Highest 20-Year ROI Colleges in Massachusetts
The biggest 20-year net financial gain over a high-school-only earner — tuition and debt already subtracted. Our tax-verified answer to the 20-year ROI question, from IRS-linked federal earnings rather than self-reported surveys.
Showing Massachusetts
Clear state| # | College | Type | 20-yr net gain | 5-yr earnings | Net price | Median debt | 10-yr ROI | DR Rating | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Amherst College Amherst, MA | Private | $2,004,545 | $150,151 | $23,367 | $13,740 | +968% | Strong return | |
| 2 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, MA | Private | $1,827,074 | $140,645 | $20,111 | $14,768 | +1,014% | Strong return | |
| 3 | Babson College Wellesley, MA | Private | $1,754,756 | $141,205 | $40,514 | $20,000 | +468% | Strong return | |
| 4 | Harvard University Cambridge, MA | Private | $1,249,374 | $111,537 | $19,066 | $14,000 | +718% | Strong return | |
| 5 | Bentley University Waltham, MA | Private | $1,242,521 | $115,168 | $37,930 | $25,023 | +336% | Strong return | |
| 6 | Worcester Polytechnic Institute Worcester, MA | Private | $1,004,297 | $104,321 | $43,071 | $27,000 | +226% | Strong return | |
| 7 | Massachusetts Maritime Academy Buzzards Bay, MA | Public | $928,222 | $96,183 | $21,582 | $25,000 | +436% | Strong return | |
| 8 | Wentworth Institute of Technology Boston, MA | Private | $900,300 | $97,305 | $34,170 | $25,028 | +259% | Strong return | |
| 9 | Anna Maria College Paxton, MA | Private | $884,218 | $95,333 | $28,333 | $25,000 | +311% | Strong return | |
| 10 | Regis College Weston, MA | Private | $856,160 | $93,768 | $27,477 | $25,500 | +309% | Strong return | |
| 11 | Northeastern University Boston, MA | Private | $837,163 | $93,483 | $30,915 | $24,250 | +266% | Strong return | |
| 12 | Western New England University Springfield, MA | Private | $801,068 | $90,976 | $27,290 | $25,500 | +288% | Strong return | |
| 13 | Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Boston, MA | Private | $707,410 | $88,735 | $39,545 | $25,000 | +161% | Strong return | |
| 14 | Hult International Business School Cambridge, MA | Private | $615,012 | $84,840 | $45,447 | — | +119% | Strong return | |
| 15 | Laboure College of Healthcare Milton, MA | Private | $575,107 | $81,588 | $36,863 | $25,250 | +134% | Strong return | |
| 16 | Boston College Chestnut Hill, MA | Private | $574,020 | $82,388 | $41,704 | $19,000 | +115% | Strong return | |
| 17 | University of Massachusetts-Lowell Lowell, MA | Public | $570,990 | $77,414 | $17,163 | $23,704 | +319% | Strong return | |
| 18 | College of the Holy Cross Worcester, MA | Private | $528,793 | $79,688 | $38,782 | $27,000 | +110% | Strong return | |
| 19 | Suffolk University Boston, MA | Private | $517,789 | $77,303 | $29,618 | $26,889 | +152% | Strong return | |
| 20 | Emmanuel College Boston, MA | Private | $511,197 | $76,393 | $26,706 | $27,000 | +169% | Strong return | |
| 21 | Tufts University Medford, MA | Private | $502,966 | $78,444 | $39,998 | $16,250 | +102% | Strong return | |
| 22 | Boston University Boston, MA | Private | $462,240 | $73,416 | $24,402 | $23,250 | +168% | Strong return | |
| 23 | American International College Springfield, MA | Private | $448,865 | $72,590 | $23,274 | $27,000 | +168% | Strong return | |
| 24 | Williams College Williamstown, MA | Private | $404,066 | $68,979 | $17,716 | $12,761 | +218% | Strong return | |
| 25 | University of Massachusetts-Boston Boston, MA | Public | $389,224 | $68,403 | $17,707 | $21,974 | +197% | Strong return | |
| 26 | University of Massachusetts-Amherst Amherst, MA | Public | $363,113 | $68,047 | $22,383 | $22,763 | +136% | Strong return | |
| 27 | University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth North Dartmouth, MA | Public | $358,102 | $67,546 | $20,927 | $25,000 | +143% | Strong return | |
| 28 | Simmons University Boston, MA | Private | $342,388 | $67,625 | $25,265 | $24,840 | +106% | Strong return | |
| 29 | Stonehill College Easton, MA | Private | $337,646 | $68,941 | $33,016 | $25,000 | +70% | Strong return | |
| 30 | Endicott College Beverly, MA | Private | $335,985 | $70,422 | $40,654 | $27,000 | +47% | Break-even | |
| 31 | Worcester State University Worcester, MA | Public | $320,130 | $64,038 | $13,381 | $19,500 | +214% | Strong return | |
| 32 | Assumption University Worcester, MA | Private | $297,589 | $66,271 | $29,498 | $27,000 | +66% | Break-even | |
| 33 | Brandeis University Waltham, MA | Private | $295,630 | $67,396 | $35,736 | $25,648 | +47% | Break-even | |
| 34 | Springfield College Springfield, MA | Private | $281,746 | $65,683 | $30,587 | $26,250 | +57% | Break-even | |
| 35 | Fitchburg State University Fitchburg, MA | Public | $274,279 | $62,008 | $14,262 | $24,239 | +158% | Strong return | |
| 36 | Nichols College Dudley, MA | Private | $269,737 | $65,586 | $33,036 | $27,000 | +45% | Break-even | |
| 37 | Berkshire Community College Pittsfield, MA | Public | $260,966 | $59,260 | $9,921 | $12,053 | +488% | Strong return | |
| 38 | Bridgewater State University Bridgewater, MA | Public | $250,558 | $61,247 | $16,383 | $24,286 | +118% | Strong return | |
| 39 | College of Our Lady of the Elms Chicopee, MA | Private | $235,270 | $60,728 | $17,545 | $25,000 | +98% | Strong return | |
| 40 | Wellesley College Wellesley, MA | Private | $234,972 | $62,030 | $25,496 | $10,000 | +61% | Break-even | |
| 41 | Wheaton College (Massachusetts) Norton, MA | Private | $231,257 | $63,001 | $29,822 | $26,000 | +40% | Break-even | |
| 42 | Cambridge College Boston, MA | Private | $224,591 | $62,841 | $31,072 | $21,791 | +35% | Break-even | |
| 43 | Clark University Worcester, MA | Private | $223,613 | $62,411 | $28,714 | $26,759 | +40% | Break-even | |
| 44 | Salem State University Salem, MA | Public | $210,746 | $59,192 | $15,996 | $25,000 | +94% | Strong return | |
| 45 | Lasell University Newton, MA | Private | $209,981 | $61,475 | $27,511 | $26,000 | +38% | Break-even | |
| 46 | Westfield State University Westfield, MA | Public | $198,472 | $58,677 | $16,721 | $22,457 | +82% | Strong return | |
| 47 | Curry College Milton, MA | Private | $187,642 | $60,679 | $29,207 | $25,000 | +25% | Break-even | |
| 48 | Middlesex Community College Bedford, MA | Public | $152,275 | $53,009 | $2,624 | $7,291 | +913% | Strong return | |
| 49 | Massachusetts Bay Community College Wellesley Hills, MA | Public | $150,433 | $53,357 | $7,169 | $6,500 | +400% | Strong return | |
| 50 | Framingham State University Framingham, MA | Public | $147,854 | $56,071 | $16,114 | $25,000 | +51% | Break-even | |
| 51 | Bay Path University Longmeadow, MA | Private | $141,742 | $55,395 | $14,271 | $24,901 | +57% | Break-even | |
| 52 | Greenfield Community College Greenfield, MA | Public | $137,615 | $52,800 | $7,679 | $8,307 | +324% | Strong return | |
| 53 | North Shore Community College Danvers, MA | Public | $133,540 | $52,741 | $9,000 | $9,000 | +264% | Strong return | |
| 54 | Merrimack College North Andover, MA | Private | $130,493 | $59,602 | $37,927 | $27,000 | -10% | Poor return | |
| 55 | Emerson College Boston, MA | Private | $109,399 | $60,725 | $49,180 | $23,000 | -23% | Poor return | |
| 56 | Bunker Hill Community College Boston, MA | Public | $91,478 | $50,547 | $7,818 | $10,500 | +185% | Strong return | |
| 57 | Quinsigamond Community College Worcester, MA | Public | $83,020 | $50,362 | $9,090 | $16,575 | +121% | Strong return | |
| 58 | Mount Holyoke College South Hadley, MA | Private | $74,310 | $54,421 | $26,441 | $22,902 | -17% | Poor return | |
| 59 | Bristol Community College Fall River, MA | Public | $70,182 | $49,214 | $5,547 | $8,243 | +199% | Strong return | |
| 60 | Lesley University Cambridge, MA | Private | $68,339 | $55,030 | $31,152 | $21,000 | -24% | Poor return | |
| 61 | Smith College Northampton, MA | Private | $53,629 | $53,517 | $27,579 | $17,550 | -27% | Poor return | |
| 62 | Cape Cod Community College West Barnstable, MA | Public | $25,775 | $47,337 | $8,296 | $12,000 | +12% | Break-even | |
| 63 | Massachusetts College of Art and Design Boston, MA | Public | $23,855 | $51,482 | $24,100 | $25,755 | -39% | Poor return | |
| 64 | Roxbury Community College Roxbury Crossing, MA | Public | $19,032 | $47,176 | $12,244 | — | -11% | Poor return | |
| 65 | Quincy College Quincy, MA | Public | $16,040 | $49,480 | $17,126 | $13,874 | -39% | Poor return | |
| 66 | Springfield Technical Community College Springfield, MA | Public | $9,582 | $46,165 | $5,662 | $6,570 | -15% | Poor return | |
| 67 | Mount Wachusett Community College Gardner, MA | Public | $1,502 | $46,055 | $7,931 | $10,252 | -46% | Poor return | |
| 68 | Gordon College Wenham, MA | Private | $-16,898 | $49,610 | $24,883 | $26,250 | -58% | Poor return | |
| 69 | Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts North Adams, MA | Public | $-19,467 | $47,673 | $16,068 | $23,750 | -63% | Poor return | |
| 70 | Northern Essex Community College Haverhill, MA | Public | $-37,152 | $43,911 | $6,046 | $9,000 | -171% | Poor return | |
| 71 | Fisher College Boston, MA | Private | $-41,166 | $48,727 | $26,649 | $25,000 | -68% | Poor return | |
| 72 | Massasoit Community College Brockton, MA | Public | $-82,604 | $41,898 | $8,460 | $10,000 | -251% | Poor return | |
| 73 | Holyoke Community College Holyoke, MA | Public | $-83,442 | $41,785 | $8,068 | $8,250 | -268% | Poor return | |
| 74 | Dean College Franklin, MA | Private | $-305,046 | $36,340 | $30,684 | $25,000 | -166% | Poor return | |
| 75 | Hampshire College Amherst, MA | Private | $-357,836 | $32,405 | $24,034 | $26,893 | -219% | Poor return | |
| 76 | Berklee College of Music Boston, MA | Private | $-399,730 | $35,362 | $49,465 | $25,000 | -147% | Poor return |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard. ROI is computed by Degree Return — see how. Read the methodology. Data as of 2024.
Top-Rated Colleges (DR Rating)Best ROI Colleges in the U.S.Best Value CollegesBest Colleges for Economic MobilityHighest-Earning CollegesLowest-Debt CollegesLowest Net-Price CollegesBest-Rated Majors (DR Rating)Highest-Paying MajorsBest ROI MajorsLowest-Debt MajorsFastest-Growing Majors by Job OutlookMajors With the Most Job Openings