A Guide to Online Colleges in Massachusetts

Since the Pilgrims arrival in 1620, Massachusetts has forever been associated with the colonial experience and the early European settlers of North America. Its capital city, Boston, where eighty-percent of the population lives, is all but synonymous with this image: puritans, patriots, political dissenters, advocates of religious freedom, Founding Fathers. (When we think of the American Revolution, we tend to think of Boston — not, strangely enough, Philadelphia — largely thanks to the Boston Tea Party and Paul Revere's famous ride.) But Massachusetts is more than a mere historical relic, trapped in time — far from it. It's the third most densely populated state in the union, and boasts the country's third-highest per capita income at $53,221. It's among the best states for business: venture capital investment, information technology, healthcare, finance, tourism. Thirteen Fortune 500 companies are located in Massachusetts. And, with Boston being a major hub of the Northeast corridor, Massachusetts has one of the most robust, cutting-edge transportation systems in the country. But if there's one Massachusetts asset that's been there from the start — and that remains the United State's very, very best — it's higher education: the state boasts some of America's and the world's top universities. And now, thanks to increased investment and development of online education, those universities are more accessible and affordable than ever.

In-state tuition is often applied to public schools offering online programs. Many online programs require some face-to-face time, or more numerous support services at their brick and mortar locations. Intensive study experiences–often on the weekends or in several week long bouts–enable many online students to accelerate their time until graduation. And students looking at online education can drastically expand their educational options if they also look to hybrid degrees (degrees where degrees can be taken partially, or mostly online). Finally, one of the most common stipulations in scholarships is that students be from a certain state or region, often more funds are available to students seeking degrees in-state.

Featured Online Schools

Eight Massachusetts public schools offer online degrees: Fitchburg State University, Middlesex Community College, North Shore Community College, Northern Essex Community College, University of Massachusetts Amherst, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, University of Massachusetts Lowell, and Westfield State University. Among these, UMass Amherst and Lowell offer the largest selection of degrees, 31 and 24, respectively. Amherst's 13 bachelor degrees range from Arts Management, to Business Administration, to Criminal and Social Justice programs. (An RN to BSN is available, as well.) Master's tracks are primarily MBA and MEd concentrations. The majority of Lowell's online degrees are graduate-level — MBA and MEd concentrations — plus some bachelor tracks in IT, English, Psychology, and Business, among others. For students primarily interested in pre-professional studies, Middlesex Community College offers 11 online associate degrees, by far the most in the state. Areas of study include Business, Accounting, Hospitality Management, Criminal Justice, Fire Protection & Safety Technology, and Psychology. Behind Lowell, Westfield State offers the third-most online bachelor degrees.

Eighteen private schools in Massachusetts offer online degrees, including Boston University, Brandeis University, Nichols College, Northeastern University, Wentworth Institute of Technology, Wheelock College, Endicott College, and Lasell College. (For those interested in medicine and health, note also Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences.) Northeastern is the largest private school provider, and second-largest in the state, with 30 degrees offered online. Most of these are master's studies in Project Management, Nonprofit Management, Engineering Management, Homeland Security, Applied Behavior Analysis, Public Administration, and a unique MS in Regulatory Affairs for Drugs, Biologics, and Medical Devices, among others. (Northeastern also offers 8 bachelor's degrees — the most offered among private schools — and 2 doctorates in Education and Physical Therapy.) Boston University ranks second with 24 available degrees (including 19 masters), followed by the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (12), Lasell College (12), and Bay Path College (10). Associate tracks are harder to come by among private schools, but Boston offers one online AAS in Criminal Justice.

Potential Resident?

For a variety of reasons, a student may look to move to the state of their online college program whether specifically required by the program or not – be it for a job, location desirability, school benefits, etc. Different states have different policies, however, and some of them can be rather demanding. Massachusetts, fortunately, is straightforward. Student (or students' parents, if they are dependents) must have lived in the state for 12 consecutive months prior to your enrollment at a Massachusetts public university; or 6 months if the student is planning to attend a community college. Among the documentation that might be required to prove residency are: valid driver's license, pay stub, utility bills, voter registration, signed lease or recent receipt, etc. For further instructions/scenarios, UMass Amherst has a fairly comprehensive page dedicated to in-state tuition requirements.

Massachusetts public school tuition is slightly higher than the national average: $11,588 compared to $9,142, per four-year university in 2015-16. That's a 5% increase over the year before (the national average is 3%) and a 12% increase over the past five years (the national average is 13%). There are several factors that we should take into account. First is quality: UMass, the state's flagship public university, is among the top public research systems in the country, according to US News, the Princeton Review, and other leading publications. As so, Lowell, Amherst, and Dartmouth all represent excellent values. Further, and perhaps most important, the state has a relatively high cost-of-living (Boston in particular drives up expenses), which of course carries into education costs. (Yes, unfortunately this may affect online education, too; though it's still cheaper on the whole.) Still, the $11,588 is still almost $4,000 cheaper than the highest public tuitions in the U.S, and Massachusetts' 5-year percent change is less than the national average.

Boston has at least 7 universities offering online degrees. These include Boston University, Northeastern, Suffolk University, Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Wentworth Institute of Technology, and Wheelock College. Northeastern is the largest of these — and the second-largest in the state — with 30 degrees available online, including 8 bachelors, 20 masters, and two doctorates; these cover a range of discipline but especially excel in management, education, healthcare, and business. Boston University offers 24 online degrees, tied for third-most in the state (with UMass Lowell). For those interested in graduate business programs, Suffolk offers 3 unique tracks, especially for online delivery: an Executive MBA, a Graduate Diploma in Professional Accounting, and an MBA. And, of course, the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences is an excellent opportunity for online healthcare students: 2 bachelors, 8 masters, and 2 doctorates, including an MHA, MSN, MPH, and Doctor of Health Sciences. Wentworth specializes in management tracks — Project, Construction, and Technology — and Wheelock offers an MEd in STEM. (Note that nearby Brandeis, in Waltham, also offers online degrees.)

The Best Online Colleges in Massachusetts

Monitoring the accreditation of a university you are interested in attending is incredibly important. Accreditation ensures your credits can transfer that you can receive Federal financial aid, and most importantly that certain standards of educational quality are during your schooling. The highest accreditation standard for most programs in the United States is provided by regional accreditation agencies. The regional accrediting agency for Massachusetts is the New England Association of Colleges and Schools, one of six regional accrediting agencies responsible for accrediting schools in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont

Making sure that a University you're hoping to attend is regionally accredited — or accredited by a real and respected accrediting agency — is one of the most important choices you can make in ensuring the quality of your education.

Three Steps for Securing Financial Aid

• Submit your FAFSA.

• Check to see if additional forms are needed at your university of choice.

• Search and apply for private scholarships.

Through the previous three steps most students find themselves offered some sort of federal grant, work study, private grant, scholarship, or stipend.

Great Massachusetts Higher Education Resources

• The Massachusetts Department of Higher Education offers a wealth of info on financial aid, public university options, and more.

• Check the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) for accreditation information.

• And the New England Board of Higher Education.

• For community college students, the Massachusetts Community College Council.

• The Massachusetts Educational Opportunity Association (MEOA) helps disadvantaged students find affordable higher education.

• The Massachusetts Educational Finance Authority offers planning, saving, and and payment options.

• PHENOM advocates for affordable higher education throughout the state.

• Interested in the goings-on of the Massachusetts Joint Commission on Higher Education?

• The Massachusetts Council for International Education (MaCIE) promotes international education throughout the state.

• For creative types, the Massachusetts Art Education Association (MAEA).

• Students in southeast Mass can check out CONNECT.

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