In Massachusetts, there are a total of 484,623 students enrolled in higher education institutions. Of these, 194,382 attend public colleges and universities, while 290,241 are enrolled in private institutions. This comprehensive overview highlights the scale and diversity of college enrollment in Massachusetts, helping prospective students and families understand their options among the largest educational institutions.
Explore Largest Massachusetts Private Colleges with the Most Students, where 37,737 students are enrolled at Boston University, making it the largest institution in terms of enrollment.
Following closely, Northeastern University ranks second with 32,553 students, while Harvard University holds the third spot at 30,259. These institutions set the benchmark for large-scale education.
The average undergraduate tuition & fees of the schools is $61,079 and graduate tuition & fees is $44,970 for the academic year 2024-2025.
Among these top-tier Largest Massachusetts Private Colleges with the Most Students, the average acceptance rate is 26.50% and the average SAT score is 1,471, reflecting a competitive admissions environment and strong academic performance.
Our analysis includes colleges with at least 1,000 total enrollments and excludes online universities to provide a balanced overview. For a comprehensive list of online universities, visit the largest Massachusetts private online colleges.
| School Name | Total Population | Undergraduate | Graduate | Men | Women | Online Enrollment | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 - | Boston University Boston, MAPrivate, 4-year | 37,737 1,113 | 18,805 (49.83%) | 18,932 (50.17%) | 15,963 (42.30%) | 21,774 (57.70%) | 5,423 (14.37%) |
| 2 - | Northeastern University Boston, MAPrivate, 4-year | 32,553 1,394 | 17,432 (53.55%) | 15,121 (46.45%) | 15,644 (48.06%) | 16,909 (51.94%) | 1,730 (5.31%) |
| 3 - | Harvard University Cambridge, MAPrivate, 4-year | 30,259 127 | 8,844 (29.23%) | 21,415 (70.77%) | 13,812 (45.65%) | 16,447 (54.35%) | 7,584 (25.06%) |
| 4 - | Boston College Chestnut Hill, MAPrivate, 4-year | 15,432 152 | 10,314 (66.84%) | 5,118 (33.16%) | 7,082 (45.89%) | 8,350 (54.11%) | 732 (4.74%) |
| 5 - | Tufts University Medford, MAPrivate, 4-year | 13,599 325 | 7,126 (52.40%) | 6,473 (47.60%) | 5,595 (41.14%) | 8,004 (58.86%) | 469 (3.45%) |
| 6 - | Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, MAPrivate, 4-year | 11,886 34 | 4,535 (38.15%) | 7,351 (61.85%) | 6,650 (55.95%) | 5,236 (44.05%) | 46 (0.39%) |
| 7 - | Berklee College of Music Boston, MAPrivate, 4-year | 8,369 79 | 7,549 (90.20%) | 820 (9.80%) | 4,592 (54.87%) | 3,777 (45.13%) | 1,790 (21.39%) |
| 8 1 | Worcester Polytechnic Institute Worcester, MAPrivate, 4-year | 7,584 231 | 5,558 (73.29%) | 2,026 (26.71%) | 5,120 (67.51%) | 2,464 (32.49%) | 666 (8.78%) |
| 9 1 | Northeastern University Professional Programs Boston, MAPrivate, 4-year | 7,411 60 | 2,416 (32.60%) | 4,995 (67.40%) | 3,159 (42.63%) | 4,252 (57.37%) | 2,649 (35.74%) |
| 10 - | Suffolk University Boston, MAPrivate, 4-year | 6,356 341 | 4,326 (68.06%) | 2,030 (31.94%) | 2,312 (36.38%) | 4,044 (63.62%) | 31 (0.49%) |
| Average | 17,119 | 8,691 (50.77%) | 8,428 (49.23%) | 7,993 (46.69%) | 9,126 (53.31%) | 2,112 (12.34%) |