collageIn order to study at small liberal arts colleges in massachusetts, one has to consider certain necessary factors such as accommodation and tuition fees, acceptance rates, graduation rates, employment rates, etc. If you are planning to study at small liberal arts colleges in massachusetts, what are your thoughts on the school’s ranking?
At CollegeLearners, you can find out about amherst college, boston university, hampshire college, best small liberal arts colleges in massachusetts, and small private liberal arts
In today’s world and job market, a degree in liberal arts can be essential. Through a broad range of classes, liberal arts majors will learn skills beyond just the technicalities of a particular job. Students learn tools far more valuable such as communication, ethics, and “people skills” for starters. A liberal arts degree provides an overview of the arts, consisting of humanities, social sciences, mathematics, and natural sciences – all which are needed to contribute to society in a meaningful way.
A few of the more common areas within the study of liberal arts include communications, anthropology, English, history, language and linguistics, philosophy, math, political sciences, psychology, and sociology. If you’re looking for an overall great education for crucial life skills, exploring a liberal arts degree is a great idea.
Liberal Arts Colleges in Massachusetts
Smith College
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 CollegeBay 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 CrossCollege 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 CollegeEastern 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 CollegeGordon 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 CollegeHampshire 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 ArtsMassachusetts 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 CollegeMount 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 CollegeSmith 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 CollegeStonehill 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 CollegeWellesley 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 logoWheaton 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 CollegeWilliams 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.
2022 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Massachusetts
The Best Liberal Arts Colleges ranking is based on rigorous analysis of academic, admissions, financial, and student life data from the U.S. Department of Education along with millions of reviews from students and alumni. The ranking compares more than 200 top liberal arts colleges in the U.S. This year’s rankings have reduced the weight of ACT/SAT scores to reflect a general de-emphasis on test scores in the college admissions process
- Wellesley College4 Year WELLESLEY, MA Rating 3.74 out of 5 592 reviews#1 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in MassachusettsFreshman: The campus is very beautiful and safe. It is also relatively quiet but if you want to visit Boston, it is also not hard to get there! Students here are very serious about their academics, but it is a very supportive community. Everyone is willing to help each other here.
Read 592 Reviewsgrade A+Overall Niche Grade22% Acceptance Rate$19,805 Net Price1360-1530 SAT RangeAdd to ListWill You Get In?Compare - Williams College4 Year WILLIAMSTOWN, MA Rating 3.82 out of 5 300 reviews#2 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in MassachusettsAlum: TL;DR: Williams is one of the best schools out there, especially for economically underprivileged and/or international students. Apply even if you think you won’t get in!
Financials: I am a recent alumnus from a foreign country who had to pay less than 3K per year(!) towards my education at Williams; the rest was covered by non-repayable Williams grants. The College also pays for your medical insurance, ALL book expenditures, yearly round-trip to your home country (with all expenses). Other one-off expenses they covered: getting a visa, passport renewal, dental expenditures (over $10K). For someone who comes from a poor family whose total earnings are less than $30K/year, all this was an enormous benefit!
Academics: Williams is very strong because its professors take time to teach you the material. 1-1 teaching sessions, research work with professors is easily attainable because professors care about their students.
Exit opportunities: plentiful, prosperous, and very accessible!
Read 300 Reviewsgrade A+Overall Niche Grade13% Acceptance Rate$17,303 Net Price1410-1550 SAT RangeAdd to ListWill You Get In?CompareVirtual Tour - Amherst College4 Year AMHERST, MA Rating 3.86 out of 5 305 reviews#3 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in MassachusettsSenior: Overall, an incredible place. Not only are the classes and professors amazing and inspiring but unlike the big elite colleges it is easy to form relationships with professors and you aren’t just stuck in a lecture hall. I cannot emphasize how good academics here are – and even better, it’s not a crushing or competitive culture. You will be challenged but not overwhelmed.
The people here are open minded, diverse, and interesting – the social scene is various so it is easy to find your people whether you are geeky, into parties, etc. The town is kind of small but the fact that you are part of a five college consortium really helps.
My only complain is that the dining hall is terrible – it’s honestly an affront given how much people pay to go here.
Overall, if you are a passionate, academically minded person who wants an immersive college experience this is the place for you. I never believed that college would be the best years of my life until I actually came here and experienced it.
Read 305 Reviewsgrade A+Overall Niche Grade11% Acceptance Rate$16,339 Net Price1310-1520 SAT RangeAdd to ListWill You Get In?Compare - Smith College4 Year NORTHAMPTON, MA Rating 3.7 out of 5 889 reviews#4 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in MassachusettsFreshman: Being surrounded by passionate and motivated young women from around the country (and the globe!) has opened my mind to so many new experiences and points of views I have never considered. The professors are passionate and understanding as well as committed to students and their overall success. The school’s setting is beautiful and the entire campus is a botanic garden! If you are hesitant about attending a woman’s college because it is not a “traditional” college experience, you forget it is different at all when you are surrounded by wonderful people.
Read 889 Reviewsgrade A+Overall Niche Grade32% Acceptance Rate$28,905 Net Price1240-1470 SAT RangeAdd to ListWill You Get In?Compare - College of the Holy Cross4 Year WORCESTER, MA Rating 3.74 out of 5 542 reviews#5 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in MassachusettsSenior: College of the Holy Cross is an exceptional school with exceptional professors! Despite the rigorous academics, Holy Cross creates an environment in which professors want to see you succeed. From various academic resources , to social and extracurricular activities, the spiritual community, and everything in between, the College of the Holy Cross fosters an environment in which they not only want their students to grow and experience the world around them, but they also cultivate an environment in which the next generation of Holy Cross students can be men and women for and with others and continue to ignite the world in a positive manner around them.
Read 542 Reviewsgrade A+Overall Niche Grade34% Acceptance Rate$34,627 Net Price1260-1430 SAT RangeAdd to ListWill You Get In?CompareVirtual Tour - Mount Holyoke College4 Year SOUTH HADLEY, MA Rating 3.75 out of 5 856 reviews#6 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in MassachusettsAlum: MHC is a truly unique experience! As a historically women’s college, it provides students with many wonderful traditions, as well as loads of opportunities that traditionally co-ed schools do not offer. Minority voices are held in higher regard, and students take charge of their own futures. The administration could use some turnover, as it does not fully and/or accurately represent the student body. Some departments (STEM) receive more funding than others, which is unfortunate, but predictable. However, I found the community to be wonderfully passionate and loving.
Read 856 Reviewsgrade AOverall Niche Grade38% Acceptance Rate$32,008 Net Price1290-1500 SAT RangeAdd to ListWill You Get In?CompareVirtual Tour - Wheaton College – Massachusetts4 Year NORTON, MA Rating 3.57 out of 5 644 reviews#7 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in MassachusettsNiche User: Wheaton College has exceeded our expectations in every way. There is nowhere else we’d rather our college student be, even though we are not in the New England area and it requires a flight in our case. The beautiful campus, the tight-knit community, the academics, support, professors, the incredible president, Dennis Hanno… I could go on and on. Wheaton truly is a special place. And that was our opinion BEFORE Covid. Seeing how carefully and responsibly they have handled this unfortunate situation has only further cemented Wheaton as a top-notch institution. If this school is not on your radar… research it. If it is on your list… GO!
Read 644 Reviewsgrade B+Overall Niche Grade74% Acceptance Rate$29,688 Net Price1180-1350 SAT RangeAdd to ListWill You Get In?CompareVirtual Tour - Gordon College4 Year WENHAM, MA Rating 3.67 out of 5 722 reviews#8 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in MassachusettsSenior: Gordon is a small liberal arts college that provides students the opportunity to develop close relationships with amazing professors! It encourages students to seek our mentors: academic, spiritual, relational, vocational, etc. and works to create a support network for each and every student. The faculty and staff are caring and dedicated to student success both at Gordon and beyond.
Gordon also works with students to allow for creative and unusual major/minor combinations that will prepare us for the work force ahead. They support students’ ambitions and want to see our passions become a fruitful reality. Their commitment to student success and personal development is exceptional.
Read 722 Reviewsgrade B+Overall Niche Grade74% Acceptance Rate$29,047 Net Price1060-1310 SAT RangeAdd to ListWill You Get In?CompareVirtual Tour - Stonehill College4 Year EASTON, MA Rating 3.57 out of 5 560 reviews#9 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in MassachusettsJunior: I’ve been enjoying my time here!
Academically: professors are awesome. The work can range in how challenging it is but its all manageable.
Socially: it’s an awesome balance for me! I’ve found friends through living on campus, my classes, engaging in activities on campus, etc. The campus culture is polite. Campus can be quiet especially with COVID. However, I prefer a weekend to recharge or be with a few people anyways. Pre COVID, bigger parties happened but were done by 1 AM. There were also more in person events like BINGO. These still exist but distanced and outside if its nice. There are virtual events.
Area: the surrounding area is suburban. There are some restaurants/businesses to explore but ultimately it’s quiet. I wish we were close to Boston sometimes, but I ultimately feel at home on my cozy campus!
If I could change anything, I think counseling services could use more staff, diversity/inclusion needs to be more of a priority, and the food could use some improvements.
Read 560 Reviewsgrade B+Overall Niche Grade68% Acceptance Rate$35,409 Net Price1030-1230 SAT RangeAdd to ListWill You Get In?CompareVirtual Tour - Hampshire College4 Year AMHERST, MA Rating 3.72 out of 5 416 reviews#10 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in MassachusettsFreshman: I have just accepted my admission, however a close friend is the reason I know about Hampshire and they shared how much of a genuine sense of community is present within campus. My experience with everyone throughout the admissions process has been one of the most positive I have experienced and I am very excited to be attending in person in January!
Read 416 Reviewsgrade BOverall Niche Grade63% Acceptance Rate$35,499 Net Price— SAT RangeAdd to ListWill You Get In?CompareVirtual Tour - Emmanuel College – Massachusetts4 Year BOSTON, MA Rating 3.49 out of 5 661 reviewsFreshman: I have just completed my first semester during the Coronavirus Pandemic. All the students at Emmanuel had to do their schooling at home. However, we were offered so many resources and the teachers were very helping in making their students succeed. I am a nursing student which is a really hard major. But I utilized all their resources and was able to get satisfactory grades this semester! Also, I want to mention that the staff that works in the disabilities center is super awesome.
Read 661 Reviewsgrade B minusOverall Niche Grade78% Acceptance Rate$29,946 Net Price1090-1250 SAT RangeAdd to ListWill You Get In?CompareVirtual Tour - Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts4 Year NORTH ADAMS, MA Rating 3.13 out of 5 492 reviewsJunior: So far I love the experience! From the day I applied, everyone I spoke to was so kind and none of it was overbearing. Honestly the only thing I think I’d like to see change is a bigger focus on transfer and/or commuter students. I am both and felt like it was largely freshman-oriented, especially at the beginning of my first year. (I understand that, I just don’t know why I was obligated to participate in informational activities I already knew about).
Read 492 Reviewsgrade COverall Niche Grade82% Acceptance Rate$15,418 Net Price960-1170 SAT RangeAdd to ListWill You Get In?Compare - Bard College at Simon’s Rock4 Year GREAT BARRINGTON, MA Rating 3.27 out of 5 332 reviewsSophomore: I came to Simon’s rock as a 9th grader in the Academy and just matriculated into the College last semester. I had an absolutely wonderful experience here at Simon’s rock! The community is so warm — we are just like a family together and everyone helps everyone (during the pandemic I wasn’t able to go back home and got so much care from the school and the community!) I’m also so grateful for all the support Simon’s rock gives, especially financially. I come from a lower-middle-class family and got almost a 50% scholarship! Almost everyone I talked to(I would say more than 80% ) gets financial support and I’ve just never seen a school that does this. We are located in a pretty rural area with beautiful nature around which I think is great for studying. But of course, we can still take the shuttle and get to town to buy groceries and stuff. The dining hall food is average college food, but very nutritious and with a wide range of choices for students who have different needs.
Read 332 Reviewsgrade B minusOverall Niche Grade93% Acceptance Rate$39,176 Net Price— SAT RangeAdd to ListWill You Get In?CompareVirtual Tour - Pine Manor College4 Year CHESTNUT HILL, MA Rating 3 out of 5 89 reviewsFreshman: Pine Manor’s student diversity and professor involvement is a refreshing change. The professors sincerely care about their students. The only downside is the communication between faculty (not including professors) and students (E.G financial aid services, housing services, etc).
Read 89 Reviewsgrade C+Overall Niche Grade45% Acceptance Rate$15,120 Net Price680-870 SAT RangeAdd to ListWill You Get In?Compare - SponsoredEndicott College4 Year BEVERLY, MA Rating 3.42 out of 5 875 reviewsFreshman: Despite it being a pandemic year they handled it very well. While many colleges did not return to in person Endicott made it possible. Although they could have been more transparent with the fact that many classes would be remote from dorm rooms and allowed students to study from home they did offer some in person. They made accommodations for covid testing weekly and for those exposed or positive. The food was an over all issue this year but we hope to see this change going into the next year. Classes are great, dorms are excellent, professors are all very caring and helpful. Looking forward to many more great semesters on this beautiful ocean side campus
Read 875 Reviewsgrade BOverall Niche Grade69% Acceptance Rate$36,498 Net Price980-1160 SAT RangeAdd to ListWill You Get In?CompareVirtual Tour - Find Your Best Fit Colleges Tailor your college search based on what matters most to you.
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