Percentile rankings vs 1,600+ peer institutions. Higher is better.
Career OutcomesAzimuth ranks Massachusetts College of Art and Design #1285 for overall value on Azimuth's composite among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $18,399 less than similar students at comparable institutions, placing the institution in the 7.0 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Massachusetts College of Art and Design #444 for mobility among nonprofit four-year institutions — reflecting strong outcomes for its creative-arts student body. --- Massachusetts College of Art and Design's composite ranking reflects its distinctive position as a public arts college delivering meaningful career outcomes. The institution's mobility performance stands out among specialized public institutions, with graduates translating creative training into durable financial stability.
Azimuth ranks Massachusetts College of Art and Design #1285 for overall value on Azimuth's composite among nonprofit four-year institutions. A public university in Boston, MA, Massachusetts College of Art and Design enrolls roughly 1,831 undergraduates. Retention is 89.1% and the six-year graduation rate is 68.9%, reflecting solid student persistence through degree completion. Massachusetts College of Art and Design stands out for what it delivers to students pursuing careers in visual and performing arts. The institution's dominant program family — Visual & Performing Arts — shapes both its identity and its graduate outcomes. Azimuth ranks Massachusetts College of Art and Design #1366 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $18,399 less than similar students at comparable institutions, placing Massachusetts College of Art and Design in the 7.0 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Access remains a defining feature of Massachusetts College of Art and Design. 29.5% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants and 22.5% are first-generation college students, reflecting the institution's commitment to serving students from a wide range of economic backgrounds. With 76.3% admission rate, Massachusetts College of Art and Design maintains broad access while supporting students into creative careers that build meaningful long-term financial security. The composite reflects strength in return and access, positioning the institution as a distinctive choice for students seeking affordable pathways into arts-focused professions.
Massachusetts College of Art and Design's published cost of attendance is $34,239. Net price by income band reflects the institution's public funding structure: low-income families pay approximately $16,351, middle-income families pay around $18,513, and higher-income families pay approximately $31,882. Azimuth ranks Massachusetts College of Art and Design #1050 for post-graduation affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. Net prices by income band are medians within those bands; individual aid packages vary, so some families in each band pay more and some less than the figures shown. Massachusetts College of Art and Design participates in federal (Pell Grants, Direct Loans), state, and institutional aid programs. The institution's public mission shapes its pricing relative to private peers: sticker price and net price are closer together than at institutions with larger endowments, but the public-tuition structure keeps headline costs lower. Families apply for need-based aid using the FAFSA, and the institution's financial aid office can provide details on merit scholarships and other aid forms available to incoming students. Median federal student loan debt at graduation is $25,755, and families using Parent PLUS borrow a median of $37,000; private or institutional loans may add further borrowing that falls outside these federal-only figures — see the Parent PLUS risk framework for how household context shapes PLUS decisions. For a graduate at the institution's median four-year earnings of $45,607, median federal debt of $25,755 projects to a monthly payment of about $291 under standard ten-year repayment. For personalized projections across earnings scenarios — including Parent PLUS planning — use Azimuth's Financial GPS tool.
Massachusetts College of Art and Design is a strong fit for students committed to visual and performing arts who want a public art school experience in Boston, MA. Graduates earn median 4-year earnings of $45,607, placing Massachusetts College of Art and Design in the 3.0 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. They earn about $18,399 less than similar students at comparable institutions, placing the institution in the 7.0 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. The school enrolls students from a range of backgrounds — 29.5% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants and 22.5% are first-generation. Published cost of attendance is $31,882, with median federal debt at graduation of $25,755. Fit depends on two realistic filters: the 76.3% admit rate makes the application process selective, and the program mix favors Visual & Performing Arts fields. Students whose interests align with these areas will find strong outcomes relative to MA's no-degree-equivalent earnings baseline of $37,113.
This school profile was generated using Azimuth's proprietary ROI framework, developed by founder Daniel Rogers. Our methodology transforms federal education data into actionable insights for families.
College Azimuth is a private research initiative and is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education or Federal Student Aid. Data sourced from College Scorecard.
This content is for educational and informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial, investment, or professional advice. Consult a qualified advisor before making any financial decisions.
Comprehensive Analysis
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This is the Massachusetts College Of Art And Design hub overview page. Related admissions, cost, outcomes, majors, and similar-school pages provide the detailed school data.
Based on federal data for students receiving aid. Actual costs may vary.
Massachusetts College of Art and Design's published cost of attendance is $34,239. Net price by income band reflects the institution's public funding structure: low-income families pay approximately $16,351, middle-income families pay around $18,513, and higher-income families pay approximately $31,882.
Azimuth ranks Massachusetts College of Art and Design #1050 for post-graduation affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. Net prices by income band are medians within those bands; individual aid packages vary, so some families in each band pay more and some less than the figures shown.
Massachusetts College of Art and Design participates in federal (Pell Grants, Direct Loans), state, and institutional aid programs. The institution's public mission shapes its pricing relative to private peers: sticker price and net price are closer together than at institutions with larger endowments, but the public-tuition structure keeps headline costs lower.
Families apply for need-based aid using the FAFSA, and the institution's financial aid office can provide details on merit scholarships and other aid forms available to incoming students. Median federal student loan debt at graduation is $25,755, and families using Parent PLUS borrow a median of $37,000; private or institutional loans may add further borrowing that falls outside these federal-only figures — see the [Parent PLUS risk framework](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) for how household context shapes PLUS decisions.
For a graduate at the institution's median four-year earnings of $45,607, median federal debt of $25,755 projects to a monthly payment of about $291 under standard ten-year repayment. For personalized projections across earnings scenarios — including Parent PLUS planning — use [Azimuth's Financial GPS tool](/analysis/financial-gps-framework/).
Graduates of Massachusetts College of Art and Design earn median 4-year earnings of $45,607, placing the institution in the 3.0 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $18,399 less than similar students at comparable institutions, placing Massachusetts College of Art and Design in the 7.0 percentile for [earnings beyond expectations](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) among nonprofit four-year institutions.
Azimuth ranks Massachusetts College of Art and Design #1366 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. The earnings pattern reflects the institution's concentration in visual and performing arts.
Design and Applied Arts is the largest program with 110 graduates earning median 4-year earnings of $45,716, performing at 0.9x the national benchmark for the field. Fine and Studio Arts enrolls 102 graduates with median 4-year earnings of $40,999, while Film/Video and Photographic Arts and Radio, Television, and Digital Communication round out the top programs with 68 and 21 graduates respectively.
These creative and design-focused majors anchor Massachusetts College of Art and Design's distinctive program portfolio, where students develop specialized skills that translate into stable post-graduation earnings within Boston's robust creative economy.
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas
21 graduates
Film/Video and Photographic Arts
68 graduates
Design and Applied Arts
110 graduates
Fine and Studio Arts
102 graduates
Massachusetts College of Art and Design concentrates its program portfolio in visual and performing arts, a signature that reflects the institution's identity as a specialized arts college within the public higher-education system. Design and Applied Arts is the largest program with 110 graduates, followed by Fine and Studio Arts with 102 graduates, Film/Video and Photographic Arts with 68 graduates, Radio, Television, and Digital Communication, and Subject-Specific Teacher Education.
Across 0 ranked programs serving roughly 366 students annually, the institution's earnings outcomes reflect the specialized nature of arts-focused training and the labor-market patterns typical of creative fields. The highest-earning programs at Massachusetts College of Art and Design are Subject-Specific Teacher Education, where graduates earn median earnings of $54,947 four years after enrollment, and Film/Video and Photographic Arts, where median earnings reach $51,139.
Design and Applied Arts and Fine and Studio Arts also deliver solid four-year outcomes. These earnings patterns reflect the reality that arts-focused graduates often build careers through freelance work, creative entrepreneurship, and portfolio-based advancement, where early-career earnings may undercount the trajectory of graduates who establish themselves over five to ten years.
The [supply and demand for college graduates](/analysis/supply-demand-map-college-degrees/) provides context for how creative and design fields align with national labor-market demand and wage growth. As a specialized arts institution, Massachusetts College of Art and Design serves students whose primary goal is creative skill development and entry into arts, design, and media industries rather than maximizing four-year earnings.
The institution's program mix—concentrated in Arts at 77% and Education at 6%—positions graduates for careers in creative industries, cultural institutions, design firms, and independent practice. For students prioritizing artistic training and creative-industry pathways over conventional salary metrics, Massachusetts College of Art and Design's outcomes reflect successful placement into the fields they chose to pursue.
Peer institutions with comparable quality and outcomes:
| School | State | Accept Rate | Median Earnings | Rank | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Black Hills State University Similar quality tier (#36058 ranked) | SD | 96% | $46,674 | #36058 | Compare |
University Of Maine At Farmington Similar quality tier in Northeast (#36069 ranked) | ME | 97% | $44,433 | #36069 | Compare |
University Of South Carolina-Sumter Similar quality tier (#36079 ranked) | SC | 74% | $42,437 | #36079 | Compare |
West Virginia State University Similar quality tier (#36085 ranked) | WV | 96% | $40,492 | #36085 | Compare |
The Evergreen State College Similar quality tier (#34939 ranked) | WA | 96% | $45,320 | #34939 | Compare |
