2022 Best Value Colleges for Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities (Income $0-$30k) in Massachusetts
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking - to help you make that decision.
In 2019-2020, 559,661 liberal arts / sciences and humanities students received their degree, making the major the 3rd most popular in the country. In 2017-2018, liberal arts / sciences and humanities graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $26,786 and had an average of $16,538 in loans still to pay off.
Across Massachusetts, there were 3,758 liberal arts / sciences and humanities graduates with average earnings and debt of $29,110 and $17,045 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 34 colleges that offered a degree in liberal arts / sciences and humanities. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent liberal arts / sciences and humanities programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.
To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the liberal arts / sciences and humanities program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
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Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.
Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k
The colleges and universities below are the best for massachusetts liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities (Income $0-$30k) in Massachusetts
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k. This fairly large school is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and it awarded 10 ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.
MIT not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Massachusetts” list. The estimated yearly cost for Massachusetts Institute of Technology is $4,535 for massachusetts liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 98%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low student loan default rate of 1.1% 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%.
Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Massachusetts Institute of Technology
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Harvard University. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 36 diplomas to qualified ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities students in 2019-2020.
Harvard not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Massachusetts” list. The estimated yearly cost for Harvard is $2,973 for massachusetts liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.
The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. 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%.
Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Harvard
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Middlesex Community College. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k list. Middlesex Community College is located in Bedford, Massachusetts and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 286 ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to qualified students.
Middlesex Community College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Massachusetts” list. The estimated yearly cost for Middlesex Community College is $4,010 for Massachusetts Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.
Full Middlesex Community College Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Bunker Hill Community College. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k list. BHCC is located in Boston, Massachusetts and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 222 ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at BHCC, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. It costs about $7,337 for massachusetts liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend BHCC.
Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at BHCC
Out of the 34 schools in the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Bristol Community College landed the #5 spot on the list. Bristol is a medium-sized public school situated in Fall River, Massachusetts. It awarded 460 ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Bristol, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Bristol is $5,539 for Massachusetts Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Bristol
Massachusetts Bay Community College came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Wellesley Hills, Massachusetts is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to 146 students in 2019-2020.
MassBay Community College also took the #10 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for MassBay Community College is $7,631 for massachusetts liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Massachusetts Bay Community College
North Shore Community College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #7. Located in Danvers, Massachusetts, this small public school handed out 238 diplomas to qualified ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities students in 2019-2020.
North Shore Community College also took the #16 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for North Shore Community College is $7,616 for Massachusetts Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at North Shore Community College
Quinsigamond Community College landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Quinsigamond Community College is a medium-sized public school situated in Worcester, Massachusetts. It awarded 153 ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our massachusetts liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k list, Quinsigamond Community College has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Quinsigamond Community College is $5,604 for massachusetts liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.
Full Quinsigamond Community College Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report
Northern Essex Community College came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Haverhill, Massachusetts, this small public school awarded 124 degrees to qualified ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities students in 2019-2020.
NECC also took the #20 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Northern Essex Community College is $6,836 for massachusetts liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Northern Essex Community College
Holyoke Community College landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Holyoke Community College is a small school located in Holyoke, Massachusetts that handed out 250 ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.
Holyoke Community College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Massachusetts” list. It costs about $6,366 for massachusetts liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Holyoke Community College.
Full Holyoke Community College Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report
Springfield Technical Community College landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. STCC is located in Springfield, Massachusetts and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 215 ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to qualified students.
STCC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Massachusetts” list. The yearly cost to attend STCC is $7,914 for Massachusetts Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Springfield Technical Community College
University of Massachusetts Amherst did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #12. UMass Amherst is located in Amherst, Massachusetts and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 95 ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our massachusetts liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k list, UMass Amherst has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. It costs about $13,137 for massachusetts liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UMass Amherst.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at University of Massachusetts Amherst
With a ranking of #13, Westfield State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k list. Westfield, Massachusetts is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to 156 students in 2019-2020.
Westfield not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Massachusetts” list. The yearly cost to attend Westfield State University is $12,672 for Massachusetts Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Westfield
University of Massachusetts - Lowell landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UMass Lowell is a public institution located in Lowell, Massachusetts. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 105 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.
UMass Lowell not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Massachusetts” list. The yearly cost to attend UMass Lowell is $11,560 for massachusetts liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low student loan default rate of 4.4% 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%.
Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at UMass Lowell
Massasoit Community College came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Massasoit Community College is a medium-sized school located in Brockton, Massachusetts that handed out 83 ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $7,134 for Massachusetts Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Massasoit Community College.
Full Massasoit Community College Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report
With a ranking of #16, Cape Cod Community College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k list. This small school is located in West Barnstable, Massachusetts, and it awarded 121 ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $6,729 for massachusetts liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Cape Cod Community College.
Full Cape Cod Community College Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report
Mount Wachusett Community College came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. MWCC is located in Gardner, Massachusetts and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 75 ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for Mount Wachusett Community College is $6,271 for massachusetts liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 Mount Wachusett Community College Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report
Greenfield Community College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #18. Located in Greenfield, Massachusetts, this small public school handed out 99 diplomas to qualified ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities students in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Greenfield Community College is $7,266 for massachusetts liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.
Full Greenfield Community College Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report
Bentley University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k list. Bentley is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Waltham, Massachusetts. It awarded 126 ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Bentley, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Bentley University is $25,432 for Massachusetts Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%.
With a ranking of #20, Framingham State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k list. Framingham State University is located in Framingham, Massachusetts and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 45 ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to qualified students.
Framingham State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Massachusetts” list. The yearly cost to attend Framingham State University is $14,612 for massachusetts liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Framingham State
Berkshire Community College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #21. This small school is located in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, and it awarded 46 ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Berkshire Community College is $7,823 for massachusetts liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.
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.
Full Berkshire Community College Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report
With a ranking of #22, Quincy College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k list. Quincy College is a small public school situated in Quincy, Massachusetts. It awarded 115 ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.
Quincy College also made our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Massachusetts” list, coming in at #17. The yearly cost to attend Quincy College is $14,386 for massachusetts liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.
Full Quincy College Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report
Roxbury Community College landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Roxbury Crossing, Massachusetts is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to 9 students in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Roxbury Community College is $11,333 for Massachusetts Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Roxbury Community College
University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #24. This medium-sized school is located in North Dartmouth, Massachusetts, and it awarded 25 ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.
UMass Dartmouth did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Massachusetts” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth is $13,925 for massachusetts liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth
Bay Path University landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Bay Path University is a small school located in Longmeadow, Massachusetts that handed out 44 ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.
Bay Path also took the #22 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. It costs about $19,522 for massachusetts liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Bay Path University.
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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 Jacques Sablet (Switzerland, Morges, 1749-1803).
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