List of colleges and universities in Massachusetts


There are 114 colleges and universities in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts that are listed under the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. These institutions include fourteen research universities, twenty-one master's universities, and thirty-four special-focus institutions. Eighty-five of Massachusetts' post-secondary institutions are private, of which five are for-profit. Thirty of the state's post-secondary institutions are public, a number which excludes the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, which was founded by the Morrill Land-Grant Acts, but later became a private institution.
Harvard University is the state's oldest post-secondary institution, having been founded in 1636. Boston University is the state's largest institution of higher learning in terms of enrollment, having 32,603 students in the fall of 2013 while Conway School of Landscape Design is the state's smallest college with an enrollment of 18. The University of Massachusetts Amherst is the state's largest public university, with an enrollment of 28,518 students. Massachusetts is also home to a number of internationally recognized universities, including Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, which are ranked among the top ten universities in the world.
The University of Massachusetts Amherst is the state's sole public land-grant university, and is the flagship institution of the University of Massachusetts system. There are also eleven Catholic post-secondary institutions, including Boston College, College of the Holy Cross, and Stonehill College. There are also two Judaic post-secondary institutions in Massachusetts, including Brandeis University and Hebrew College. The state has four medical schools, Boston University School of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, the University of Massachusetts Medical School, and Tufts University School of Medicine. There are nine law schools, which are accredited by the American Bar Association, including Boston College Law School, Harvard Law School and the University of Massachusetts School of Law. One hundred and seven of Massachusetts post-secondary institutions are officially recognized by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, while most are accredited by multiple higher education accreditation agencies.

Extant institutions

AbbreviationAccrediting agency
AAMFTAmerican Association for Marriage and Family Therapy
AANAAmerican Association of Nurse Anesthetists
ACPEAccreditation Council for Pharmacy Education
ACCSCAccrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges
ABAAmerican Bar Association
ABFSEAmerican Board of Funeral Service Education
ABHEAssociation for Biblical Higher Education
ABHESAccrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools
ACPEAssociation for Clinical Pastoral Education
ADAAmerican Dental Association
AiDAAmerican Dietetic Association
AOTAAmerican Occupational Therapy Association
AOAAmerican Optometric Association
APTAAmerican Physical Therapy Association
APAAmerican Psychological Association
ASHAAmerican Speech–Language–Hearing Association
ATSAssociation of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada
AVMAAmerican Veterinary Medical Association
CADECommission on Accreditation for Dietetics Education
CANAEPCouncil on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs
CAHMECommission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education
CCNECommission on Collegiate Nursing Education
CELPACommission on English Language Program Accreditation
CEPHCouncil on Education for Public Health
COMTACommission on Massage Therapy Accreditation
CAATSCommission on Accrediting of the Association of Theological Schools
JRCEPTNMTJoint Review Committee on Educational Programs in Nuclear Medicine Technology
JRCERTJoint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology
LCMELiaison Committee on Medical Education
MEACMidwifery Education Accreditation Council
NASADNational Association of Schools of Art and Design
NASMNational Association of Schools of Music
NASTNational Association of Schools of Theatre
NCATENational Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education
NEASCNew England Association of Schools and Colleges
NLNACNational League for Nursing Accrediting Commission
TEACTeacher Education Accreditation Council

Defunct institutions

At least eighty-two colleges and universities have closed in Massachusetts, beginning with Worcester Medical Institute in 1859. Defunct institutes include multiple private institutions, and the public Hyannis State Teachers College. Many schools were also merged into modern public universities, which form the origins of the Boston, Dartmouth, and Lowell campuses of the University of Massachusetts system. Many of these were private institutions, which either merged with private institutions and ceased to grant degrees, or institutions like the Swedenborg School of Religion, which merged with the Pacific School of Religion upon its relocation to California. The Bible Normal School was founded in Massachusetts but moved to Connecticut before it was merged into the Hartford Seminary. However, this excludes institutions which operated as part of for-profit corporations incorporated in other states, such as Empire Beauty Schools and the University of Phoenix, as they were not operated as separate college campuses and operated more as corporate entities.
SchoolLocationControlTypeFoundedClosedRef.
Andover Theological SeminaryAndoverPrivateSpecial-focus institution18371965
Andover Junior CollegeAndoverPrivateAssociate's college—1979
Andover Institute of BusinessAndoverPrivateAssociate's college1961—
Andover Newton Theological SeminaryNewtonPrivateSpecial-focus institution19652017Moved to New Haven as part of Yale Divinity School
Aquinas CollegeMilton, NewtonPrivateAssociate's college19561999
ArsDigita UniversityCambridgePrivateSpecial-focus institution20002001
BostonPrivate—19121998
Atlantic Union CollegeSouth LancasterPrivate
19222018
Berkshire Christian CollegeLenoxPrivateSpecial-focus institution18971986
Berkshire Medical CollegePittsfieldPrivateSpecial-focus institution1823—
Boston Business SchoolBostonPrivateSpecial-focus institution19141984
Boston Female Medical SchoolBostonPrivateSpecial-focus institution18481874Merged with Boston University
Boston State CollegeBostonPublicLiberal arts college18721982
Bouvé CollegeBostonPrivateSpecial-focus institution19131977
Bradford CollegeHaverhillPrivateLiberal arts college18032000
Bradford Durfee College of TechnologyFall RiverPrivateSpecial-focus institution18991964
Bryant & Stratton Business InstituteBostonPrivateSpecial-focus institution—1975
Bryant McIntosh CollegeLawrencePrivateAssociate's college19721975
Burdett CollegeWorcesterPrivateBaccalaureate college—1999
Bussey InstitutionJamaica PlainPrivateBaccalaureate college18831936
Calvin Coolidge CollegeBostonPrivateLiberal arts college—1970
Cambridge Junior CollegeCambridgePrivateAssociate's college19341974
Campbell School—PrivateSpecial-focus institution19231969
Cardinal Cushing CollegeBrooklinePrivateSpecial-focus institution19521972
Cardinal O'Connell SeminaryJamaica PlainPrivateSpecial-focus institution—1970
Cape Cod Hospital School of NursingHyannisPrivateSpecial-focus institution1940s1971
Central New England CollegeWorcesterPrivateAssociate's college19051989
Chamberlayne Junior CollegeBostonPrivateAssociate's college—1988
Chandler School for WomenBostonPrivate———
College of Physicians and SurgeonsBostonPrivateSpecial-focus institution18821906
College of Saint JosephBostonPrivateSpecial-focus institution——
Comers Commercial CollegeBostonPrivate———
Coyne School of Technical ElectricityBostonPrivate———
Crane Theological SchoolMedfordPrivate—18691968
Divine Providence InstituteNever openedPrivateSpecial-focus institution——
Episcopal Divinity SchoolCambridgePrivate not-for-profitSpecial-focus institution19752017Moved to New York as part of Union Theological Seminary
Garland Junior CollegeBostonPrivateAssociate's college19471976
Grahm Junior CollegeBostonPrivateAssociate's college19501979
Hallmark Institute of PhotographyTurners FallsPrivateSpecial-focus institution19752016
Hampden College of PharmacyBostonPrivate——1977
Holliston Junior CollegeHollistonPrivateAssociate's college19191986
Hyannis State Teachers CollegeHyannisPublicSpecial-focus institution18971944
Ipswich Female SeminaryIpswichPrivateSpecial-focus institution18281878
Kinyon-Campbell Business SchoolNew BedfordPrivateSpecial-focus institution19691999
Kinyon School—PrivateSpecial-focus institution19111969
LaFosse Teacher Training CollegeNever openedPrivateSpecial-focus institution——
Lay CollegeReverePrivate———
Leicester Junior CollegeLeicesterPrivateAssociate's college17841977Merged with Becker College
Lowell State CollegeLowellPublicLiberal arts college18941975
Lowell Technological InstituteLowellPublicSpecial-focus institution18951975
Marian Court CollegeSwampscottPrivate not-for-profitAssociate's college19642015
Marist College and SeminaryFraminghamPrivateSpecial-focus institution1939—
Massachusetts College of OsteopathyBostonPrivateSpecial-focus institution18981944
Middlesex UniversityWalthamPrivateSpecial-focus institution19141947
Monroe College of OratoryBostonPrivateSpecial-focus institution1880—
Mount Alvernia CollegeNewtonPrivate—19591973
Mount Ida CollegeNewtonPrivate not-for-profitBaccalaureate college18992018Campus acquired by UMass-Amherst
New Bedford Institute of TechnologyNew BedfordPrivateSpecial-focus institution19041953
New England Female Medical CollegeBostonPrivateSpecial-focus institution18481875
New England Institute of Applied Funeral Arts and SciencesBostonPrivate——1989
New England Institute of ArtBrooklinePrivate Arts Schools19522015
Newbury CollegeBrooklinePrivate not-for-profitBaccalaureate college19622019
Newton College of the Sacred HeartNewton CentrePrivateLiberal arts college19461975
Newton Junior CollegeNewtonvillePrivateAssociate's college19461976
Newton Theological InstitutionNewton CentrePrivateSpecial-focus institution18251965
Northampton Junior CollegeNorthamptonPrivateAssociate's college19631973
Oblate College & SeminaryNatickPrivateSpecial-focus institution—1974
Oread InstituteWorcesterPrivateSpecial-focus institution18491934
Our Lady of SorrowsSharonPrivateSpecial-focus institution——
Perry Normal SchoolBostonPrivate—18981974
Pine Manor CollegeChestnut HillPrivate not-for-profitBaccalaureate college19112020Merged with Boston College
Queen of Apostles SeminaryDedhamPrivateSpecial-focus institution1946Late 1960s
Radcliffe CollegeCambridgePrivateLiberal arts college18791999
Regina Coeli CollegeNever openedPrivate———
Revere Lay CollegeReverePrivateHistorically black?active around 1890—Changed name to the Boston Evangelical Institute before it merged with another school to form Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary.
Sacred Heart College for TeachersNever openedPrivateSpecial-focus institution——
Saint Gabriel's InstituteNever openedPrivateSpecial-focus institution——
Saint Hyacinth College & SeminaryGranbyPrivateSpecial-focus institution—2003
Saint Joseph Teacher Training InstituteNever openedPrivateSpecial-focus institution——
Saint Paul's House of StudiesNever openedPrivateSpecial-focus institution——
Saint Stephen's CollegeDoverPrivate——1971
School for Christian WorkersSpringfieldPrivateSpecial-focus institution18851898
School of the Museum of Fine Arts, BostonBostonPrivateSpecial-focus institution18762016Merged with Tufts University
Southern New England School of LawDartmouthPrivateSpecial-focus institution19812010
Staley School of the Spoken WordBrooklinePrivateSpecial-focus institution19001957
Stanley CollegeBrooklinePrivate——1959
Stevens CollegeHubbardstonPrivate——1971
Swain School of DesignNew BedfordPrivate—18811988
Swedenborg School of ReligionNewtonPrivateSpecial-focus institution18662001
Vesper George School of ArtBostonPrivateLiberal arts college—1983
Wang Institute of Graduate StudiesTyngsboroughPrivateSpecial-focus institution19791988
Wheelock CollegeBostonPrivateLiberal Arts College18882018Merged into Boston University
Winter Hill Business CollegeBostonPrivateSpecial-focus institution1903—Became Fisher College
Worcester Junior CollegeWorcesterPrivateAssociate's college19051989
Worcester Medical InstituteWorcesterPrivateSpecial-focus institution18461859
Worcester Technical InstituteWorcesterPrivateSpecial-focus institution—1997