Here Are The Best Colleges In MA, According To Niche

MASSACHUSETTS — Massachusetts Institute of Technology is the best college in Massachusetts, according to rankings released Monday by Niche, a college ranking and review platform. In all, 145 colleges in Massachusetts were ranked among the best.

More than 4,000 U.S. colleges and universities were ranked in the 2026 Best Colleges in America.

The top five colleges in Massachusetts are:

1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

• Overall Niche grade: A+
• Acceptance rate: 5%
• Net price: $21,519
• SAT range: 1510-1580

2. Harvard University

• Overall Niche grade: A+
• Acceptance rate: 3%
• Net price: $17,900
• SAT range: 1500-1580

3. Boston University

• Overall Niche grade: A+
• Acceptance rate: 11%
• Net price: $27,551
• SAT range: 1400-1520

4. Northeastern University

• Overall Niche grade: A+
• Acceptance rate: 6%
• Net price: $34,770
• SAT range: 1460-1550

5. Williams College

• Overall Niche grade: A+
• Acceptance rate: 10%
• Net price: $16,988
• SAT range: 1470-1560

Other Massachusetts schools and their rankings are found on the Niche website. Niche also ranked the best colleges for athletics, student life, food and other aspects of college life that are important to students.

University of Massachusetts Amherst comes in No. 3 for best college food, while Massachusetts Institute of Technology ranked No. 21 for best student life.

Related: The Top 25 High Schools In Massachusetts For 2025-26: U.S. News & World Report

2026 Best Colleges in America:

1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts
2. Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
3. Stanford University, Stanford, California
4. Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts
5. Dartmouth University, Hanover, New Hampshire

2026 Colleges with the Best Student Life in America:

1. University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
2. University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia
3. University of California, Los Angeles
4. University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
5. Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee

2026 Best College Athletics in America:

1. University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
2. Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
3. The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama
4. University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut
5. Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina

“We built Niche to help students and families cut through the noise and make informed choices,” Niche founder and CEO Luke Skurman said in a news release. “Our rankings are designed to reflect not just data, but the real voices and lived experiences of students across the country. That blend of insight is what makes Niche unique. We’re giving students the clarity to identify the colleges where they see themselves belonging and succeeding.”

Niche’s rankings are based on data from the U.S. Department of Education and National Science Foundation; enrollment, graduation, and alumni earnings statistics; and more than 1 million college reviews from students and alumni. More about the methodology is found on the website.

Related: Forbes Names 20 Colleges ‘New Ivies,’ Notes Employers Prefer Them