Massachusetts

Average student debt in Massachusetts — 30 colleges, and what their graduates earn

Every Massachusetts university with published federal figures, ordered by how fast the debt clears. The typical graded US university clears its debt in 1.3 years on median earnings of $57,146 against $22,500 of debt.

#UniversityGradeYou borrowMonthlyYou earnDebt clears in
1 Massachusetts Institute of Technology Massachusetts A $14,768 $168 $143,372 0.1 yrs
2 Harvard University Massachusetts A $14,000 $159 $101,817 0.2 yrs
3 Wellesley College Massachusetts A $10,000 $114 $84,803 0.2 yrs
4 Babson College Massachusetts A $20,000 $227 $123,938 0.2 yrs
5 Williams College Massachusetts A $12,761 $145 $88,665 0.3 yrs
6 Bentley University Massachusetts A $25,023 $285 $120,959 0.3 yrs
7 Amherst College Massachusetts A $13,740 $156 $77,644 0.4 yrs
8 Tufts University Massachusetts A $16,250 $185 $83,214 0.4 yrs
9 Worcester Polytechnic Institute Massachusetts A $27,000 $307 $103,470 0.4 yrs
10 Northeastern University Massachusetts A $24,250 $276 $92,538 0.5 yrs
11 Boston University Massachusetts A $23,250 $264 $83,238 0.5 yrs
12 College of the Holy Cross Massachusetts A $27,000 $307 $90,543 0.5 yrs
13 Wentworth Institute of Technology Massachusetts A $25,028 $285 $82,721 0.6 yrs
14 Brandeis University Massachusetts B $25,648 $292 $77,231 0.7 yrs
15 University of Massachusetts Amherst Massachusetts B $22,763 $259 $71,631 0.7 yrs
16 Smith College Massachusetts B $17,550 $200 $64,027 0.7 yrs
17 Western New England University Massachusetts B $25,500 $290 $73,157 0.8 yrs
18 University of Massachusetts Boston Massachusetts B $21,974 $250 $65,865 0.8 yrs
19 University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth Massachusetts B $25,000 $284 $68,804 0.9 yrs
20 University of Massachusetts at Lowell Massachusetts B $23,704 $270 $64,874 0.9 yrs
21 Emmanuel College Massachusetts B $27,000 $307 $68,245 0.9 yrs
22 Suffolk University Massachusetts B $26,889 $306 $67,506 1 yrs
23 Emerson College Massachusetts C $23,000 $262 $62,832 1 yrs
24 Simmons University Massachusetts C $24,840 $282 $63,494 1 yrs
25 Clark University Massachusetts C $26,759 $304 $62,381 1.2 yrs
26 Mount Holyoke College Massachusetts C $22,902 $260 $58,418 1.2 yrs
27 Curry College Massachusetts C $25,000 $284 $54,400 1.7 yrs
28 Lesley University Massachusetts D $21,000 $239 $51,173 1.8 yrs
29 American International College Massachusetts D $27,000 $307 $53,124 2 yrs
30 Hampshire College Massachusetts F $26,893 $306 $46,938 3.6 yrs

In-state tuition is the lever that moves this most

The debt column is shaped far more by residency and institutional aid than by anything else. If you are applying from another state or another country, the figures here understate what you would borrow — check the university's own net price for your situation.

Read the salary next to the debt, never alone

Two universities in this state with identical graduate salaries can be two grades apart, because one leaves students owing twice as much. The payback column is the one that combines both.

Questions

Which university in Massachusetts pays back fastest?
Massachusetts Institute of Technology — $143,372 median earnings against $14,768 of debt, clearing in about 0.1 years.
How much do US students typically borrow?
Across the 810 universities we grade, median debt at graduation is $22,500 — about $256 a month on the standard ten-year federal plan.
Can scholarships change these numbers?
Directly. Every award comes off the borrowing before you ever repay it, which shortens the payback on each university page. Each page lists the scholarships we hold for that institution.

Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard. Figures cover students who received federal financial aid and blend every subject at each institution. Information only, not financial advice.