These Are Massachusetts’s Most Liberal And Most Conservative Colleges

MASSACHUSETTS — From progressive liberal arts campuses to faith-centered universities, Massachusetts colleges run the full political spectrum.

A new set of 2026 rankings from Niche highlights the most liberal and most conservative schools in the state, based on student surveys.

Boston University was ranked the most liberal, while Western New England University topped the list of the most conservative.

Methodology

Niche’s rankings are based on self-reported student surveys of political leanings. For both lists, 80 percent of the weight comes from students reporting their personal political preferences, and 20 percent comes from students reporting the leanings of their campus community.
Most Liberal Colleges In Massachusetts (2026)

1. Boston University — Overall Niche Grade: A+
2. Mount Holyoke College — Overall Niche Grade: A
3. Smith College — Overall Niche Grade: A
4. Wellesley College — Overall Niche Grade: A+
5. Simmons University — Overall Niche Grade: B

Most Conservative Colleges In Massachusetts (2026)

1. Western New England University — Overall Niche Grade: C+
2. Bridgewater State University — Overall Niche Grade: C
3. Nichols College — Overall Niche Grade: C
4. Gordon College — Overall Niche Grade: B
5. University of Massachusetts Dartmouth — Overall Niche Grade: B-

National rankings

Niche also released its 2026 rankings of the most liberal and conservative colleges in America.
Top five most liberal colleges in the U.S.:

1. American University (Washington, D.C.) — Overall Niche Grade: B+
2. University of Vermont (Burlington, VT) — Overall Niche Grade: B+
3. SUNY Purchase College (Purchase, NY) — Overall Niche Grade: C
4. George Washington University (Washington, D.C.) — Overall Niche Grade: A
5. Oberlin College (Oberlin, OH) — Overall Niche Grade: B+

Top five most conservative colleges in the U.S.:

1. Liberty University (Lynchburg, VA) — Overall Niche Grade: B+
2. Grove City College (Grove City, PA) — Overall Niche Grade: B-
3. Brigham Young University–Idaho (Rexburg, ID) — Overall Niche Grade: B
4. Colorado Christian University (Lakewood, CO) — Overall Niche Grade: B
5. Bob Jones University (Greenville, SC) — Overall Niche Grade: B

See the full rankings at Niche.