The average graduation rate of Massachusetts colleges is 62.65%. It means that 62.65% of students have completed their studies within 150% of program length.

For the bachelor's degree (BS) in 4-year Massachusetts colleges, the average graduation rate is 67.03%, which means 67.03% of students earned BS degree in 6 years after enrolling first year.

In Massachusetts 2-year institutions (i.e. community colleges), the average graduation rate is 30.16%.

For Massachusetts colleges, Harvard University has the highest graduation rate of 97.77% among 4-year colleges. For Massachusetts community colleges, FINE Mortuary College has the highest graduation rate of 100.00%.

Graduation Rate By School Level and Completion Time for Massachusetts Colleges

The following table compares graduation rates between Massachusetts colleges. For 4-year colleges, the rates are based on the time it takes to earn a bachelor's degree, which typically requires 4 years of study. Therefore, 100% normal time means 4-year, 125% normal time means 5-years, and the 150% normal time means 6 years.

For community colleges (2-4 year schools) and trade schools, the completion time to measure graduation rates vary depending on the length of the program. For example, 150% normal time for 1-year certificate programs is 18 months and 3 years for 2-years associate degree.

Graduation Rate Comparison between Massachusetts Colleges
SchoolGraduation Rate
(Completers)
Transfer-out RateRetention Rate
In 100% Normal TimeIn 125% Normal TimeIn 150% Normal Time
Hult International Business School4-Year College, private55.75%64.37%64.37%--
American International College4-Year College, private27.50%36.25%36.88%--
Amherst College4-Year College, private84.93%90.45%91.93%4%95%
Anna Maria College4-Year College, private33.03%39.45%40.37%--
Assabet Valley Regional Technical SchoolTrade School75.00%-81.25%--
Assumption University4-Year College, private70.14%71.35%71.88%--
Babson College4-Year College, private89.95%91.65%92.67%--
Bancroft School of Massage TherapyTrade School-----
Boston Baptist College4-Year College, private12.50%-12.50%62%100%
Bay Path University4-Year College, private46.41%47.06%47.06%27%70%
Bentley University4-Year College, private83.65%87.02%87.98%--
Berklee College of Music4-Year College, private54.31%64.71%67.64%11%84%
Berkshire Community CollegeCommunity College6.18%-16.29%15%56%
Empire Beauty School-BostonTrade School--42.31%--
Boston Architectural College4-Year College, private4.55%9.09%22.73%--
Boston Graduate School of Psychoanalysis Inc4-Year College, private-----
Boston College4-Year College, private87.72%90.79%90.92%6%95%
Boston University4-Year College, private83.33%87.78%88.96%--
Brandeis University4-Year College, private81.84%86.38%87.34%6%92%
Bridgewater State University4-Year College, public34.16%51.56%56.06%--
Bristol Community CollegeCommunity College10.30%-21.79%5%59%
Signature Healthcare Brockton Hospital School of NursingCommunity College-----
Bunker Hill Community CollegeCommunity College6.76%-16.85%7%63%
Cambridge College4-Year College, private---25%100%
Cape Cod Community CollegeCommunity College11.22%-23.08%11%53%
Catherine Hinds Institute of EstheticsTrade School93.75%-93.75%6%95%
Laboure College of Healthcare4-Year College, private-----
Clark University4-Year College, private72.09%75.42%76.16%17%88%
Conway School of Landscape Design4-Year College, private-----
Curry College4-Year College, private45.86%51.48%52.07%31%62%
Lincoln Technical Institute-SomervilleTrade School12.32%-59.42%--
Dean College4-Year College, private33.85%38.13%38.13%40%76%
Diman Regional Technical InstituteTrade School75.00%-87.50%--
National Aviation Academy of New EnglandCommunity College72.88%-72.88%--
Eastern Nazarene College4-Year College, private39.76%43.98%48.19%--
Emerson College4-Year College, private73.41%76.36%77.16%--
Emmanuel College4-Year College, private59.23%65.10%65.94%--
Endicott College4-Year College, private75.04%77.86%78.28%--
Rob Roy Academy-Fall RiverTrade School4.55%-50.00%--
Fisher College4-Year College, private26.79%30.36%32.14%39%55%
Fitchburg State University4-Year College, public39.92%54.02%56.39%24%72%
Framingham State University4-Year College, public42.55%51.08%54.61%27%71%
Benjamin Franklin Cummings Institute of Technology4-Year College, private---15%71%
Gordon College4-Year College, private60.86%67.54%68.74%--
Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary4-Year College, private-----
Greenfield Community CollegeCommunity College20.00%-32.31%16%66%
Hampshire College4-Year College, private51.25%60.31%60.31%--
Harvard University4-Year College, private86.80%94.45%97.77%--
Hebrew College4-Year College, private-----
Hellenic College-Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology4-Year College, private60.00%-60.00%--
College of the Holy Cross4-Year College, private88.89%91.11%91.11%2%95%
Holyoke Community CollegeCommunity College13.30%-24.56%14%59%
Lasell University4-Year College, private56.98%59.50%60.87%31%77%
Lawrence Memorial Hospital School of NursingCommunity College-----
Lesley University4-Year College, private48.65%59.73%61.35%--
Longy School of Music of Bard College4-Year College, private-----
Lowell Academy Hairstyling InstituteTrade School61.76%-61.76%12%67%
University of Massachusetts-Lowell4-Year College, public49.01%67.71%71.18%--
University of Massachusetts-Amherst4-Year College, public76.34%82.07%83.11%11%90%
University of Massachusetts-Boston4-Year College, public28.04%46.26%51.01%24%72%
Massachusetts Bay Community CollegeCommunity College10.00%-18.46%22%54%
MCPHS University4-Year College, private50.30%58.75%61.97%--
Massachusetts College of Art and Design4-Year College, public54.28%62.83%66.04%--
Massachusetts Maritime Academy4-Year College, public69.92%78.70%79.20%3%78%
University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School4-Year College, public-----
William James College4-Year College, private-----
Massachusetts School of BarberingTrade School66.67%-66.67%--
Massasoit Community CollegeCommunity College6.57%-18.90%15%56%
Merrimack College4-Year College, private62.75%67.33%68.13%20%82%
MGH Institute of Health Professions4-Year College, private-----
Middlesex Community CollegeCommunity College7.65%-16.45%20%57%
Montserrat College of Art4-Year College, private54.95%60.44%61.54%--
Mount Holyoke College4-Year College, private77.99%81.51%82.57%11%90%
Mount Wachusett Community CollegeCommunity College15.06%-27.16%10%53%
Rob Roy Academy-New BedfordTrade School--66.67%--
The New England Conservatory of Music4-Year College, private72.65%81.20%82.05%7%93%
New England College of Optometry4-Year College, private-----
Nichols College4-Year College, private50.72%56.45%58.17%8%72%
Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts4-Year College, public48.92%54.77%55.69%--
North Bennet Street SchoolCommunity College85.71%-85.71%--
North Shore Community CollegeCommunity College8.67%-20.71%13%53%
Northeastern University4-Year College, private-89.18%91.24%3%97%
Northern Essex Community CollegeCommunity College9.32%-18.65%15%54%
College of Our Lady of the Elms4-Year College, private68.10%74.85%74.85%19%75%
Pope St John XXIII National Seminary4-Year College, private-----
Quincy College4-Year College, public---25%62%
Quinsigamond Community CollegeCommunity College10.64%-21.28%8%55%
Regis College4-Year College, private60.09%66.95%66.95%18%76%
Roxbury Community CollegeCommunity College13.58%-13.58%--
Saint John's Seminary4-Year College, private-----
Salem State University4-Year College, public42.25%51.99%55.36%--
Simmons University4-Year College, private59.47%68.50%74.45%2%81%
Bard College at Simon's Rock4-Year College, private---26%68%
Smith College4-Year College, private82.57%87.31%88.53%8%91%
Southeastern Technical InstituteTrade School59.38%-71.88%--
Springfield College4-Year College, private67.28%72.09%73.01%--
Springfield Technical Community CollegeCommunity College9.62%-21.92%8%62%
University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth4-Year College, public39.39%51.60%54.58%29%67%
Stonehill College4-Year College, private74.97%78.52%79.07%18%89%
Suffolk University4-Year College, private46.01%58.83%60.19%25%76%
Rob Roy Academy-TauntonTrade School--100.00%--
Tufts University4-Year College, private89.82%93.41%93.71%4%96%
Wellesley College4-Year College, private82.20%88.81%90.17%--
Wentworth Institute of Technology4-Year College, private57.26%66.98%68.76%19%82%
Western New England University4-Year College, private61.63%66.48%67.45%22%78%
Westfield State University4-Year College, public52.36%59.53%59.81%15%75%
Wheaton College (Massachusetts)4-Year College, private75.57%79.17%79.73%--
Williams College4-Year College, private87.86%93.48%95.11%--
Worcester Polytechnic Institute4-Year College, private81.88%88.04%88.93%--
Worcester State University4-Year College, public46.54%56.41%58.85%25%75%
Northpoint Bible College4-Year College, private24.49%26.53%28.57%--
Blue Hills Regional Technical SchoolTrade School-----
Elizabeth Grady School of Esthetics and Massage TherapyTrade School5.88%-72.55%--
New England Hair AcademyTrade School4.00%-78.00%--
Rob Roy Academy-WorcesterTrade School--70.27%--
Upper Cape Cod Regional Technical SchoolTrade School66.67%-75.00%--
Greater Lowell Technical SchoolTrade School63.64%-81.82%--
Empire Beauty School-MaldenTrade School--53.33%--
EINE IncTrade School20.00%-80.00%--
Shawsheen Valley School of Practical NursingTrade School84.21%-84.21%--
Motoring Technical Training InstituteTrade School6.01%-76.82%--
Charles H McCann Technical SchoolTrade School87.50%-87.50%--
Mildred Elley-Pittsfield CampusTrade School11.63%-27.91%--
Urban College of BostonCommunity College--12.50%50%0%
Monty TechTrade School--75.00%--
Toni & Guy Hairdressing Academy-WorcesterTrade School4.67%-83.18%--
FINE Mortuary CollegeCommunity College--100.00%--
Franklin W Olin College of Engineering4-Year College, private82.28%92.41%93.67%2%99%
Spa Tech Institute-WestboroTrade School36.25%-70.00%--
Spa Tech Institute-PlymouthTrade School62.50%-85.00%--
DiGrigoli School of CosmetologyTrade School48.33%-68.33%--
Blackstone Valley Vocational Regional School DistrictTrade School-----
Southern Worcester County Regional Vocational School DistrictTrade School80.00%-80.00%--
Tri County Regional Vocational Technical High SchoolTrade School86.36%-86.36%--
New England Tractor Trailer Training School of MassachusettsTrade School52.14%-69.09%--
Springfield College-Regional, Online, and Continuing Education4-Year College, private-----
Alexander AcademyTrade School66.67%-73.33%--
Northeastern University Professional Programs4-Year College, private-----
Jupiter Beauty AcademyTrade School8.57%-57.14%--
Thomas Aquinas College - New England4-Year College, private-----
Porter and Chester Institute of WorcesterTrade School-----
Porter and Chester Institute - BrocktonTrade School-----
Porter and Chester Institute - ChicopeeTrade School-----
Bard College - Holyoke MicrocollegeCommunity College-----
Technology Learning CenterTrade School-----
Spa Tech Institute-North AndoverTrade School-----