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2022 Best Value General Education Schools in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid

21 Ranked Colleges
1,701 Degrees Awarded
$25,100 Avg Net Price*
Best Value General Education Schools in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual has developed its “Best Value General Education Schools in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

General Education is the 28th most popular major in the country with 29,936 degrees awarded in 2019-2020.

Across Massachusetts, there were 1,701 general education graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value General Education Schools in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid” ranking, we looked at 21 colleges that offer a degree in general education. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent general education programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the general education program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank General Education Schools

The general education school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value General Education Schools in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid”.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value General Education Schools in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value General Education Schools in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid.

Top 22 Best Value Colleges for General Education in Massachusetts (With Aid)

#1

Harvard University

Cambridge, Massachusetts

Out of the 21 schools in the Best Value General Education Schools in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Harvard University landed the #1 spot on the list. Harvard is a private not-for-profit institution located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The school has a large population, and it awarded 632 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our massachusetts general education students with aid list, Harvard has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best General Education Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Harvard University is $15,386 for massachusetts general education students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on General Education at Harvard University

#2

Bunker Hill Community College

Boston, Massachusetts

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Bunker Hill Community College. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value General Education Schools in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid. Bunker Hill Community College is located in Boston, Massachusetts and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 5 ’s general education degrees to qualified students.

BHCC also took the #22 spot in our “Best General Education Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. It costs about $7,867 for massachusetts general education students with aid per year to attend BHCC.

Read full report on General Education at Bunker Hill Community College

#3

Worcester State University

Worcester, Massachusetts

Out of the 21 schools in the Best Value General Education Schools in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Worcester State University landed the #3 spot on the list. This medium-sized school is located in Worcester, Massachusetts, and it awarded 20 ’s general education degrees in 2019-2020.

Worcester State also took the #15 spot in our “Best General Education Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Worcester State is $19,492 for massachusetts general education students with aid.

Full Worcester State General Education Report

#4

Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts

North Adams, Massachusetts

Out of the 21 schools in the Best Value General Education Schools in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts landed the #4 spot on the list. Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts is a small school located in North Adams, Massachusetts that handed out 44 ’s general education degrees in 2019-2020.

MCLA also took the #19 spot in our “Best General Education Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts is $16,861 for Massachusetts General Education students with aid.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on General Education at MCLA

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Massachusetts - Lowell. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value General Education Schools in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid list. University of Massachusetts - Lowell is located in Lowell, Massachusetts and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 14 ’s general education degrees to qualified students.

UMass Lowell did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best General Education Schools in Massachusetts” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Massachusetts - Lowell is $19,119 for massachusetts general education students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Education at University of Massachusetts - Lowell

With a ranking of #6, University of Massachusetts - Boston did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Education Schools in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid list. UMass Boston is a fairly large school located in Boston, Massachusetts that handed out 4 ’s general education degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our massachusetts general education students with aid list, UMass Boston has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best General Education Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UMass Boston is $18,340 for massachusetts general education students with aid.

Full University of Massachusetts - Boston General Education Report

#7

Salem State University

Salem, Massachusetts

Salem State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Education Schools in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #7. Salem State is a medium-sized public school situated in Salem, Massachusetts. It awarded 68 ’s general education degrees in 2019-2020.

Salem State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best General Education Schools in Massachusetts” list. The yearly cost to attend Salem State is $18,399 for massachusetts general education students with aid.

Read full report on General Education at Salem State University

#8

University of Massachusetts Amherst

Amherst, Massachusetts

University of Massachusetts Amherst landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Education Schools in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of Massachusetts Amherst is a large school located in Amherst, Massachusetts that handed out 177 ’s general education degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our massachusetts general education students with aid list, UMass Amherst has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best General Education Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. It costs about $22,501 for massachusetts general education students with aid per year to attend University of Massachusetts Amherst.

The low student loan default rate of 2.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of Massachusetts Amherst General Education Report

#9

Bay Path University

Longmeadow, Massachusetts

Bay Path University landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Education Schools in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid ranking. Bay Path University is located in Longmeadow, Massachusetts and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 59 ’s general education degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our massachusetts general education students with aid list, Bay Path has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best General Education Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. It costs about $22,211 for Massachusetts General Education students with aid per year to attend Bay Path University.

Read full report on General Education at Bay Path University

#10

American International College

Springfield, Massachusetts

American International College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Education Schools in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #10. AIC is a private not-for-profit institution located in Springfield, Massachusetts. The school has a small population, and it awarded 6 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

AIC also made our “Best General Education Schools in Massachusetts” list, coming in at #17. The yearly cost to attend American International College is $25,044 for massachusetts general education students with aid.

Full AIC General Education Report

#11

Tufts University

Medford, Massachusetts

Tufts University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value General Education Schools in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid list. Tufts University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Medford, Massachusetts. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 24 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Tufts also made our “Best General Education Schools in Massachusetts” list, coming in at #2. The yearly cost to attend Tufts is $30,744 for Massachusetts General Education students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full Tufts General Education Report

#12

Smith College

Northampton, Massachusetts

Smith College landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Education Schools in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid ranking. Northampton, Massachusetts is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s general education degrees to 21 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Smith, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best General Education Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Smith is $28,305 for massachusetts general education students with aid.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Smith College General Education Report

#13

Elms College

Chicopee, Massachusetts

Elms College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Education Schools in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #13. Chicopee, Massachusetts is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s general education degrees to 14 students in 2019-2020.

Elms College also made our “Best General Education Schools in Massachusetts” list, coming in at #18. It costs about $23,855 for Massachusetts General Education students with aid per year to attend Elms College.

Read full report on General Education at Elms College

#14

Springfield College

Springfield, Massachusetts

Springfield College came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Education Schools in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Springfield, Massachusetts, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 16 diplomas to qualified ’s general education students in 2019-2020.

Springfield College also made our “Best General Education Schools in Massachusetts” list, coming in at #9. The estimated yearly cost for Springfield College is $30,134 for Massachusetts General Education students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Full Springfield College General Education Report

#15

Simmons University

Boston, Massachusetts

Simmons University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Education Schools in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid ranking. Boston, Massachusetts is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s general education degrees to 14 students in 2019-2020.

Simmons did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best General Education Schools in Massachusetts” list. The yearly cost to attend Simmons is $30,008 for massachusetts general education students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 2.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full Simmons General Education Report

#16

Merrimack College

North Andover, Massachusetts

Merrimack College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Education Schools in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #16. Merrimack College is a medium-sized school located in North Andover, Massachusetts that handed out 70 ’s general education degrees in 2019-2020.

Merrimack did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best General Education Schools in Massachusetts” list. The yearly cost to attend Merrimack College is $33,650 for massachusetts general education students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Merrimack College General Education Report

#17

Clark University

Worcester, Massachusetts

Clark University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Education Schools in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid ranking. Worcester, Massachusetts is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s general education degrees to 21 students in 2019-2020.

Clark did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best General Education Schools in Massachusetts” list. It costs about $28,805 for massachusetts general education students with aid per year to attend Clark University.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full Clark General Education Report

#17

Cambridge College

Boston, Massachusetts

With a ranking of #17, Cambridge College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Education Schools in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid list. Cambridge College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Boston, Massachusetts. It awarded 44 ’s general education degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our massachusetts general education students with aid list, Cambridge College has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best General Education Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Cambridge College is $26,993 for Massachusetts General Education students with aid.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read more about General Education at Cambridge College

#18

Stonehill College

Easton, Massachusetts

Stonehill College came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Education Schools in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid ranking. Easton, Massachusetts is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s general education degrees to 14 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our massachusetts general education students with aid list, Stonehill has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best General Education Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Stonehill is $34,658 for Massachusetts General Education students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Read full report on General Education at Stonehill

#19

Lesley University

Cambridge, Massachusetts

With a ranking of #19, Lesley University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Education Schools in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid list. Lesley is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It awarded 62 ’s general education degrees in 2019-2020.

Lesley did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best General Education Schools in Massachusetts” list. The yearly cost to attend Lesley University is $33,644 for massachusetts general education students with aid.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Education at Lesley University

#20

Endicott College

Beverly, Massachusetts

Endicott College came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Education Schools in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Beverly, Massachusetts, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 18 diplomas to qualified ’s general education students in 2019-2020.

Endicott also made our “Best General Education Schools in Massachusetts” list, coming in at #7. The yearly cost to attend Endicott College is $35,642 for massachusetts general education students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Education at Endicott College

#21

Brandeis University

Waltham, Massachusetts

Brandeis University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Education Schools in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid ranking. Brandeis is a medium-sized school located in Waltham, Massachusetts that handed out 12 ’s general education degrees in 2019-2020.

Brandeis also took the #5 spot in our “Best General Education Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Brandeis University is $31,165 for Massachusetts General Education students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Education at Brandeis University

Notes and References

References

  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

Credits

  • Credit for the banner image above goes to KOKUYO.

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