Massachusetts Public Colleges Ranked by Lowest In State Tution

Below is a college cost ranking of the 13 public colleges in Massachusetts with the lowest in state tution. What is the cheapest college in Massachusetts? University of Massachusetts Dartmouth leads the list with a tuition and fee total of $16,327. Note these costs do not include room and board or living expenses.

Affordable doesn't simply mean finding a school with a low published price. It's important to research the typical financial aid package offered by a school, the average net price actually paid and most importantly the quality of education you receive for your tuition dollar. Sometimes a school which appears cheap based on list price can be a poor relative value if it can't award competitive financial aid or doesn't offer a quality education. The list below is a ranking on published in state tution with no consideration of actual average price paid or academic quality of the school. Please see the CollegeSimply Best Value Colleges in Massachusetts list for a ranking which considers school quality and average net price.

All price data are reprinted from the U.S. Department of Education's IPEDS 2025 survey and reflect reported costs for academic year 2024/2025.

List of Massachusetts Public Colleges Ranked by Lowest In State Tution
College Tuition In State

North Dartmouth, Massachusetts

$16,327

Boston, Massachusetts

$16,538

Lowell, Massachusetts

$17,686

Amherst, Massachusetts

$18,538

Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts

$20,724

Fitchburg, Massachusetts

$21,722

Worcester, Massachusetts

$22,602

Bridgewater, Massachusetts

$22,706

Framingham, Massachusetts

$22,870

Westfield, Massachusetts

$23,388

Salem, Massachusetts

$23,766

North Adams, Massachusetts

$23,842
$29,770

This list is updated annually based on the latest data from the National Center for Education Statistics.
Last updated: August 2026

Data source: IPEDS 2025 survey for academic year 2024/2025 - National Center for Education Statistics.