Massachusetts has some of the oldest colleges and universities in the country, both public and private, many of them having religious affiliations. Many of its colleges consistently rank among the world’s best universities in various categories. With more than a hundred top-class institutions of higher education in the state, Massachusetts offers its students plenty of choice in opting for the best-suited college for individual needs.
Amherst College is a highly prestigious and selective college. Amherst College is known for its interesting feature of an open curriculum system with no distribution requirements.
Bay Path College is moderately selective college that stresses the importance of leadership, communication and technology along with academics, offering over 20 majors for its students to choose from. Bay Path College is part of the 8-college consortium, the Cooperating Colleges of Greater Springfield, allowing students to share resources.
College of the Holy Cross is one of the best colleges in the country. With a student to faculty ratio of 10 to 1, this is a highly selective college. It also has one of the highest graduation rates nationwide, at 89 percent.
Eastern Nazarene College is affiliated with the Church of the Nazarene, and is one of only eight Nazarene liberal arts colleges in the nation. This moderately selective college offers over 50 majors and minors, notable ones among them being science and religion.
Gordon College is a non-denominational Christian liberal arts college situated in Wenham, Massachusetts, about 25 miles north of Boston. Gordon is often recognized for its visual arts and performance program, and it is moderately selective.
Hampshire College offers over 40 majors and advanced study programs to its students. This college is part of the Five College consortium, giving its students access to over 5,000 classes offered each year without incurring additional tuition fees.
Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts is a moderately selective public college and part of the Massachusetts State University system. It has innovative teaching methods and classes with 13 to 1 student to faculty ratio. This provides a well-rounded education in a supportive and collaborative environment, with over 50 majors for the students to choose from.
Mount Holyoke College is part of the Pioneer Valley’s Five College Consortium. It is considered as one of the best women’s colleges for liberal arts studies.
Smith College is one of the top all-women colleges in the country. Smith College is known for its historic campus including the Lyman Conservatory and the Botanic Garden.
Stonehill College is a private Catholic college. This college has accreditation by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges. With a variety of majors and professional courses on offer for the students, the moderately selective Stonehill College places emphasis on community service.
Wellesley College is often ranked as the top women’s college in the country. At Wellesley, class sizes do not exceed 25, and the college offers exchange programs with Harvard and MIT.
Wheaton College offers a quality education to its students, with over 40 majors and 60 minors available. The English Language and Literature department, followed by the Economics program and the Psychology department are popular at Wheaton.
Williams College is a highly selective college with a student to faculty ratio of only 7 to 1, ensuring consistently small class sizes. Williams is one of the country’s best liberal arts colleges.
For pursuing higher education in the liberal arts at a reputable college, Massachusetts offers plenty of choices to prospective students. Many of the colleges have large endowments, and in addition to providing a well-rounded, student-focused undergraduate education with an interdisciplinary approach, the Liberal Arts Colleges of Massachusetts give a very good return on investment to the student.