Hidden Gem Colleges in Massachusetts (2026)
Updated
This page lists 20 four-year colleges in Massachusetts with earnings data. This list includes only colleges whose overall score is at or above the 50th percentile nationally and whose admission rate is above 50%; colleges without a reported admission rate are left out.
The colleges that qualify are ordered by overall score, highest first, as set out on Azimuth's methodology page. University of Massachusetts-Boston ranks 1st on this list and reports $69,532 in median earnings for its graduates four years after completing. The group includes 11 public and 9 private nonprofit institutions.
Public institutions account for 55% of the entries. Worcester State University posts the lowest average net price at $13,381.
University of Massachusetts-Boston ranks 122nd on Azimuth's composite ranking among the 1,467 public and private nonprofit four-year institutions Azimuth ranks nationally.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Median earnings, 4 years after completion | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Massachusetts-Boston · Boston, MA | $69,532 | $17,707 | $14,070 | 83.8% |
| University of Massachusetts-Boston ranks 1st on this list and holds the best Azimuth composite rank on the page, placing 122nd among the 1,467 public and private nonprofit four-year institutions Azimuth ranks nationally. | |||||
| 2 | University of Massachusetts-Lowell · Lowell, MA | $81,163 | $17,163 | $9,943 | 83.0% |
| Graduates of University of Massachusetts-Lowell earn a median of $81,163 four years after completing, and the school reports an average net price of $17,163. | |||||
| 3 | University of Massachusetts-Amherst · Amherst, MA | $78,620 | $22,383 | $10,164 | 59.7% |
| University of Massachusetts-Amherst admits 60% of applicants and graduates 83% of its students within six years. | |||||
| 4 | Massachusetts Maritime Academy · Buzzards Bay, MA | $103,680 | $21,582 | $8,757 | 94.7% |
| Massachusetts Maritime Academy reports median earnings of $103,680 for its graduates four years after completing, alongside an admission rate of 95%. | |||||
| 5 | Bridgewater State University · Bridgewater, MA | $59,669 | $16,383 | $10,007 | 87.8% |
| Bridgewater State University ranks 5th on this list and shows an average net price of $10,007 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 6 | University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth · North Dartmouth, MA | $69,251 | $20,927 | $15,976 | 90.6% |
| University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth posts a six-year completion rate of 52% and an admission rate of 91%. | |||||
| 7 | Salem State University · Salem, MA | $62,605 | $15,996 | $10,516 | 95.9% |
| Salem State University reports median earnings of $62,605 for its graduates four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $15,996. | |||||
| 8 | Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences · Boston, MA | $93,192 | $39,545 | $35,206 | 85.2% |
| A private nonprofit institution in Boston, Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences ranks 8th on this list and reports median earnings of $93,192 four years after completing. | |||||
| 9 | Worcester State University · Worcester, MA | $63,801 | $13,381 | $8,793 | 88.0% |
| Worcester State University carries the lowest average net price on the page at $13,381, and its graduates earn a median of $63,801 four years after completing. | |||||
| 10 | Westfield State University · Westfield, MA | $59,434 | $16,721 | $10,751 | 81.4% |
| Westfield State University admits 81% of applicants and reports an average net price of $10,751 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 11 | Framingham State University · Framingham, MA | $61,569 | $16,114 | $11,934 | 83.6% |
| Framingham State University ranks 11th on this list, with a six-year completion rate of 48% and median earnings of $61,569 four years after completing. | |||||
| 12 | Bay Path University · Longmeadow, MA | $62,912 | $14,271 | $11,948 | 85.2% |
| Bay Path University reports an average net price of $14,271 and median earnings of $62,912 for its graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 13 | Fitchburg State University · Fitchburg, MA | $63,994 | $14,262 | $10,204 | 86.9% |
| Fitchburg State University reports median earnings of $63,994 for its graduates four years after completing, alongside a six-year completion rate of 55%. | |||||
| 14 | Wentworth Institute of Technology · Boston, MA | $95,027 | $34,170 | $27,018 | 91.2% |
| With an average net price of $34,170, Wentworth Institute of Technology admits 91% of applicants and ranks 553rd on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 15 | College of Our Lady of the Elms · Chicopee, MA | $64,421 | $17,545 | $8,099 | 85.3% |
| College of Our Lady of the Elms posts an average net price of $8,099 for families earning under $30,000, and its graduates across all fields earn a median of $64,421 four years after completing. | |||||
| 16 | Worcester Polytechnic Institute · Worcester, MA | $105,724 | $43,071 | $24,018 | 60.2% |
| Worcester Polytechnic Institute admits 60% of applicants, and its graduates earn a median of $105,724 four years after completing. | |||||
| 17 | Regis College · Weston, MA | $84,660 | $27,477 | $21,415 | 69.8% |
| Ranking 17th on this list, Regis College shows a six-year completion rate of 72% and an admission rate of 70%. | |||||
| 18 | Simmons University · Boston, MA | $73,823 | $25,265 | $18,027 | 70.0% |
| Simmons University reports median earnings of $73,823 for its graduates four years after completing, and an average net price of $18,027 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 19 | Suffolk University · Boston, MA | $74,456 | $29,618 | $24,745 | 82.3% |
| Suffolk University admits 82% of applicants and ranks 668th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 20 | American International College · Springfield, MA | $71,565 | $23,274 | $24,437 | 99.6% |
| American International College admits 100% of applicants, and its graduates earn a median of $71,565 four years after completing. | |||||
How this list is ordered
This list includes only colleges whose overall score is at or above the 50th percentile nationally and whose admission rate is above 50%; colleges without a reported admission rate are left out. The colleges that qualify are ordered by overall score, highest first, as set out on Azimuth's methodology page. The earnings component draws on the median earnings of federally aided completers across all fields who were working and not enrolled four years after completing. The list does not adjust for graduate school enrollment or who enrolls, and it is not a measure of teaching quality. The list includes 11 public and 9 private nonprofit institutions.