus is located in the town of Bourne, near the Atlantic Ocean.
The college is a very hands-on learning environment and most cadets receiving employment within 90 days after graduating. During the summer months, students can snorkel, swim, or walk to one of the eight beaches nearby. Buzzards Bay also offers a variety of shops, restaurants, and coffee shops for students to enjoy during their free time.
Worcester State University
Worcester State University sits on 59 acres in central Worcester and is the second-largest city in Massachusetts. This city has the modern conveniences of any city, such as unique shops, restaurants, and big events. The University also has over 6,000 students and has a variety of activities and programs on campus and within the community. WSU participates in NCAA Division III with over 20 teams.
Westfield State University
Westfield State University lies in the western part of the state in the city of Westfield with an estimated 5,500 students. The campus has on-campus housing and it’s a compact campus. This means students can quickly stop by their dorms between classes to grab other items instead of hauling all their books with them all day. Westfield offers a host of clubs, activities, and organizations for students and they also participate in Division III sports.
Massachusetts College Of Liberal Arts (MCLA)
Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts is in North Adams on 103 acres of property. This college has a smaller student body with about 1,800 students and participates in Division III sports.
Massachusetts College of Art and Design (MassArt)
Massachusetts College of Art and Design in Boston is one of the oldest art schools in the country. It has an average of 2,000 students enrolled and has three residence halls. MassArt also has a free, public contemporary art museum called The MassArt Art Museum that highlights students work. The campus is 15 minutes from downtown Boston and close to several other large cities such as New York City and Hartford, Connecticut.
Community Colleges in Massachusetts
Along with state colleges and universities, Massachusetts also has community colleges to choose from:
- Springfield Technical Community College, Springfield
- Quincy College, Quincy
- Massasoit Community College, Brockton
- Quinsigamond Community College, Worcester
- Northern Essex Community College. Haverhill
- Mount Wachusett Community College, Gardner
- Middlesex Community College, Bedford
- Greenfield Community College, Greenfield
- Holyoke Community College, Holyoke
- MassBay Community College, Wellesley Hills
- Bristol Community College, Fall River
- Berkshire Community College, Pittsfield
- Cape Cod Community College (4Cs), West Barnstable
- Bunker Hill Community College, Boston
- North Shore Community College, Danvers