Why This Matters

  • 23 TWO-YEAR ASSOCIATE DEGREE PROGRAMS IN MASSACHUSETTS

    According to College Navigator, Massachusetts has 23 institutions that offer two-year associate degree programs.

  • $6,893 AVERAGE IN-DISTRICT TUITION & FEES

    During the 2022-23 school year, it was estimated that the average Massachusetts student paid $6,893 in tuition and fees at public in-district community colleges.

  • 80.6% OF COMMUNITY COLLEGE STUDENTS RECEIVE FINANCIAL AID

    Many American students pursuing higher education rely on financial aid. During the 2019-20 school year, 452,493 students enrolled in two-year institutions received some kind of aid, such as scholarships, loans, and work-study opportunities.

Our Research

This list features some of the best community colleges in Massachusetts. Each school featured is a nonprofit, accredited institution — either public or private — with a high standard of academic quality for post-secondary institutions. We included small, midsize, and large colleges as well as trade, technical, and vocational programs. Next, we compared this comprehensive list to a list of aggregated college rankings from reputable publications like the U.S. News & World Report among others to simplify a student’s college search. We pored through these rankings so students don’t have to.

The colleges on our list are accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE), a reputable organization that examines objectives, quality and overall effectiveness of education programs in the northeastern United States.

We evaluated each school on tuition costs, admission, retention and graduation rates, faculty, and reputation as well as the student resources provided for students. Then we calculated the Intelligent Score on a scale of 0 to 100. Read more about our ranking methodology.

The Top 50 Community Colleges in Massachusetts

Best Community Colleges In Massachusetts Badge 2023
01
Intelligent Pick
Bristol Community College
01
Best Accelerated Program
Cape Cod Community College
01
Best in Eastern Massachusetts
Middlesex Community College
01
Most Flexible Curriculum
Bunker Hill Community College
01
Best in Northern Massachusetts
North Shore Community College
01
Best Student Support Services
Holyoke Community College
01
Best in Western Massachusetts
Greenfield Community College
01
Best in Central Massachusetts
Quinsigamond Community College
01
Most Flexible Start Terms
Mount Wachusett Community College
01
Most Innovative Curriculum
Roxbury Community College
01

Quincy College
01

Massasoit Community College
01

Berkshire Community College
01

Massachusetts Bay Community College
01

Northern Essex Community College

What You Should Know About Graduating From Community College in Massachusetts

When deciding on which community college to attend, it’s important to take into account your earning potential. According to 2021 data, the highest-paying careers that require an associate degree in Massachusetts are radiation therapists, dental hygienists, diagnostic medical sonographers, MRI technicians, and nuclear medicine technologists.

Associate degree holders looking for jobs in Massachusetts should consider which fields have the most job openings. Occupations expected to have the most availability between 2021 to 2031 are preschool teachers, paralegal and legal assistants, radiologic technicians, veterinary technicians, and dental hygienists.

While deciding between different career options, you should also consider which jobs have low employment rates. This offers guidance on what types of careers you may want to avoid. Occupations projected to have the largest drops in employment over the next 10 years for associate degree holders in Massachusetts include nuclear technicians, desktop publishers, and mechanical drafters.

What’s Next?

For those pursuing financial aid, we have assembled a list of federal and state resources that detail the grants, scholarships, and other opportunities for associate degree students in Massachusetts.

  • Massachusetts Department of Higher Education. The Massachusetts Department of Higher Education provides information about scholarships, grants, loans, and tuition waivers available to Massachusetts residents.
  • Federal Student Aid. The US Department of Education’s office of Federal Student Aid awards over $120 billion every year to help students fund their education. To check your eligibility for FAFSA, visit the FAFSA4caster. Then, you can apply by filling out the online FAFSA form.
  • CareerOneStop. Sponsored by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, CareerOneStop provides information about the scholarships and grants available in each state. To navigate this vast library of information, you can apply filters for degree level and state. You’ll then discover helpful information about award amounts, minimum qualifications, and application deadlines.