The tuition fees for a university must first be determined. For example, if you would like to know the tuition fees for a particular university, read the following article. Discover the details about the tuition-free colleges in massachusetts, free tuition massachusetts state schools, cheapest colleges in ma in state tuition, cheapest online college in massachusetts and public universities in massachusetts. You will also find related articles on tuition-free colleges in massachusetts on collegelearners.
The College of Massachusetts is one of three public universities in the state, and it has been around since 1854. It was originally called the Massachusetts Agricultural College until it changed its name to University of Massachusetts-Amherst in 1963. The school has more than 20,000 students enrolled each year at its main campus as well as at satellite campuses throughout New England.
Tuition costs vary depending on whether you are an out-of-state or an in-state student and what program you choose to study at UMass Amherst. For example, undergraduate students who live outside Massachusetts pay $14,904 per year while those who live within state borders will only have to pay $12,458 annually.
Cheapest College in Massachusetts
If you’re looking for an affordable university and you are a resident of Massachusetts these are the least expensive in state colleges to consider.
In the world of college, it’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of big numbers. That’s why it’s important to take a step back from the sticker price and consider what you’re actually getting for your money.
Affordable doesn’t simply mean finding a school with a low published in state tuition. It’s important to research the typical financial aid package offered by a school, the average net price actually paid and most importantly the quality of education you receive for your tuition dollar. Sometimes a school which appears cheap based on list price can be a poor relative value if it can’t award competitive financial aid or doesn’t offer a quality education. The list below is a ranking on published in state tuition with no consideration of actual average price paid or academic quality of the school.
The most affordable four year colleges in Massachusetts are listed by one year’s in state tuition list price for the 2018/2019 school year. What is the cheapest college in Massachusetts? Leading the colleges list is Bridgewater State University in Bridgewater with an in state tuition of $910. The score ranges from zero to one hundred, with fifty being the median for all eligible colleges. Dollar value is a measure of a school’s academic rating compared with the average price paid by students. Colleges which are ranked “n/a” didn’t report sufficient data to formulate a score. Learn more about our rating methodology.
Bridgewater State University is an affordable state university located in Bridgewater, Massachusetts. It was founded in 1841 as a teachers’ college and became an independent state university in 1991. The school enrolls over 12,000 undergraduate and graduate students each year, with over 90% of them living on campus.
The school offers over 60 undergraduate majors as well as master’s programs in education administration and management information systems . The sports teams at Bridgewater State University are known as the Bears and compete in NCAA Division III athletics .
All price data are reprinted from the U.S. Department of Education’s 2019/2020 IPEDS Survey and reflect reported costs for the 2019/2020 academic year..
| College | In State Tuition | Rating | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 Bridgewater State University Bridgewater, Public Not For Profit | $910 | 41 | 10 |
| #2 Salem State University Salem, Public Not For Profit | $910 | 41 | 15 |
| #3 Fitchburg State University Fitchburg, Public Not For Profit | $970 | 44 | 22 |
| #4 Framingham State University Framingham, Public Not For Profit | $970 | 47 | 19 |
| #5 Westfield State University Westfield, Public Not For Profit | $970 | 46 | 19 |
| #6 Worcester State University Worcester, Public Not For Profit | $970 | NA | NA |
| #7 Massachusetts College of Art and Design Boston, Public Not For Profit | $1,030 | NA | NA |
| #8 Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts North Adams, Public Not For Profit | $1,030 | 52 | 43 |
| #9 Massachusetts Maritime Academy Buzzards Bay, Public Not For Profit | $1,836 | 50 | 49 |
| #10 University of Phoenix Boston Campus Braintree, Private For Profit | $9,480 | NA | NA |
| #11 Boston Baptist College Boston, Private Not For Profit | $11,400 | 31 | 7 |
| #12 New England College of Business Boston, Private For Profit | $11,640 | NA | NA |
| #13 Zion Bible College Haverhill, Private Not For Profit | $11,790 | NA | NA |
| #14 University of Massachusetts Dartmouth North Dartmouth, Public Not For Profit | $13,833 | 51 | 31 |
| #15 University of Massachusetts Boston Boston, Public Not For Profit | $14,187 | NA | NA |
| #16 University of Massachusetts Lowell Lowell, Public Not For Profit | $15,078 | 60 | 57 |
| #17 University of Massachusetts Amherst Amherst, Public Not For Profit | $15,791 | 72 | 61 |
| #18 Cambridge College Cambridge, Private Not For Profit | $16,164 | NA | NA |
| #19 Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology Boston, Private Not For Profit | $16,950 | NA | NA |
| #20 The New England Institute of Art Brookline, Private For Profit | $18,540 | NA | NA |
Office of Student Financial Assistance
Categorical Tuition Waiver
*The following is a brief description for students. Institutions should refer to the most recent guidelines for information.
The Categorical Tuition Waiver is a component of the Single Tuition Waiver Program and has the same purpose of maintaining access to the Commonwealth’s public colleges and universities. The Categorical Tuition Waiver is designed to provide financial support to individuals who might not have the opportunity to achieve higher education without such assistance.
The program provides tuition assistance to students with disabilities, veterans, active duty military personnel, military spouses, dependents of military members, children of police officers killed in the line of duty, orphans who were adopted from foster care after age 14 or whose parents were killed in the line of duty as police officers or firefighters during their service/retirement period (see below for more details). You must be a resident of Pennsylvania and enroll at an institution within the University System of Pennsylvania (USP) for at least one semester (two quarters) each year. You must also maintain continuous enrollment during each academic year from first quarter through last quarter (excluding summer session).
Who Is Eligible?
To be eligible for a Categorical Tuition Waiver, a student must:
- Be a permanent legal resident of Massachusetts for at least one year prior to the opening of the academic year.
- Be a U.S. Citizen or non-citizen eligible under Title IV regulations.
- Be in compliance with Selective Service Registration.
- Not be in default of any federal or state Student Loans for attendance at any institution or owe a refund for any previous financial aid received.
- Enroll in at least three undergraduate credits per semester in state-supported undergraduate degree or certificate program.
- Be maintaining satisfactory academic progress in accordance with institutional and federal standards.
- A member of an eligible category as defined below:
- Veteran: As provided in M.G.L. Chapter 4, Section 7(43) including: Spanish War, World War I, World War II, Korean, Vietnam, Lebanese peace keeping force, Grenada rescue mission, the Panamanian intervention force, or the Persian Gulf.
- *For purposes of tuition waivers, the term “veteran” shall also include any individual who served in the army, navy, marine corps, coast guard or air force of the United States for not less than ninety days at least one of which was served in the theatre of operation for the Somalian mission known as “Operation Restore Hope” and whose last discharge or release was under honorable conditions.
- Native American: As certified by the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
- Senior Citizen: Persons over the age of 60.
- Armed Forces: An active member of the Armed Forces (Army, Navy, Marine, Air Force or Coast Guard) stationed and residing in Massachusetts.
- Clients of the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission or Commission for the Blind: As certified by the respective commission.
- Veteran: As provided in M.G.L. Chapter 4, Section 7(43) including: Spanish War, World War I, World War II, Korean, Vietnam, Lebanese peace keeping force, Grenada rescue mission, the Panamanian intervention force, or the Persian Gulf.
- * If it deems necessary, the institution, consistent with its mission and subject to the Board of Higher Education’s approval as of September 1, 1991, may establish additional waivers for specific categories of students.
- In accordance with institutional requirements, each student must present documentation of categorical waiver eligibility to the appropriate college officials.
Eligible Institutions
An eligible institution is within the system of public institutions of higher education section 5 of Chapter 15A of the General Laws.
Award Amounts
Students qualifying for a Categorical Tuition Waiver may be granted full tuition waivers consistent with the institution’s policies.
- Campus fees are not included in the waivers. Institutions may, but are not required to, waive specific fees for participants in various categorical waivers. If fees are waived, the campus should publicize the fees waived.
- Individual student awards for an award period may not exceed the actual campus tuition charges for the award period.
- If the student is the recipient of need-based student financial aid resources and categorical tuition waiver awards, the combination of resources in the student’s financial aid package may not exceed the student’s demonstrated financial aid need.
- If the student is the recipient of both a need based tuition waiver and a categorical waiver, the total value of both waivers may not exceed the total cost of tuition.
How to Apply
Contact the financial aid office at the institution you are attending or plan to attend for application requirements or deadlines. You can also call the DHE’s Office of Student Financial Assistance at (617) 391-6070 to obtain more information.
Tuition Waivers — Current and Recent Value
This table shows the full value of tuition waivers, by school, for a full-time student in the current academic year as well as the past two years. The value, which varies by campus and is subject to change each year, is shown both in dollars and as a percentage of the total student charges (total student charges includes in-state tuition and mandatory fees) at the campus.
University of Massachusetts
Beginning with the fall 2016-2017 academic year, the University of Massachusetts will restructure tuition and fees on their campuses. The restructuring of student charges will have no impact on the value of tuition waivers, which will now be identified as tuition “credits.”
Tuition Retention
Beginning with the fall 2016-2017 academic year, the University of Massachusetts will restructure student charges and simplify the presentation of student bills.
The most significant change is that bills will show a tuition total that includes the curriculum fee and other campus-wide fees that previously had appeared as separate line items.
This change is being made to better reflect educational costs at UMass, and will neither add to nor subtract from current tuition and fee rates. The cost to attend UMass for fall 2016 will be determined within the coming months. Any increase in tuition and fees will require Board of Trustees approval.
The restructuring of tuition and fees will have no impact on the value of tuition waivers, which will now be identified as tuition “credits.” For in-state students receiving tuition credits, the value will remain the same.
Tuition Retention Documents
- UMass Tuition Retention FY16 General Appropriations Act (GAA) Summary
- Final Report of the Advisory Task Force on Tuition Retention
- Additional Recommendations of the Tuition Retention Task Force
| Award Amount | 2018–2019 | 2017–2018 | 2016–2017 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Student Charges | Award Amount as % of Total Student Charges | Total Student Charges | Award Amount as % of Total Student Charges | Total Student Charges | Award Amount as % of Total Student Charges | |||
| University of Massachusetts | UMass Amherst | $1,714 | $15,888 | 10.8% | $15,412 | 11.1% | $14,972 | 11.4% |
| UMass Boston | $1,714 | $14,168 | 12.1% | $13,828 | 12.4% | $13,436 | 12.8% | |
| UMass Dartmouth | $1,418 | $13,922 | 10.2% | $13,572 | 10.4% | $13,190 | 10.8% | |
| UMass Lowell | $1,454 | $15,180 | 9.6% | $14,800 | 9.8% | $14,308 | 10.2% | |
| State Universities | Bridgewater State University | $910 | $10,568 | 8.6% | $10,012 | 9.1% | $9,628 | 9.5% |
| Fitchburg State University | $970 | $10,354 | 9.4% | $10,154 | 9.6% | $10,134 | 9.6% | |
| Framingham State University | $970 | $10,520 | 9.2% | $9,920 | 9.8% | $9,344 | 10.4% | |
| Massachusetts College of Art and Design | $1,030 | $13,200 | 7.8% | $12,700 | 8.1% | MassArt did not participate in this program prior to the 2017–2018 academic year. | ||
| Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts | $1,030 | $10,560 | 9.8% | $10,136 | 10.2% | $9,876 | 10.4% | |
| Massachusetts Maritime Academy | $1,554 | $9,728 | 16.0% | $8,398 | 18.5% | $8,006 | 19.4% | |
| Salem State University | $910 | $10,882 | 8.4% | $10,278 | 8.9% | $9,736 | 9.3% | |
| Westfield State University | $970 | $10,430 | 9.3% | $9,716 | 10.0% | $9,276 | 10.5% | |
| Worcester State University | $970 | $10,162 | 9.5% | $9,532 | 10.2% | $9,202 | 10.5% | |
| Community Colleges | Berkshire Community College | $780 | $6,750 | 11.6% | $6,450 | 12.1% | $6,200 | 12.6% |
| Bristol Community College | $720 | $6,044 | 11.9% | $5,894 | 12.2% | $5,654 | 12.7% | |
| Bunker Hill Community College | $720 | $5,620 | 12.8% | $5,280 | 13.6% | $4,860 | 14.8% | |
| Cape Cod Community College | $720 | $6,330 | 11.4% | $5,672 | 12.7% | $5,402 | 13.3% | |
| Greenfield Community College | $780 | $6,932 | 11.3% | $6,782 | 11.5% | $6,632 | 11.8% | |
| Holyoke Community College | $720 | $6,060 | 11.9% | $5,760 | 12.5% | $5,570 | 12.9% | |
| MassBay Community College | $720 | $6,360 | 11.3% | $6,360 | 11.3% | $5,990 | 12.0% | |
| Massasoit Community College | $720 | $6,030 | 11.9% | $5,850 | 12.3% | $5,850 | 12.3% | |
| Middlesex Community College | $720 | $7,400 | 9.7% | $5,990 | 12.0% | $5,900 | 12.2% | |
| Mt. Wachusett Community College | $750 | $6,950 | 10.8% | $6,800 | 11.0% | $6,250 | 12.0% | |
| North Shore Community College | $750 | $6,550 | 11.5% | $6,280 | 11.9% | $6,160 | 12.2% | |
| Northern Essex Community College | $750 | $6,560 | 11.4% | $6,400 | 11.7% | $6,130 | 12.2% | |
| Quinsigamond Community College | $720 | $6,780 | 10.6% | $6,720 | 10.7% | $6,540 | 11.0% | |
| Roxbury Community College | $780 | $6,490 | 12.0% | $5,480 | 14.2% | $5,470 | 14.3% | |
| Springfield Technical Community College | $750 | $6,306 | 11.9% | $6,066 | 12.4% | $5,736 | 13.1% |
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