1. [College research](/) 2. / 3. Massachusetts Maritime Academy Research brief & institution hub Copy linkPrint brief # Massachusetts Maritime Academy MA · Small public institution · Overall rank #239 nationally Data snapshot September 27, 2026 · Updated October 21, 2026 Overview[Cost & aid](/school/massachusetts-maritime-academy/cost/)[Outcomes](/school/massachusetts-maritime-academy/outcomes/)[Admissions](/school/massachusetts-maritime-academy/admissions/)[Majors](/school/massachusetts-maritime-academy/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/massachusetts-maritime-academy/similar/) ## [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) Massachusetts Maritime Academy #239 among 1,467 nonprofit four-year institutions. ### Who it’s a good fit for Massachusetts Maritime Academy is a public university in Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts, built around a focused set of maritime and engineering programs. The degree mix is led by Engineering and Security & Protective Services, and most graduates are estimated to go into work rather than further study. Graduates out-earn what the model predicts for students like them. The model attributes far more of that to a remainder it does not explain than to the factors it measures. Return is among the highest we track. Pell recipients finish within a few points of the overall rate, and mobility is well above average. Access is below the levels seen at many peers, and the net price for the lowest income band sits well below the published cost. The admission rate is above the median for comparable institutions. A student drawn to the largest programs should know that the highest-earning fields are not the largest ones. ## Massachusetts Maritime Academy at a glance ### Admissions and outcomes **Admission rate[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)** 94.7% **Six-year completion[\[2\]](#hub-data-note-completion)** 74.1% **Four-year earnings[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)** $103,680 ### Cost and family borrowing **Average annual net price · $48–75K family income[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)** $10,547 **Median student debt[\[4\]](#hub-data-note-student-debt)** $25,000 **Median Parent PLUS debt[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps)** $38,678 ## Massachusetts Maritime Academy rankings: how Azimuth assesses value[\[5\]](#hub-data-note-rankings) Massachusetts Maritime Academy is a public university in Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts, enrolling 1,395 undergraduates. Its composite standing sits in the top fifth of the Azimuth ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions (84th percentile). The academy's strongest pillar is return, at the 97th percentile, while access is the weakest, at the 3rd percentile. The university admits 94.7% of applicants, a rate above the 83.4% median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Among full-time first-year students, 86.8% return for a second year, compared with a median of 73.4% for similar schools. The [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/) is 74.1%, well above the peer median of 43.5%. An estimated 8.2% of entrants arrive as transfers or part-time students, so the graduation rate describes a specific group: first-time, full-time students. The academy's four pillars sit far apart. Return and mobility are strong, with mobility at the 86th percentile, while affordability sits at the 34th percentile and access is near the bottom of the ranking. Massachusetts Maritime Academy scores highest on return and lowest on access among Azimuth's four pillars, placing it #239 among 1,467 nonprofit four-year institutions. The return pillar sits at the 97th percentile. Mobility is at the 86th percentile. Access is the weakest of the four, at the 3rd percentile, and affordability sits at the 34th percentile. Access is the weakest pillar, and the average annual net price is above the typical amount at similar institutions. 19.0% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants. The figure is a financial-access measure for the university. Azimuth ranks Massachusetts Maritime Academy #1,418 for access among nonprofit four-year institutions. Pell recipients complete at 72.4%, 1.7 percentage points below the rate for the entering cohort as a whole (74.1%). Azimuth ranks the university #200 for mobility among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $26,577 more than the model expects for similar students. [Access and mobility](/analysis/intro-to-college-azimuth-the-data-of-higher-education-in-illinois/) sit far apart in the Azimuth rankings, and the earnings result coincides with mobility. [How value-added outcomes are assessed](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) · [How to interpret program rankings](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) Massachusetts Maritime Academy rankings in context | Geography | Rank | | --- | --- | | National | #239 | | [Massachusetts](/rankings/best-colleges-in-massachusetts/) | #14 | | [Northeast](/rankings/best-colleges-in-the-northeast/) | #59 | Azimuth overall value rankings within each geographic comparison group. ### National pillar percentiles **Economic mobility** National percentile: 86 **Access & reach** National percentile: 3 **[Affordability](/school/massachusetts-maritime-academy/cost/)** National percentile: 34 **[Return on investment](/school/massachusetts-maritime-academy/outcomes/)** National percentile: 97 ### Top-ranked majors 1. Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting and Related Protective Services, Other**#1** 2. Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering**#2** 3. Marine Transportation**#3** This school’s three highest-ranked programs nationally. Each rank compares bachelor’s programs in the same field; field sizes differ. [Explore major rankings](/school/massachusetts-maritime-academy/majors/#major-rankings) 01 / Massachusetts Maritime Academy briefing ## [Massachusetts Maritime Academy cost & financial aid](/school/massachusetts-maritime-academy/cost/)[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps) Massachusetts Maritime Academy lists a published cost of attendance of $31,367. In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported in-state tuition of $2,246 and required fees of $11,877 for the 2026-27 academic year, with on-campus food and housing at $15,686. Out-of-state students face tuition of $15,296. Grants and scholarships lower the cost by $9,785 on average for aid recipients, resulting in an average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) of $21,582. That figure is $8,760 above the $12,822 median at comparable institutions (same type and size). Azimuth ranks the university #928 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. Half of full-time undergraduates pay more than the base tuition and fees, with 50.0% subject to differential charges. Aid covers about 31% of the published cost for the average aid recipient. The published cost of attendance at Massachusetts Maritime Academy is $31,367. Azimuth ranks the university #928 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. After grants and scholarships, the average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) for aid recipients from families earning under $30,000 is $8,757, for those earning $48,001 to $75,000 it is $10,547, and for those earning over $110,000 it is $27,367. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $18,610. Aid covers about 31% of the published cost for the average aid recipient. The average net price across all aid recipients is $21,582, which is $8,760 above the $12,822 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Borrowers who complete a degree carry a median of $25,000 in federal student loans. That is $5,500 above the $19,500 median for comparable institutions. 96.8% of federal aid recipients borrow federal loans. Parents who borrow hold a separate median of $38,678 in [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) loans. If repaid over ten years, the median federal student debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $284 a month. Your family income Choose a household income range to see estimated net price. $0–30K$30–48K$48–75K$75–110K$110K+ Reported average annual net price · $48–75K**$10,547** After grants and scholarships. Your aid offer may differ. Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary. ### Borrowing and repayment at Massachusetts Maritime Academy Federally aided graduates of Massachusetts Maritime Academy who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $103,680 four years after completing a degree. Against the $53,116 median for comparable institutions (same type and size), earnings at the university are $50,564 above. This median lands in the 97th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $26,577 more than the model expects for similar students. That outcome is in the 98th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Earnings scenarios run from $80,856 on the downside through $103,680 as the typical case up to $125,016 on the upside. The median federal debt for borrowers who complete is $25,000. That amount is $5,500 above the $19,500 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). If repaid over ten years, that balance corresponds to an estimated payment of $284 a month. Strong earnings partly offset debt that sits above the comparable-institution median. For the separate population of parent borrowers, median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing is $38,678. For student borrowers, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $284 a month if repaid over ten years. [How Financial GPS measures payment burden](/analysis/financial-gps-framework/) · [The four risk-and-reward zones](/analysis/4-zones-of-college-risk-and-reward/) Financial GPS ### What does repayment look like? **Institution median student debt** $25,000 **Institution Parent PLUS debt** $38,678 Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included. **Estimated student payment · monthly** $284/mo **Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly** $491/mo Payments use school-wide median balances, not a specific major’s. Payment assumptions Payments are 10-year standard payments on the median balance, before loan fees, used as a yardstick. Rates for newly issued loans may differ, and loans made after July 1, 2026 can repay over a longer term; existing loans keep their original fixed rates. [Explore your own numbers in Financial GPS](/financial-gps/?tool=student&school=massachusetts-maritime-academy#student-tool) [Read the full cost & aid brief](/school/massachusetts-maritime-academy/cost/) 02 / Massachusetts Maritime Academy briefing ## [Massachusetts Maritime Academy career outcomes & earnings](/school/massachusetts-maritime-academy/outcomes/)[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)[\[8\]](#hub-data-note-scenarios)[\[9\]](#hub-data-note-value-added) Massachusetts Maritime Academy posts a median of $103,680 four years after completion, placing the return pillar in the 97th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. That figure is $50,564 above the $53,116 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Graduates earn about $26,577 more than the model expects for similar students, a result at the 98th percentile. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $727. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain adds $25,850. Within the measured factors, the STEM component adds $4,846. Four years after completing a degree, federally aided graduates of Massachusetts Maritime Academy who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $103,680. The four-year earnings cohort includes 601 completers. That median is $50,564 above the $53,116 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Graduates earn about $26,577 more than the model expects for similar students. That gap sits at the 98th percentile. Earnings scenarios, estimated from the program mix, put the typical outcome at $103,680, with a downside of $80,856 and an upside of $125,016. An estimated 19.7% of graduates continue to graduate study, based on the program mix. The median earnings and the upside scenario both land above the six-figure mark, and the gap above what the model expects is wide. Massachusetts Maritime Academy graduates earn a median of $103,680 four years after completion, at the 97th percentile, nearly double the $53,116 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). The dollar gap is $50,564 above the peer figure. [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) the university #41 for return among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $26,577 more than the model expects for similar students. That puts the gap at the 98th percentile. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $727. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain adds $25,850. Within the measured factors, the STEM component adds $4,846. The university's program mix is concentrated in maritime and engineering fields. Estimated earnings scenarios range from $80,856 on the downside to $125,016 on the upside. An estimated 19.7% of graduates continue to graduate study, based on the program mix. Earnings scenarios estimated from the program mix range from $80,856 on the downside to $125,016 on the upside, with $103,680 as the typical scenario. These are estimates, not observed groups of graduates. The highest-earning programs are concentrated in marine and engineering fields. Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering leads at $125,016 four years after completion, from 59 degrees awarded. Marine Transportation follows at $119,916 with 49 degrees awarded, and International Business graduates earn $89,094 from 47 degrees awarded. Graduates of Massachusetts Maritime Academy earn about $26,577 more than the model expects for similar students. That puts the gap at the 98th percentile. Borrowers who finish leave with a median of $25,000 in federal student loans. The peer median for comparable institutions (same type and size) is $19,500, so the university's figure runs $5,500 above. If repaid over ten years, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $284 a month. Parents who borrow hold a separate median of $38,678. What explains value-added earnings? **Program & institutional factors The part attributed to observed institutional characteristics.** +$727 **Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.** +$25,850 **Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.** +$26,577 These are statistical model components, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality. [Read the full outcomes brief](/school/massachusetts-maritime-academy/outcomes/) 03 / Massachusetts Maritime Academy briefing ## [Massachusetts Maritime Academy acceptance rate & admissions](/school/massachusetts-maritime-academy/admissions/)[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)[\[10\]](#hub-data-note-sat)[\[11\]](#hub-data-note-retention) Massachusetts Maritime Academy admits 94.7% of applicants. The median for comparable institutions (same type and size) is 83.4%, so the academy's rate sits above that benchmark. In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported 1,329 first-year applicants and 1,223 admitted applicants, with 433 enrolling. Admissions **Admission rate** 94.7% [Read the full admissions brief](/school/massachusetts-maritime-academy/admissions/) 04 / Massachusetts Maritime Academy briefing ## [What are the largest majors at Massachusetts Maritime Academy?](/school/massachusetts-maritime-academy/majors/)[\[12\]](#hub-data-note-programs) The academy's program list is short and tightly focused on maritime fields. Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering is the highest-earning program, with a median of $125,016 four years after completion and 59 degrees awarded. [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) it #2 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions in its field. Marine Transportation follows closely at $119,916 from 49 degrees awarded, and Azimuth places it #3 nationally within its field. Further down the earnings scale, Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting and Related Protective Services is the largest program by degrees awarded at 62, with a median of $85,256. Natural Resources Conservation and Research rounds out the list at $74,393 from 32 degrees awarded. The spread between the top and bottom of the program list is wide, and the highest earners are also among the largest programs. Massachusetts Maritime Academy offers a focused set of programs, and [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) all five of them in the top ten nationally within their fields. Three are the top-ranked programs in Massachusetts. The earnings spread is wide: the highest-earning program reports a median well above the lowest. Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting and Related Protective Services is the largest, with 62 degrees awarded and a national rank of #1. Its completers earn a median of $85,256 four years after completion. Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering follows at 59 degrees awarded and the highest earnings on campus, $125,016. Azimuth ranks it #2 nationally. Four-year earnings · six largest reported fields **Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting and Related Protective Services, Other 62 degrees awarded** $85,256 **Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering 59 degrees awarded** $125,016 **Engineering, General 51 degrees awarded** Too few graduates to report **Marine Transportation 49 degrees awarded** $119,916 **International Business 47 degrees awarded** $89,094 **Natural Resources Conservation and Research 32 degrees awarded** $74,393 Fields selected by reported completions. Counts describe credentials awarded, not unique students or the earnings sample. Bars show median four-year earnings. [Read the full majors brief](/school/massachusetts-maritime-academy/majors/) 05 / Massachusetts Maritime Academy briefing ## [What colleges are similar to Massachusetts Maritime Academy?](/school/massachusetts-maritime-academy/similar/)[\[15\]](#hub-data-note-peers) Azimuth groups alternatives by admissions, location, cost and earnings, then orders candidates within each group. Peer earnings use the matched four-year cohort. [How matching works](/school/massachusetts-maritime-academy/similar/#peer-matching). ### A shortlist for different decisions Choose a row to compare the figures with Massachusetts Maritime Academy. Admissions peerSalem State University95.9% admitted+ Comparison with Massachusetts Maritime Academy | Measure | Massachusetts Maritime Academy | Salem State University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $103,680 | $62,605\-$41,075 vs Massachusetts Maritime Academy | | Average annual net price | $21,582 | $15,996\-$5,586 vs Massachusetts Maritime Academy · lower cost | | Admission rate | 94.7% | 95.9% | [Explore Salem State University →](/school/salem-state-university/) Nearby alternativeWorcester Polytechnic InstituteNearby option · MA+ Comparison with Massachusetts Maritime Academy | Measure | Massachusetts Maritime Academy | Worcester Polytechnic Institute | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $103,680 | $105,724+$2,044 vs Massachusetts Maritime Academy | | Average annual net price | $21,582 | $43,071+$21,489 vs Massachusetts Maritime Academy · higher cost | | Admission rate | 94.7% | 60.2% | [Explore Worcester Polytechnic Institute →](/school/worcester-polytechnic-institute/) Lower-cost alternativeUnited States Merchant Marine Academy$6,174 average net price+ Comparison with Massachusetts Maritime Academy | Measure | Massachusetts Maritime Academy | United States Merchant Marine Academy | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $103,680 | $92,950\-$10,730 vs Massachusetts Maritime Academy | | Average annual net price | $21,582 | $6,174\-$15,408 vs Massachusetts Maritime Academy · lower cost | | Admission rate | 94.7% | 34.2% | [Explore United States Merchant Marine Academy →](/school/united-states-merchant-marine-academy/) Similar profileSUNY Maritime CollegeMatched across several measures+ Comparison with Massachusetts Maritime Academy | Measure | Massachusetts Maritime Academy | SUNY Maritime College | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $103,680 | $104,752+$1,072 vs Massachusetts Maritime Academy | | Average annual net price | $21,582 | $22,367+$785 vs Massachusetts Maritime Academy · higher cost | | Admission rate | 94.7% | 72.4% | [Explore SUNY Maritime College →](/school/suny-maritime-college/) Each school is the first-ranked match in its category, not a recommendation across every measure. The same college may lead more than one category. Figures use the matching snapshot; earnings reflect the matched four-year cohort. — means unavailable. [Read the full similar schools brief](/school/massachusetts-maritime-academy/similar/) ## Data scope & methodology Structured payloads generated September 27, 2026 · Governed hub narrative September 28, 2026 · Governed spoke corpus September 28, 2026 Four-year earnings describe cohorts of completers. Figures for other horizons describe different cohorts and are not joined into a career-growth projection. Azimuth's overall rank and pillar percentiles come from the school profile. Absolute pillar ranks, city, enrollment and official-site links are shown only when structured data supplies them. Detailed earnings, cost, admissions and program values come from the endpoint responsible for each measure. Missing values are not replaced with zero. Value-added estimates are model associations, not causal effects. Figures are refreshed with each data release, at most a quarter apart. The underlying source dates can be earlier than the release. Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source. Analysis and methodology by [Daniel Rogers](/about/#founder), founder of College Azimuth. [Read the ranking methodology, data definitions and limitations](/methodology/) · [About College Azimuth](/about/) Read the analysis behind [value-added earnings](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) and the [change to four-year graduate earnings](/analysis/college-scorecard-2026-4-year-vs-10-year-earnings-2-2/). These articles are published on collegeazimuth.com. ## Data notes & source fields Scorecard field codes identify the underlying measure; Azimuth-derived values are labeled separately. Snapshot dates are not measurement years. Source populations and reporting periods differ across measures. Field definitions are in the [U.S. Department of Education · College Scorecard documentation](https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/files/InstitutionDataDocumentation.pdf); notes with a different source link it below. 1. **Admission rate.** Reported applicants admitted; not a transfer-specific or individual admission probability. Source fields: `ADM_RATE` 2. **Six-year completion.** First-time, full-time students completing at the institution within 150% of normal time, typically six years for a bachelor’s degree. Source fields: `C150_4` 3. **Four-year institutional earnings.** Median earnings of graduates in the reported cohort who are working and not enrolled, four years after completion. Source fields: `MD_EARN_WNE_4YR` 4. **Median federal student debt.** Federal student-loan debt among completers in the reported borrowing cohort. Excludes Parent PLUS and is not total debt across all students. Source fields: `GRAD_DEBT_MDN` 5. **National, regional and state ranks; pillar percentiles; major ranks.** Derived scores within the stated eligible comparison set, not raw Scorecard fields. Major ranks compare institutions within a field; their denominators differ. Source fields: `Azimuth rankings` [College Azimuth · Ranking methodology](/methodology/) 6. **Annual net price by family income.** Average annual cost after grants and scholarships for the eligible first-time, full-time aid-recipient cohort. Public-school figures reflect in-state tuition. Includes living costs; these are averages, not medians or individual offers. Source fields: `NPT4_PUB/PRIV; NPT41_PUB/PRIV through NPT45_PUB/PRIV` 7. **Parent PLUS debt, payments and GPS illustration.** Stored payments use Financial GPS loan and repayment assumptions. The adjustable spectrum applies the published framework to annual student payments divided by earnings minus an expense allowance; its initial allowance is 150% of the federal poverty guideline for one person, for the year the API serves. It is an illustration rather than a school rating. The parent table is the 10-year payment on the median Parent PLUS as a share of household income above 200% of the guideline for a household of three: under 6% Safe, 6–10% Caution, over 10% High pressure. Parent PLUS uses the completer median where available, otherwise the all-borrower median; these describe different borrowing populations. Source fields: `PLUS_DEBT_ALL_COMP_MD; fallback PLUS_DEBT_ALL_MD; Azimuth Financial GPS calculations` [College Azimuth · Financial GPS methodology](/analysis/financial-gps-framework/) 8. **Downside and upside earnings; yellow band.** The band spans the modeled lower and higher scenarios. It is not the P25–P75 interval for individual graduates. The median marker is the separately reported institutional median. Source fields: `Azimuth modeled program-mix scenarios` [College Azimuth · Earnings scenario methodology](/analysis/median-roi-hides-a-harsh-reality/) 9. **Value added and its components.** Observed-factor attribution plus the unexplained remainder equals total modeled value added. These are associations, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality. Source fields: `Azimuth statistical model` [College Azimuth · Value-added methodology](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) 10. **SAT score range and reported midpoint.** Reported scores of enrolled score-submitters, not admission cutoffs. The midpoint field is not necessarily the middle of the displayed range. Source fields: `SATVR25 + SATMT25; SATVR75 + SATMT75; SAT_AVG` 11. **First-year retention.** Retention of the reported full-time cohort at four-year institutions. Source fields: `RET_FT4` 12. **Program earnings, completion counts and major-mix dots.** Included bachelor’s programs have at least five reported completions. Counts are aggregated credentials, not unique people or an earnings sample. Major-mix dots group those counts by field of study; excluded programs are not zero activity. Source fields: `EARN_MDN_4YR; IPEDSCOUNT1; CIPCODE` [College Scorecard · Field-of-study technical documentation](https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/assets/FieldOfStudyDataDocumentation.pdf) 13. **Pell recipients.** Share of undergraduates receiving a Pell Grant in the reported academic year. Source fields: `PCTPELL` 14. **Entering students outside the first-time, full-time group.** This is not an observed transfer-in rate. It includes part-time entrants and other entering-student attendance patterns. Source fields: `1 − PFTFTUG1_EF` 15. **Peer earnings and signed differences.** Differences are peer minus this school, from the same matching snapshot. A positive earnings difference does not mean the peer is better on every measure. Source fields: `Azimuth peer model using MD_EARN_WNE_4YR` [College Azimuth · Comparison methodology](/methodology/) [How to interpret program rankings](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/)