Massachusetts's admission ranking does not rank its costs

Harvard University admits 3.7% of first year applicants, the lowest admission rate among the Massachusetts colleges listed below. Sorting colleges by admission rate does not sort them by average net price. Massachusetts Institute of Technology has a lower admission rate and a lower average net price than Boston College. A college list needs both an admission check and a separate price check.

Admission rates range from 3.7% to 40% on this list

The table ranks eligible four year colleges by the share of applicants admitted, from lowest to highest. Harvard University reports 3.7%, compared with 40% at Clark University. Each rate measures the share of that college's first year applicant pool that it admitted.

Applicants choose which colleges to apply to, so each rate covers a different group. Requirements can also vary by program. Check the current requirements for the student's intended program when deciding how a college fits the student's list.

Admission rates cover Fall 2024; applicant counts cover Fall 2023. The columns describe different admission cycles. Net prices describe a separate enrolled-student cohort; their reporting period is listed with the sources below.

College	City	Admission rate	Applicants	Average net price
Harvard University	Cambridge	3.7%	56,937	$19,148
Massachusetts Institute of Technology	Cambridge	4.6%	26,904	$14,815
Northeastern University	Boston	5.2%	96,631	$29,060
Williams College	Williamstown	8.3%	11,465	$15,157
Amherst College	Amherst	9%	12,727	$19,536
Boston University	Boston	11%	80,495	$36,503
Tufts University	Medford	12%	34,003	$38,797
Wellesley College	Wellesley	14%	8,184	$23,995
Boston College	Chestnut Hill	16%	36,069	$38,930
Babson College	Wellesley	17%	7,995	$34,096
College of the Holy Cross	Worcester	18%	8,670	$38,829
Smith College	Northampton	21%	9,869	$25,519
Franklin W Olin College of Engineering	Needham	25%	928	$17,057
Mount Holyoke College	South Hadley	36%	5,030	$30,861
Clark University	Worcester	40%	10,730	$29,446

A lower admission rate can accompany a lower net price

Massachusetts Institute of Technology reports an admission rate of 4.6% and an average net price of $14,815. Boston College admits 16% and reports $38,930. The difference in their average annual net prices is $24,115, calculated from the figures in the table.

These are annual averages for full time, first time undergraduates receiving federal financial aid. Net price subtracts grants and scholarships from the cost of attendance. The colleges enroll students with different financial circumstances, so their averages combine different mixes of family income and aid eligibility. The College Scorecard documentation defines the students included in this measure.

Check admission fit and your family's estimated price separately

Start with the programs and colleges the student would attend. Check their current admission requirements and deadlines, then run each college's net price calculator using the same family information. Keep the estimated amount the family would pay after grants separate from any loans offered to cover it.

Use all colleges in Massachusetts to look beyond the low-admission-rate list. Keep options with attainable admission requirements and an estimated price the family can cover. Save those colleges and their deadlines in My plan, which requires a free account, and compare actual financial aid offers before choosing where to enroll.

How we got these numbers

Figures come from two U.S. Department of Education sources, the College Scorecard (released 2026-10-15) and the IPEDS Admissions survey. Data years:

• Admission rate: Fall 2024, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25
• Applicants: Fall 2023, reported in IPEDS ADM2023
• Average net price: AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26

Colleges with fewer than 500 applicants are excluded from selectivity rankings because their admission rates say little about selectivity. Full details on our data page.

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