15 colleges in Massachusetts with an average net price under $20,000 a year, ranked by what families actually pay after aid. Cheapest: Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts at $11,402.
Net price is the average a family pays after grant aid — not the published sticker price. Figures come from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard. Schools granting only associate degrees are excluded, so a community college appears here only if it also awards bachelor's degrees.
Compare these on the map| # | College | Net price / yr | Graduates | Accepted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts North Adams, MA |
$11,402$23,524 | 47% | 90% |
| 2 | Salem State University Salem, MA |
$12,921$26,037 | 49% | 96% |
| 3 | Fitchburg State University Fitchburg, MA |
$13,803$26,437 | 53% | 87% |
| 4 | Worcester State University Worcester, MA |
$13,866$23,740 | 57% | 88% |
| 5 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, MA |
$14,815$85,960 | 96% | 5% |
| 6 | Williams College Williamstown, MA |
$15,157$89,520 | 95% | 8% |
| 7 | Framingham State University Framingham, MA |
$15,951$28,878 | 46% | 84% |
| 8 | College of Our Lady of the Elms Chicopee, MA |
$16,237$53,037 | 63% | 85% |
| 9 | Bay Path University Longmeadow, MA |
$16,390$49,627 | 42% | 85% |
| 10 | Westfield State University Westfield, MA |
$16,484$28,223 | 49% | 81% |
| 11 | Quincy College Quincy, MA |
$16,530$22,974 | 17% | — |
| 12 | University of Massachusetts-Lowell Lowell, MA |
$17,362$31,226 | 69% | 83% |
| 13 | Bridgewater State University Bridgewater, MA |
$18,061$28,736 | 52% | 88% |
| 14 | Harvard University Cambridge, MA |
$19,148$89,279 | 97% | 4% |
| 15 | Amherst College Amherst, MA |
$19,536$90,670 | 93% | 9% |