Liberal arts colleges are colleges that are committed to offering students a well-rounded education. Liberal arts institutions emphasize a broad spectrum of disciplines and nurture critical thinking.
Most liberal arts colleges believe that education goes beyond the classroom hence the need to provide students with an immersive experience that fosters intellectual curiosity, encourages different perspectives, and prepares students for the complexities of a rapidly changing world.
Explore our list of the best liberal arts colleges in Massachusetts below and choose the college that suits your needs.
Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Massachusetts
1. Wellesley College
One of the unique features of Wellesley College is that it is an all-women’s school. Another unique feature of this school is that students can choose from nearly 60 degree programs.
Students may also register for classes at Brandeis University, Babson College, or Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), all of which are located nearby. College of the Holy Cross
2. College of the Holy Cross
As the name implies, the College of the Holy Cross is a Jesuit liberal arts college located in Worcester, Massachusetts. This college is home to about 2,800 students who are pursuing one of the 28 Bachelor of Arts degrees offered at this college.
This school offers the second-largest Classics program of any liberal arts school in America. Thus, the College of the Holy Cross is an excellent choice of institution for students who are interested in the Classics. This school is an active participant in Classics projects throughout the world, including major editor of the Homer Multi-Text Project, and a main contributor to the Perseus Project, a huge online database of Greek antiquity.
3. Hampshire College
Located in Amherst, Massachusetts, Hampshire College is a private liberal arts school. Hampshire offers a unique curriculum that focuses on building portfolios and “grading” not with letter grades, but with narrative evaluations. This method is different from so many others, but it has proven effective as about 56% of Hampshire graduates go on to achieve at least one graduate degree.
4. Mount Holyoke College
Mount Holyoke College is located in South Hadley, Massachusetts, and offers one of the best liberal arts programs in Massachusetts. This college allows students a range of options for obtaining a liberal arts education. MHC offers about 50 majors, students are also provided with the option of tailoring their degree program based on specific interests.
However, all students, regardless of major, are required to complete 128-credit courses from their major department.
5. Smith College
Smith College is located in Northampton, Massachusetts, this college is unique as it is an all-female liberal arts college. Students enrolled in Smith are offered a variety of options for classes and majors. This college is a member of both the Seven Sisters and the Five Colleges Consortium thus, students may also take classes at other top-ranked schools.
6. Williams College
Williams College is one of the best liberal arts schools in the country. This university offers students a variety of courses in social sciences, humanities, and the natural sciences. Students enrolled at this college can choose from 33 majors for their degree.
Williams College is an excellent college featuring a core curriculum based on the tutorial system of Cambridge and Oxford, in which students work one-on-one, or in small groups, with a professor or “tutor.”
7. Amherst College
This article on the best liberal arts colleges in Massachusetts would be incomplete without this college on the list. Amherst College is widely recognized as one of the best if not the best liberal arts colleges in the country. This college was established in Amherst, Massachusetts in 1821, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in Massachusetts.
Amherst College offers a whopping 850 course options in 36 different areas of study most of which are within the liberal arts. This college also offers course options in mathematics and the natural sciences.
8. Harvard College
Harvard College is a liberal arts school in Cambridge, MA, within the prestigious Harvard University was established in 1636. This college is a selective, Ivy League college and is the oldest institution in the United States. Harvard College was named after its first benefactor, Reverend John Harvard.
In the first year and a half of study at this college, students are allowed the opportunity to create their study plans with an academic advisor before joining one of the college’s 50 majors. Students are also allowed the option of choosing from one of the 40 minors offered at the institution.
Students enrolled at this college enjoy access to a variety of museums, labs, and libraries, including a music library, a map collection, an arboretum, Harvard Innovation Lab, a Library on the History of Women in America, anatomical museum, herbaria, Center for Astrophysics, Harvard Forest, and more.
9. Elms College
Elms College was founded by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield, MA, it is a liberal arts institution located in Chicopee, Massachusetts. The college has been segmented into two schools and five divisions, and nearly half of the students attend Elms double major. Elms also offers online, off-campus, and part-time programs for students who require more flexible study options.
10. Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts
Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts is a public university located in North Adams, Massachusetts. This college enrolls over 289 bachelor’s degree candidates. Students are allowed the option of studying on-campus, online, or part-time.