State cost ranking · DOE College Scorecard

Cheapest Colleges in Massachusetts

Massachusetts's median net price sits 43% above the national Scorecard median; even so, Middlesex Community College is the lowest reporter here at $2,624 among 117 schools.

$2,624
Cheapest net price
$24,402
Massachusetts median
117
Schools ranked

Middlesex Community College has the lowest average net price in Massachusetts among Scorecard reporters

According to the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, Middlesex Community College posts the lowest average net price in Massachusetts at $2,624 among 117 ranked schools, with the state median 43% above the $17,124 national median. Net price is what students paid after grant aid, not sticker tuition, and can reflect a narrow enrollment mix at specialty schools.

Data source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard

Cheapest net price
$2,624
Massachusetts median
$24,402
Schools ranked
117
National median
$17,124

Data updated August 2026 · IPEDS 2022–23 vintage

The list in one line

Middlesex Community College has the lowest average net price in Massachusetts at $2,624/year, and the state's median net price is 43% above the $17,124 national median across 4,965 schools.

$2,624
cheapest ranked net price
$24,402
Massachusetts median net price
38 public / 79 private
schools in this ranking
$17,527
avg net price, <$30K income families

Average net price blends every income bracket; families under $30k average $17,527 here. Loans are excluded, open a school profile for the bracket table before treating one average as a personal cost.

Sticker tuition and real net price diverge most at Williams College, where in-state published tuition of $68,560 falls to an average net price of $17,716 after aid, a $50,844 gap, the widest sticker-to-net gap among ranked Massachusetts schools.

Private campuses outnumber public ones here (79 vs 38). A low figure at a small religious or specialty school can reflect a narrow enrollment mix, check sector and enrollment beside the price.

The bar to make this top-25 list is $15,216. Here is where that cutoff sits among all 117 Scorecard-reporting Massachusetts schools:

The bar to make Massachusetts's top-25 cheapest list

Average net price after aid · 117 Scorecard-reporting schools

$15,216 Among the most affordable more affordable than 79% of 117 Massachusetts colleges

Show national distribution $0–$5,000: 1 Massachusetts colleges (1%). Below this entry. $5,000–$10,000: 16 Massachusetts colleges (14%). Below this entry. $10,000–$15,000: 7 Massachusetts colleges (6%). Below this entry. $15,000–$20,000: 19 Massachusetts colleges (16%). This entry sits in this band. $20,000–$25,000: 18 Massachusetts colleges (15%). Above this entry. $25,000–$30,000: 26 Massachusetts colleges (22%). Above this entry. $30,000–$35,000: 11 Massachusetts colleges (9%). Above this entry. $35,000–$40,000: 10 Massachusetts colleges (9%). Above this entry. $40,000–$45,000: 5 Massachusetts colleges (4%). Above this entry. $45,000–$50,000: 4 Massachusetts colleges (3%). Above this entry. #25 cutoff $0 $50,000 every ranked Massachusetts college, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $5K-wide band; taller bars hold more Massachusetts colleges. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard · 2022–23

Massachusetts's 25 cheapest colleges by real net price

1
Middlesex Community CollegeBedford, MA · Public
Avg net price
$2,624
Net price (<$30K income)
$943
Median debt
$7,291
Median earnings, 6yr
$40,318
Enrollment
9,374
2
Bristol Community CollegeFall River, MA · Public
Avg net price
$5,547
Net price (<$30K income)
$4,550
Median debt
$8,243
Median earnings, 6yr
$35,555
Enrollment
6,950
4
Northern Essex Community CollegeHaverhill, MA · Public
Avg net price
$6,046
Net price (<$30K income)
$5,256
Median debt
$9,000
Median earnings, 6yr
$36,235
Enrollment
4,721
5
Urban College of BostonBoston, MA · Private nonprofit
Avg net price
$6,957
Net price (<$30K income)
$6,957
Median debt
-
Median earnings, 6yr
$33,241
Enrollment
868
8
Greenfield Community CollegeGreenfield, MA · Public
Avg net price
$7,679
Net price (<$30K income)
$7,311
Median debt
$8,307
Median earnings, 6yr
$27,778
Enrollment
1,689
9
Bunker Hill Community CollegeBoston, MA · Public
Avg net price
$7,818
Net price (<$30K income)
$7,120
Median debt
$10,500
Median earnings, 6yr
$39,847
Enrollment
9,876
10
Avg net price
$7,931
Net price (<$30K income)
$5,899
Median debt
$10,252
Median earnings, 6yr
$37,314
Enrollment
3,694
11
Holyoke Community CollegeHolyoke, MA · Public
Avg net price
$8,068
Net price (<$30K income)
$6,522
Median debt
$8,250
Median earnings, 6yr
$32,437
Enrollment
4,200
12
Cape Cod Community CollegeWest Barnstable, MA · Public
Avg net price
$8,296
Net price (<$30K income)
$8,253
Median debt
$12,000
Median earnings, 6yr
$39,296
Enrollment
3,260
14
Massasoit Community CollegeBrockton, MA · Public
Avg net price
$8,460
Net price (<$30K income)
$7,194
Median debt
$10,000
Median earnings, 6yr
$38,606
Enrollment
5,574
15
North Shore Community CollegeDanvers, MA · Public
Avg net price
$9,000
Net price (<$30K income)
$8,622
Median debt
$9,000
Median earnings, 6yr
$40,373
Enrollment
5,743
16
Quinsigamond Community CollegeWorcester, MA · Public
Avg net price
$9,090
Net price (<$30K income)
$8,148
Median debt
$16,575
Median earnings, 6yr
$38,351
Enrollment
7,811
17
Berkshire Community CollegePittsfield, MA · Public
Avg net price
$9,921
Net price (<$30K income)
$7,797
Median debt
$12,053
Median earnings, 6yr
$36,584
Enrollment
1,694
19
Roxbury Community CollegeRoxbury Crossing, MA · Public
Avg net price
$12,244
Net price (<$30K income)
$12,222
Median debt
-
Median earnings, 6yr
$40,823
Enrollment
2,044
20
Worcester State UniversityWorcester, MA · Public
Avg net price
$13,381
Net price (<$30K income)
$8,793
Median debt
$19,500
Median earnings, 6yr
$50,233
Enrollment
5,745
21
Fitchburg State UniversityFitchburg, MA · Public
Avg net price
$14,262
Net price (<$30K income)
$10,204
Median debt
$24,239
Median earnings, 6yr
$41,999
Enrollment
5,892
22
Bay Path UniversityLongmeadow, MA · Private nonprofit
Avg net price
$14,271
Net price (<$30K income)
$11,948
Median debt
$24,901
Median earnings, 6yr
$51,548
Enrollment
2,605
25
Massachusetts School of BarberingQuincy, MA · Private for-profit
Avg net price
$15,216
Net price (<$30K income)
$15,216
Median debt
$8,294
Median earnings, 6yr
-
Enrollment
44
#CollegeAvg net priceNet price (<$30K income)Median debtMedian earnings, 6yrEnrollment
1Middlesex Community CollegeBedford, MA · Public$2,62495% of the leader · rank #1$943$7,291$40,3189,374
2Bristol Community CollegeFall River, MA · Public$5,54789% of the leader · rank #2$4,550$8,243$35,5556,950
3Springfield Technical Community CollegeSpringfield, MA · Public$5,66289% of the leader · rank #3$4,250$6,570$35,8245,447
4Northern Essex Community CollegeHaverhill, MA · Public$6,04688% of the leader · rank #4$5,256$9,000$36,2354,721
5Urban College of BostonBoston, MA · Private nonprofit$6,95786% of the leader · rank #5$6,957-$33,241868
6Southeastern Technical InstituteSouth Easton, MA · Public$7,06086% of the leader · rank #6$8,009$8,846-260
7Massachusetts Bay Community CollegeWellesley Hills, MA · Public$7,16986% of the leader · rank #7$6,206$6,500$37,5044,578
8Greenfield Community CollegeGreenfield, MA · Public$7,67984% of the leader · rank #8$7,311$8,307$27,7781,689
9Bunker Hill Community CollegeBoston, MA · Public$7,81884% of the leader · rank #9$7,120$10,500$39,8479,876
10Mount Wachusett Community CollegeGardner, MA · Public$7,93184% of the leader · rank #10$5,899$10,252$37,3143,694
11Holyoke Community CollegeHolyoke, MA · Public$8,06884% of the leader · rank #11$6,522$8,250$32,4374,200
12Cape Cod Community CollegeWest Barnstable, MA · Public$8,29683% of the leader · rank #12$8,253$12,000$39,2963,260
13Upper Cape Cod Regional Technical SchoolBourne, MA · Public$8,37383% of the leader · rank #13$9,425$9,500-70
14Massasoit Community CollegeBrockton, MA · Public$8,46083% of the leader · rank #14$7,194$10,000$38,6065,574
15North Shore Community CollegeDanvers, MA · Public$9,00082% of the leader · rank #15$8,622$9,000$40,3735,743
16Quinsigamond Community CollegeWorcester, MA · Public$9,09082% of the leader · rank #16$8,148$16,575$38,3517,811
17Berkshire Community CollegePittsfield, MA · Public$9,92180% of the leader · rank #17$7,797$12,053$36,5841,694
18Tri County Regional Vocational Technical High SchoolFranklin, MA · Public$11,68276% of the leader · rank #18$11,682--72
19Roxbury Community CollegeRoxbury Crossing, MA · Public$12,24475% of the leader · rank #19$12,222-$40,8232,044
20Worcester State UniversityWorcester, MA · Public$13,38173% of the leader · rank #20$8,793$19,500$50,2335,745
21Fitchburg State UniversityFitchburg, MA · Public$14,26271% of the leader · rank #21$10,204$24,239$41,9995,892
22Bay Path UniversityLongmeadow, MA · Private nonprofit$14,27171% of the leader · rank #22$11,948$24,901$51,5482,605
23Lowell Academy Hairstyling InstituteLowell, MA · Private for-profit$14,83970% of the leader · rank #23$14,839$7,994$44,17066
24Charles H McCann Technical SchoolNorth Adams, MA · Public$14,99870% of the leader · rank #24$14,998--41
25Massachusetts School of BarberingQuincy, MA · Private for-profit$15,21669% of the leader · rank #25$15,216$8,294-44

Showing the 25 cheapest of 117 Scorecard-reporting Massachusetts schools. The remaining 92 are ranked in the same net-price order but omitted from this HTML table so the page stays crawlable.

Look up any institution's exact rank via My School Profile, or open its school page for income-bracket net price, debt, and earnings.

What this means for you

Use Massachusetts's ranking as a starting point, real net price depends on your specific financial-aid package.

Figures reflect the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard IPEDS 2022–23 release.

Average net price = the institution-reported average amount students actually paid after all grant and scholarship aid, excluding loans. Only schools with a reported average net price in the DOE College Scorecard dataset are ranked. This page lists the 25 cheapest; the title count is the full Scorecard-reporting cohort for Massachusetts. Schools with fewer than 10 net-price-reporting institutions in a state or territory are not given a dedicated ranking page.

Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard IPEDS 2022–23

Every figure on PlainCampus is rendered directly from federal Clery Act source data, no number is typed in by an editor. Every ranked figure on this page is queried directly from the DOE College Scorecard dataset at request time; no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

PlainCampus is for informational purposes only and does not constitute safety, security, legal, or enrollment advice; the data describes reported on-campus activity, it is not a complete picture of safety at any campus and cannot predict any individual student's experience. See our appropriate use guidance.