Massachusetts is part of New England and is the most populated state in all of New England. The Atlantic Ocean with its beautiful beaches skirts the east side of the state while the west side of Massachusets has mountains. It’s all here.
Massachusetts is also home to Boston and it’s historic sites, cool coastal towns, and outdoor adventures. You can even visit Plymouth, where the pilgrims first landed the Mayflower or Salem, where the famous witch trials took place. You also have easy access to five other states bordering Massachusetts: Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Vermont, and New York. In addition to all this, it’s no wonder there are numerous public colleges that you can attend.
The University of Massachusetts (UMass)
The University of Massachusetts is scattered all across the state with four campuses in Amherst, Dartmouth, Boston, and Lowell. UMass has over 72,000 students. However, each of the four campus locations vary in size from 8,000 to almost 30,000 students. Let’s check out each campus.
Amherst has the most students with almost 30,000 students enrolled. It sits on 14,000 acres of land is the largest of all the campuses. It’s in the western part of Massachusetts and the downtown is scenic and walkable. The Amherst campus also has extensive, on-campus housing and food choices for students. They participate in the NCAA Division I and are known as the Minutemen or Minutewomen. The college is close to downtown with easy access to restaurants and shops. For more information, visit the UMASS Amherst’s website.
Dartmouth’s campus is in the southern part of the state about one hour south of Boston. It’s also the smallest campus with around 8,000 student and sits on 710 acres of land in a coastal town. Dartmouth’s campus has modern designed buildings and though it’s smaller than the other campus locations, it provides on-campus housing for their student body. For sports, Dartmouth participates in the NCAA Division III Little East Conference. At Dartmouth, students enjoy everything larger campuses offer with the benefit of smaller class sizes. These students can even walk to the beach in 15 minutes. For more information on this campus, go to UMASS’s Dartmouth website.
Boston’s campus located 5 minutes from the capital of Massachusetts. The school sits on 120 acres next to the ocean and students have direct access to public transportation. Known as the Beacons, they participate in NCAA Division III sports. Students here have a ton of activities, clubs, and events to enjoy year-round and they can choose to live on-campus.
Lowell’s campus has a student population of over 18,000 and resides on 150 acres near the Merrimack River. This campus offers easy access to dining and shopping downtown. Students can travel 30 minutes by train to downtown Boston or drive 45 minutes from New Hampshire beaches. Lowell offers on-campus housing and competes in the NCAA Division I sports. For more information in attending here, go to UMASS’s Lowell website.
Bridgewater State University (BSU)
Bridgewater State University is 20 minutes south of Boston in the city of Bridgewater. It has three satellite campuses’ in Attleboro, New Bedford, and Cape Cod with a total student body of about 11,000, making BSU one of the largest colleges in the state. Bridgewater State University has a variety of clubs and organizations students can participate in, and competes in the NCAA Division III sports. For more information, visit BSU’s website.
Framingham State University (FSU)
Framingham State University (FSU) lies near three beaches and the city of Farmington is known as a premier shopping destination. Nicknamed the “Golden Triangle,” Farmington has hundreds of shops and restaurants. Students can also drive or take a train to bigger cities like Boston and Worchester. Framingham State University has a beautiful 73-acre, tree-covered campus with about 7,000 students. The classroom buildings are centrally located to the residence halls so students can easily walk to class. FSU competes in the NCAA Division III sports, and their stadium shines with gold and black school colors during their home games. For more information, visit the FSU website.
Fitchburg State University
Named after it’s home town, Fitchburg State University has over 7,000 students sits on 48 acres. It’s close to the New Hampshire border and about 50 miles from Boston. The small-town feel allows students to live at low cost and stretch their dollar. Although this is a smaller university, they have a ton of activities and programs to choose from along with on-campus housing. Fitchburg State University competes in Division III sports as the Falcons. For more information, visit FSU’s website.
Massachusetts Maritime Academy
Massachusetts Maritime Academy has around 2,000 students. It is one of six maritime academies in the country, and students can seek degrees centered in marine engineering, transportation, and emergency management. Students are called cadets and must wear uniforms. The campus is on Buzzards Bay in the town of Bourne, near the Atlantic Ocean. Many Massachusetts Maritime Academy students get involved in the ECAC Division III athletic teams and compete in one or more sport. With the philosophy of ” Do, Learn, Do,” the college is a very hands-on learning environment, with most cadets receiving employment within 90 days after graduating. During the summer months, students can snorkel, swim, or walk to one of the eight beaches nearby. Buzzards Bay also offers a variety of shops, restaurants, and coffee shops for students to enjoy during their free time. For more information, visit MMA’s website.
Worcester State University
Worcester State University sits on 59 acres in central Worcester. Worcester is the second-largest city in Massachusetts with the modern conveniences of any city, such as unique shops, restaurants, and big events. Worcester State University has about 6,200 students and has a variety of activities and programs on campus and within the community. WSU participates in NCAA Division III with over 20 teams. For more information on WSU, visit their website.
Westfield State University
Westfield State University lies in the western part of the state in the city of Westfield with an estimated 5,500 students. The campus has on-campus housing and it’s a compact campus. This means students can quickly stop by their dorms between classes to grab other items instead of hauling all their books with them all day. Westfield offers a host of clubs, activities, and organizations for students and they also participate in Division III sports. For more information, visit Westfield’s website.
Massachusetts College Of Liberal Arts (MCLA)
Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts is in North Adams on 103 acres of property. This college has a smaller student body with about 1,800 students and participates in Division III sports. For more information, visit MCLA’s website.
Massachusetts College of Art and Design (MassArt)
Massachusetts College of Art and Design in Boston is one of the oldest art schools in the country. It has an average of 2,000 students enrolled and has three residence halls. MassArt also has a free, public contemporary art museum called The MassArt Art Museum that highlights students work. The campus is 15 minutes from downtown Boston and close to several other large cities such as New York City and Hartford, Connecticut. For more information, visit MassArt’s website.
Community Colleges in Massachusetts
Along with state colleges and universities, Massachusetts also has community colleges to choose from:
- Springfield Technical Community College, Springfield
- Quincy College, Quincy
- Massasoit Community College, Brockton
- Quinsigamond Community College, Worcester
- Northern Essex Community College. Haverhill
- Mount Wachusett Community College, Gardner
- Middlesex Community College, Bedford
- Greenfield Community College, Greenfield
- Holyoke Community College, Holyoke
- MassBay Community College, Wellesley Hills
- Bristol Community College, Fall River
- Berkshire Community College, Pittsfield
- Cape Cod Community College (4Cs), West Barnstable
- Bunker Hill Community College, Boston
- North Shore Community College, Danvers
