College Compass GuideTrue north for every college search.

Every accredited U.S. college

Colleges

Every accredited four-year college, rated on Academic Excellence and Value (what families pay after aid, what graduates earn, and student debt), all from federal data.

Filters

Search & sort
Compass Score sorts by outcomes, students and cost together. The other sorts order every college by a different measure.
Ratings
Compass ScoreCompass Score: a letter grade set by rank among rated colleges from federal data: outcomes (40%), entering students (40%), cost (15%) and teaching (5%). Choose the lowest grade to show.
ValueValue: what families pay after aid, graduation rate, earnings and debt, from federal data.
Academic ExcellenceAcademic Excellence: a letter grade set by rank among rated colleges, from federal data on graduation, retention, test scores, faculty ratio, and spending. It never uses rankings or surveys.
Only Compass Recommended colleges: the top 35% of rated colleges by Compass Score.
Only Honor Roll colleges: the top 10% of rated colleges by Compass Score.
Only the eight Ivy League universities.
Location1
Distance (miles)
A broad region of the country, as the guide groups the states. Territories are listed separately.
School
Type of college, as college guides group them (from the federal Carnegie Classification): national universities offer a full range of bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral programs and do research; liberal arts colleges focus on undergraduates in the arts and sciences; regional universities mostly offer bachelor’s and master’s degrees; regional colleges mostly offer bachelor’s degrees in many fields; specialized schools focus on one field, such as health, art or business.
Public or privatePublic: run by a state or local government. Private: nonprofit or for-profit.
Total enrollment: small is under 2,000 students, medium 2,000 to 9,999, large 10,000 to 24,999, and very large 25,000 or more.
Net price: what a typical student pays per year after grants and scholarships, from the federal College Scorecard.
Coed: men and women together. Single-sex: all-male or all-female.
Campus life
College sports level from federal data: NCAA Division I (the biggest programs), Division II, Division III, or NAIA.
Where the campus is, from federal data: in a city, a suburb, a town, or a rural area.
The college offers Army, Navy or Air Force ROTC, on campus or with a nearby college (federal data).
The college offers study abroad (federal data).
Admissions and outcomes
How many applicants are admitted (federal data). Most: 65% or more. Selective: 25% to 64%. Highly selective: under 25%.
Your SAT or ACT, to sort colleges Target, Likely and Reach. Signed in, it is kept on your account (private to you); otherwise only in this browser.
Reach, Target or LikelyA rough guide from admitted students' scores and admission rates, not a prediction. Target: your score is in the college's middle range. Likely: above it, or the college admits most applicants. Reach: below it, or the college admits fewer than 1 in 5.
Small classes: 12 or fewer students per faculty member (federal data).
Strong outcomes: 75% or more of students graduate (federal data).
Major
Colleges that offer a bachelor's degree in this major or field, from the federal College Scorecard.
Clear all
RecommendedOnly Compass Recommended colleges: the top 35% of rated colleges by Compass Score.Honor RollOnly Honor Roll colleges: the top 10% of rated colleges by Compass Score.ValueOnly colleges with a Value score of 85 or higher (grade A), from federal data.AcademicsOnly schools with an Academic Excellence grade of A or better (the top 10% of rated colleges), from federal data.Ivy LeagueOnly the eight Ivy League universities.Clear
Division I sportsCollege sports level from federal data: NCAA Division I (the biggest programs), Division II, Division III, or NAIA.ROTCThe college offers Army, Navy or Air Force ROTC, on campus or with a nearby college (federal data).Study abroadThe college offers study abroad (federal data).NursingColleges that offer a bachelor's degree in this major or field, from the federal College Scorecard.EngineeringColleges that offer a bachelor's degree in this major or field, from the federal College Scorecard.Under $20kNet price under $20,000 a year: what a typical student pays after grants and scholarships (federal data).Small classesSmall classes: 12 or fewer students per faculty member (federal data).
State: MassachusettsClear all

72 schools · Sorted by Compass Score

  • Compass ScoreGood

    Fitchburg State University

    Good: Compass grade B
    Fitchburg, MA · Public · 4-year · 6,296 students

    $14,262 a year after aid, on average

    ValueStrongAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreGood

    Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts

    Good: Compass grade B
    North Adams, MA · Public · 4-year · 933 students

    $16,068 a year after aid, on average

    ValueStrongAcademicsExcellent
  • Compass ScoreGood

    University of Massachusetts-Boston

    Top 19% for earnings
    Boston, MA · Public · 4-year · 15,810 students

    $17,707 a year after aid, on average

    ValueExcellentAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreGood

    Lesley University

    Good: Compass grade B-
    Cambridge, MA · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 3,134 students

    $31,152 a year after aid, on average

    ValueFairAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreGood

    Lasell University

    Good: Compass grade B-
    Newton, MA · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 1,527 students

    $27,511 a year after aid, on average

    ValueFairAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreGood

    Framingham State University

    Good: Compass grade B-
    Framingham, MA · Public · 4-year · 4,028 students

    $16,114 a year after aid, on average

    ValueStrongAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreGood

    Westfield State University

    Good: Compass grade B-
    Westfield, MA · Public · 4-year · 4,555 students

    $16,721 a year after aid, on average

    ValueStrongAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreGood

    University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth

    Top 16% for earnings
    North Dartmouth, MA · Public · 4-year · 7,759 students

    $20,927 a year after aid, on average

    ValueStrongAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreGood

    Hampshire College

    Good: Compass grade B-
    Amherst, MA · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 717 students

    $24,034 a year after aid, on average

    ValueFairAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreGood

    Salem State University

    Good: Compass grade B-
    Salem, MA · Public · 4-year · 6,239 students

    $15,996 a year after aid, on average

    ValueStrongAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreGood

    Bay Path University

    Good: Compass grade B-
    Longmeadow, MA · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 2,643 students

    $14,271 a year after aid, on average

    All-femaleAll-female: the school enrolls women only.ValueStrongAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreGood

    Curry College

    Good: Compass grade B-
    Milton, MA · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 1,994 students

    $29,207 a year after aid, on average

    ValueFairAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreSolid

    Dean College

    Solid: Compass grade C+
    Franklin, MA · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 1,151 students

    $30,684 a year after aid, on average

    ValueFairAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreSolid

    Quincy College

    Top 16% for low debt
    Quincy, MA · Public · 4-year · 2,603 students

    $17,126 a year after aid, on average

    ValueExcellentAcademicsFair
  • Compass ScoreSolid

    Boston Architectural College

    Top 24% for earnings
    Boston, MA · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 787 students

    $25,865 a year after aid, on average

    ValueFairAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreSolid

    American International College

    Solid: Compass grade C+
    Springfield, MA · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 2,142 students

    $23,274 a year after aid, on average

    ValueStrongAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreSolid

    Fisher College

    Solid: Compass grade C+
    Boston, MA · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 1,501 students

    $26,649 a year after aid, on average

    ValueFairAcademicsFair
  • Not yet rated

    Northeastern University Professional Programs

    Top 3% for earnings
    Boston, MA · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 7,471 students

    Value not rated yet
  • Not yet rated

    MGH Institute of Health Professions

    Top 5% for earnings
    Boston, MA · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 1,484 students

    Value not rated yet
  • Not yet rated

    William James College

    Newton, MA · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 951 students

    Value not rated yet
  • Not yet rated

    Eastern Nazarene College

    Quincy, MA · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 458 students

    Value not rated yet
  • Not yet rated

    Springfield College-Regional, Online, and Continuing Education

    Springfield, MA · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 421 students

    Value not rated yet

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What would it cost your family?

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Reach, Target or Likely?

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Will you get in?

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